Minister unveils application website, voids transcript fees

Pete Yee

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Advanced Education Minister Doug Horner introduced the new online application system at Harry Ainlay on Tuesday.

The provincial government officially launched its new website, ApplyAlberta.ca, on Tuesday morning. The website will allow students to apply to any of Alberta's publicly funded postsecondary institutions using a single website — a considerable alteration from the provinces previous system, which required students to individually apply to each institution.

The website currently aggregates the application processes of 21 different Albertan institutions, including the University of Alberta, with five others in development as future partners.

“I'm pleased we can now offer to students a new way to apply to one, two, three, four or more of our outstanding Albetan postsecondary institutions in one single place,” said Sharon Carry, board chair of ApplyAlberta, and president/CEO of Bow Valley College, one of the schools participating in the program.

Carry began work on the project approximately five years ago with the province’s introduction of the Access to the Future Act. She professed that although streamlining application procedures might seem easy, but heavy work was involved.

“When I was flying up here, I told a stewardess about our work, and all she had to say was, 'you haven't done that already?'” Carry said.

But as Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Doug Horner explained, the task was a big change for many institutions, which have been using their own distinct application systems for years — many since their creation.

"It really is a feat to get all these institutions who used 21 different application processes to co-ordinate under one system. It wasn't at the direct benefit of some,” he said,” but the did it anyway.

The new website will have some other added benefits, Horner explained, in addition to allowing for multiple applications. To relieve financial stress on students, the system will also eliminate all transcript transfer fees, meaning that students can send high school or postsecondary transcripts at no cost.

Horner's own experience with the difficulties of Alberta's former postsecondary application process are as both an administrator and user. He became disenchanted with the system after spending too much time in front of the computer with his own daughters.

“It was interesting because you had to do the same thing every time you applied to a new institution — the same thing in terms of questions, transcript requests. And it was confusing,” he admitted.

“Once you create your profile on ApplyAlberta, with the click of a button, students will be able to use it to apply to as many postsecondary institutions as the like,” he said.

Horner also pointed out that the government had done its due diligence regarding the safety of student information on the site. He said that advanced encryption and several other security measures were being employed to protect student information.

“The personal and academic information in your profile will remain private and secure,” he assured.

For a full list of institutions using ApplyAlberta, visit www.ApplyAlberta.ca.