Tuition and Cost of Living

Tuition

As an exchange student, you will NOT pay tuition to UAlberta.  

Fees that must be paid to UAlberta:

1. University of Alberta Health Insurance Plan (UAHIP) - This insurance is required for all exchange students. Coverage by any other insurance plan (with the exception of the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan) will not allow you to be exempted from UAHIP.

2. Arc Card for public transit (formerly known as the U-Pass) - All UAlberta students must contribute a fee to the group transit plan, which then provides unlimited access to public transit.

3. Exclusions to Program and Tuition Fees - One or more of your courses might have these fees.  Examples could include fees for art supplies, field trips, etc.

4. Some courses might have other mandatory fees (e.g., for textbooks, software, lab equipment, lab smocks, etc.) that might not be shown on the page for Exclusions to Programs and Tuition Fees.  If you choose to take courses with other mandatory fees then you would be required to pay those fees.

  • Historically, undergraduate students were responsible for purchasing textbooks and other materials for their specific courses on an individual basis when studying at UAlberta.
  • Some undergraduate students may now have a Course Material Access (CMA) fee applied to their UAlberta account.
  • The CMA program is meant to provide easy access to all course materials (including textbooks, literature, online publisher courseware, most lab manuals, coursepacks and software applications) for a student's classes from one location for one flat fee per term.
  • It is based on individual registration, so if a student is not taking any courses with associated materials, they will be automatically opted out of this program and no CMA fee will be applied. 
  • If a student is registered in one or more courses with associated materials, the access fee will be applied. 
  • However, any student can choose to opt-out of the CMA program, even if they are taking courses with associated materials. Opting out would remove the fee and students would not need to pay it. Opting out would NOT mean that students are unable to access course materials in other ways. There would still be the possibility to obtain course materials for any specific class on an individual basis from the University of Alberta Bookstore (to obtain course materials separately  from the Course Materials Access program and to check prices through the Bookstore, please review the University of Alberta Bookstore Textbook website). Opting out of the CMA fee will therefore not put students at a disadvantage or prohibit them from being successful in a course where the course materials are needed.
  • It might, however, make it more convenient, and possibly cheaper, to access all materials at once, from a single source. The flat fee for course material access could represent a significant decrease in cost for students who need materials for most or all of their courses. Conversely, the flat fee might also be more than the students would need to pay if they only have one or two courses with associated course materials and could obtain those individually through other means for less than the CMA fee.
  • The CMA fee therefore gives students more options and flexibility to obtain the course materials they need, but requires them to make the personal decision to opt out or stay in the program.
  • If you have questions about the CMA fee please send them to cmaprogram@ualberta.ca. 

5. If you choose to live on campus then you can expect to pay rent (the amount will vary depending on where you live), residence fees (some will be mandatory and some charged only in certain circumstances), and you can choose to purchase a meal plan.

Do not pay any fees not listed above.  Our Office of the Registrar will usually remove any incorrect fees from your account by October 15 if your exchange started in September or by February 15 if your exchange started in January.  If you notice what you think might be an incorrect fee after the dates mentioned above then please contact your UAlberta Exchange Coordinator so that he/she can investigate on your behalf and, if possible, have it removed from your account.  If you don't know who your UAlberta Exchange Coordinator is, then please send an email describing the situation to goabroad@ualberta.ca.

How to pay fees

There are different ways to pay your fees, including online through your Bear Tracks account.

If you will be applying for on-campus housing, please do NOT use your on-campus housing account to pay for any of the other fees listed above.

Please note that your UAlberta transcript will not be released until you've paid all of your UAlberta fees and/or fines. Late payments will accrue interest charges.

Cost of living

Edmonton offers a moderate cost of living when compared with other major cities in Canada.

  • UAlberta doesn't provide cost of living estimates for graduate students but you might still be able to find useful information by using the Undergraduate Cost Calculator instead. 

  1. Go to the Undergraduate Cost Calculator
  2. Select "International Student"
  3. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  4. Select the faculty in which you will be taking all or a majority of your courses.
  5. Select the program in which you will be taking all or a majority of your courses.  If it's not obvious which program you should select then it's likely ok to select any program.
  6. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  7. Select the option, "In Residence" (i.e. on-campus) or "Off-Campus" that represents your living situation while on exchange at UAlberta.  
  8. Click the "Next->" button located near the bottom right corner of the screen.
  9. Click on the green button for "Estimate my fees"
  10. Ignore the tuition amounts shown and look only at the "Estimated non-tuition costs".
  11. From the "Estimated non-tuition costs" total please subtract all of the costs shown with the exception of those for "Books, Supplies, and Instruments", "Room and Board", and "U-Pass"
  12. The remaining amount shows the cost estimate for a Full Year (i.e., 8-month) exchange.  Divide that amount by 2 to get the estimate for a Fall or Winter (i.e., 4-month) exchange.
  13. Please note that the estimate shown would be *very* rough and wouldn't include all categories of expenses you might encounter.  For example, Canadian immigration costs (i.e., costs for any necessary visas, study permits, etc.), travel to and from Canada, clothing, entertainment, and the mandatory UAHIP fee wouldn't be included.

Prepare in advance!

All funds required for your exchange should be readily available before your exchange begins or you should have a commitment (from parents, student loan providers, etc.) that such funds will be provided to you as necessary during the exchange.  UAlberta will not be able to lend or give you money during your exchange.

Also, please don't assume that you will be able to find part-time work, or even that you will be permitted by the Government of Canada to work, while you are on exchange.  Part-time work is not a guaranteed part of your exchange experience. 

Return to the sitemap of the Incoming Exchange Student Application Guide.

Updated for 2027/28 applications