Guest EB Posted July 8, 2002 Report Share Posted July 8, 2002 Hi Shkelo (and whoever else is accepting the U of A's offer of admission) - I just wanted to ask if you called the admissions office to double check that they recieved your "confirmation" form & deposit... I wanted to do that before I send my letter to the UofC declining their offer of admission, but the woman who answered the phone at the UofA's admission office wasn't so keen on letting me know if my form & fees were in order... So I figured I'd ask and see if anyone else was able to get this info from admissions... EB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 8, 2002 Report Share Posted July 8, 2002 I wouldn't worry too much about it, Erin. I physically delivered mine to the Faculty office, but they didn't cash my cheque until a month and a half later. (You can phone your bank to check the status of your cheque, or if you have on-line banking, you can view your account details through the Internet). This surprised me a little, but I assume they are very busy this time of year or maybe my cheque was transferred (with several others) to the Registrar's Office. Make sure you have the funds in your account though or otherwise your cheque may bounce. The Admissions office will contact you directly if they didn't receive your confirmation package. I highly doubt that you would be denied admission because they didn't receive it!! I know your father's sick. If he's currently on-leave from his job (or receiving less than his usual income), you may qualify for an Alberta Student Loan (It all depends on your parents net worth and combined income though. Go to www.alis.gov.ab.ca/studen...e/main.asp to find out if you are eligible.) It is in your best interest to acquire a loan if you can, because of its interest-free status, for the non-repayable Millennium Scholarships (worth up to $3000/yr), other Alberta-related bursaries, and for the debt relief incentives if you incur debt above $35,000 over the next 4 years. It is likely that you are living with your parents if you are here in Edmonton, but you still may be eligible for some financial support. The real benefit for you, as for anyone else reading this post, is that a portion of your loan will be non-repayable (essentially free money that can be used towards your schooling). As a medical student, you are eligible for $16,000 per year ($5,000 higher than undergraduate students pursuing non-professional degrees). These costs can add up quickly, especially in the 3rd and 4th year, when you have electives during the summer months (including food/transportation costs) and may want to do one or two electives at a hospital in another city (e.g. Jasper or Banff) or province for a (re)freshening experience. These costs can all be worked into your loan. I knew a guy who recently completed med school and had over $55,000 in student loans. He got a cheque for $20,000 (!!) from the Alberta government to reduce his total debt load to $35,000. This was in addition to grants he received in previous schooling years (totaling $10,000). So in the end, the Alberta (and federal) government(s) paid out a total of $30,000 towards his med school education. Not too shabby!! $35,000 is not a tremendous debt load either, in my opinion, and can be paid off over your residency years. Something to think about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EB Posted July 11, 2002 Report Share Posted July 11, 2002 Well, I spent a few days trying to figure out how the student loan thing works... checked out the link you provided... but, I'm still confused. Figures! When it comes to anything financial I'm a complete moron... Is there anywhere on campus that can explain this whole student loan thing to me? Do you need to have $35k of debt before the gov starts giving you debt relief? I thought the site also mentioned that you can get debt relief if your loan is over $5k per year... ugh... I'm SO confused... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 11, 2002 Report Share Posted July 11, 2002 Yes!! There is a Student Financial Aid Office in SUB (moved temporarily to the 6th floor, I think). You can also visit their website: www.su.ualberta.ca/su/bus...ices/sfaic They can walk you through the application if you need it. There is also a quick tips guide through the ALIS website: www.alis.gov.ab.ca/pdf/st...cktips.pdf To answer your second question...sort of. There are two debt relief initiatives: 1. loan relief over $35,000 ($20,000 for any non-professional undergraduate degree) provided that you complete your degree, and 2. debt relief in the first year of your loan down to $5000. However, you will not qualify for this kind of loan relief because you must be a first-time, first-year student at a post-secondary institution. You've already put two years into university and although you're entering first year for med school, you're not a first-time student. This is mainly an incentive for people to come back to school, but not risk too much financially. If they feel school is too much for them, then after successfully completing their first year, they could drop out and would only have $5000 to pay back. You should check out the Student Funding eligibility calculator. It is particularly useful in determining financial need with an expected parental contribution. /studentloans.gov.ab.ca/s...ll?student It is not completely accurate, but will give you a ballpark figure of what your funding levels may be. In order to qualify for Millenium scholarships though, I think your loan request must meet a minimum requirement (>$5000??). In two years time, you won't have to submit your parent's income as part of your loan application (for students with > 4 years since high school). You will be able to request more money at that time. Hard to say if you'll qualify for a loan. It all depends on how much your parents make, the number of persons in your family and whether or not you're living at home. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest monkey Posted July 11, 2002 Report Share Posted July 11, 2002 Hey shkelo, do you know if UC has a similar type of office? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 12, 2002 Report Share Posted July 12, 2002 www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/students/awards/ Go to the bottom of the page for a phone number and locaion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 20, 2002 Report Share Posted July 20, 2002 I received my admission package in the mail today. Nice big thick envelope!! I'm still trying to digest all of the information, although I do like some of the orientation activities scheduled (pub crawl, golf, party, etc...). I've been told that the first few days are the ones you'll carry for a lifetime. Let's hope that's true!! I've also heard that rejection letters were sent out this week. No word, unfortunately, for those who are waiting on the alternate list. Rumor has it that there are always a few people that bolt in August (for whatever reason), so you never know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EB Posted July 20, 2002 Report Share Posted July 20, 2002 shkelo, i tried to telephone register and according to the system program code *61*42550 (med) is something i'm not elligible to register for. have you had any problems like this? EB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PeterC007 Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 To let everyone know, some people are accepted in late Aug, even after school started (a couple days mind you). Yes the first week is great. We are organizing some great parties for you guys and girls. The golf tournament is so much fun, it's all about dressing up and it doesn't matter if you can actually play. Also, if you are a hockey player (good or bad) there is the annual icebowl tournament between U of C, U of A, Uof S, Uof M, and UBC. We are hosting this year so make sure you bring your equipment. Pete Class 2005 MSA Sports rep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shkelo Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 I (finally) registered last night. I didn't have any problems as you described. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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