Higher education in Alberta

It was renamed Calgary College, and closed in 1915 due to low enrolment, lack of financial support, continuing squabbles with the province and the beginning of the World War I.

[4] In 1916 The Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (PITA) is established in Calgary to train returning veterans of World War I.

[6] After the World War II, higher education in Alberta expanded resulting from the province's fast transformation into an urban industrial society and increased demand for skilled manpower.

[11] The province began expanding the capacity for apprenticeship and vocational training that, until then, had been handled solely by the Provincial Institute of Technology and Arts (PITA) in Calgary.

Among the recommendations made in the Worth Report, one major theme is that the provincial government should change structures in such a manner as to have more direct influence on the post-secondary system.

These new funding mechanisms took into account factors such as the projection of operational costs over a three-year period and the rate of inflation to determine the allocation of resources for a growing number of institutions.

[13] The 1990s saw Alberta's post-secondary system change in terms of significant financial restructuring imposed by the provincial government, and the introduction of a new and targeted funding model that emphasizes accountability and demonstration of results.

[18] These developments were part of the province's deficit reduction strategy in the Alberta government's 1993 announcement to eliminate its provincial debt within four years.

[20] In 2000, the provincial government created a K-16 model by combining K-12 and higher education into one department named Alberta Learning.

Many of the new facilities and faculty have made the University of Alberta one of the world's top research institutions,[citation needed] and boast the second-largest student body in Canada as of September, 2009.

The recent worldwide economic downturn has also brought a huge number of unemployed people back to school, putting further pressures on the institutions.

The province has supported and encouraged this kind of student mobility by developing college programs that transfer to larger urban post-secondary institutions where degrees can be completed.

The purpose of the protocol is to ensure that any student who satisfactorily completes course work in either Alberta or British Columbia, and wishes to transfer to an institution in the other may do so.

[22] In 2005, Alberta created a single online application system for 21 publicly funded post-secondary institutions called ApplyAlberta.

[25] The initiative serves two purposes: to facilitate entry into the post-secondary system for students, and to track the number of qualified applications, withdrawals, and other data to improve departmental planning.

[26] eCampusAlberta was a partnership of the 26 Alberta publicly funded post-secondary institutions that facilitated increased access to high quality online learning opportunities.

In May 2013, the Albertan Progressive Conservative Party released a document commissioned by Alison Redford, Premier at the time, entitled Provincial Dual Credit Strategy: Call to Action.

A pathway is defined as "a selection of courses providing students with opportunities to explore and acquire the attitudes, skills, knowledge, and values for a potential career.

The majority of the population growth in Alberta is its urban centres - Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer and Lethbridge - while the proportion of people living in small towns and rural areas is declining.

Access to education at all levels remains a priority for Alberta as the province continues to invest in developing a strong knowledge-based economy rather than its historic heavy reliance on the natural resource industry.

Collectively, these institutions offer a comprehensive set of certificates, diplomas, applied degrees, bachelors, masters and doctoral programs.

In 2007, the Ministry of Advanced Education developed a model that defines institutions according to their credentials, type and intensity of research activity, and geographic focus.

Applied research focuses on identification of solutions to specific areas, may involve third party engagement or funding, and is conducted by non- CARIs.

The creation of Campus Alberta Quality Council as the body that examines proposals for new degrees is also part of the consolidated Post-secondary Learning Act.

This entity provides strategic direction, establishes program offerings, approves admissions requirements, and promotes the development of the communities served by the institution.

In a context of rising student costs, the Alberta government has set in place policies in areas such as tuition fees and financial assistance to ensure adequate levels of access and affordability.

[20] In order to ensure a reasonable contribution by the students to the costs of post-secondary education, the Alberta government regulates the payment of tuition fees.

The tuition fee policy introduced in 1990 and amended in 1995 ensures that this direct monetary contribution does not exceed 30% of the cost of their education.

This policy requires public post-secondary institutions to charge the same fee to all residents of Canada and to impose a surcharge of 100% to all foreign students.

ACES pays $500 into a Registered Education Savings Plan for any child born to or adopted by Alberta residents starting 1 January 2005.