Student unions pushback over loan changes
By Acacia Carol, Layout Editor
The Student Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) and other student organisations have been speaking out against changes to Alberta student aid and grant eligibility after the Alberta government announced new changes would be effective Aug. 1, 2026.
SAMRU president Noel Ormita told CBC that the changes added another “financial barrier” to students’ academics. He also said that student debt is one of the “biggest” issues for students at MRU.
The pushback comes after the Alberta government doubled the contribution amount required from students to $3,000 from $1,500. Additionally, the province has reinstated a requirement it removed in 2012, which considers spousal and parental income when calculating how much a student can receive.
Ormita told CBC that the changes are based on the assumption that families can set aside funds to support students with tuition and cost-of-living expenses.
The changes mean that students could receive less money overall for their loans and grants because of their parents’ or spouses’ incomes, even without receiving financial support from family.
Ormita also told CBC that while a majority of the financial aid a student receives pays for tuition, it also helps students pay for the cost of living. Currently, cost of living inflation sits at 2.8 per cent for Canadians.
While parental or spousal income has always been a contributing factor to the amount of grant money that a student receives alongside their loans, the new rules also impact the maximum amount of loan money a student can be eligible to receive.
Applications for the 2026 fall and winter semester student aid officially opened on June 3. Despite MRU continuing to face a cyberattack, MRU students are still able to apply for loans, make payments and access more resources through myMRU. More information can be found on the MRU updates and support page.
