Applicants must meet all criteria. The selection committee may also consider factors like high-demand locations and occupations.

General Requirements

• You must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.
• You must have lived in Alberta for at least twelve (12) consecutive months before starting your program.
• Indigenous applicants must provide proof of status if selected to receive a bursary.
• You must be at arm’s length from the sponsor (not related and selected by impartial means).

Employment

• You must not be a current employee of Alberta Health Services.
  • If you’ve previously held a temporary, student or casual position with AHS, contact the HR Contact Centre at 1-877-511-4455 to confirm your employment status.
• You must commit to living and working in Northern Alberta upon graduation. Recipients must obtain a position with AHS as outlined in the Return of Service agreement.
  • Note: Receiving the bursary is not an offer of employment.

Education & Funding

• You must be enrolled full-time in a clinical, healthcare-related post-secondary program for the 2026-2027 school year. The program must be designated by Alberta Advanced Education and run for at least one full academic year (September – April).
• You must not be in default of a provincial student loan.
• You may not receive funding from both NADB and the AHS & NADB Bursary Program in the same school year. While NADB offers a range of bursaries, you can receive only 1 per academic year. If you receive this bursary in multiple academic years, each year’s Return of Service is served consecutively.

Important: As outlined in the application form, applicants agree to share their personal information with AHS, NADB and Alberta Advanced Education.

• Complete the form in full and include your resume and proof of enrollment in a single email.
  • Do not submit documents via Google Docs, SharePoint, Dropbox, or other file-sharing services.
• Use a personal email address (not a school email) when submitting your application.
• Your Alberta Student Number (ASN) is a 9-digit number is different from your post-secondary student ID number. You can access this information through the Alberta Government Learner Registry.
• Provide thoughtful, detailed answers to the short answer questions. Explain how your goals align with the bursary’s purpose and how you plan to help meet Alberta’s healthcare needs.
  • Tip: Explore northern Alberta and learn about career and lifestyle opportunities. Check out the AHS’ Northern Incentives Program, which offers non-pensionable allowances for eligible roles in northern communities.
• Proof of enrollment documents must show acceptance into your specific program (diploma/degree/certificate).
  • Acceptable documents include your acceptance letter, student portal screenshot or unofficial transcripts.
• Handwritten (wet ink) signatures are required.

Selection Process

All applications are reviewed by a selection committee and evaluated using a standardized scoring system to ensure a fair and impartial process.

Selection Criteria

Successful applicants will be selected based on:

• Alignment with the needs of AHS (e.g., high-demand occupations, fields of study, and locations)
• Quality of résumé
• Quality and depth of responses to short answer questions

Priority is given to applicants pursuing clinical roles currently in high demand. Applicants in other programs are still encouraged to apply and may be considered if funds are available.

Notification

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted by e-mail in mid-December and asked to:

• Complete the NADB Bursary Program Student Application, which will undergo a separate review by NADB.
• Sign an AHS Return of Service agreement.

To avoid missing important updates, ensure your email settings allow messages from

• ProfessionalDevelopment.Funding@hssab.ca.
• ProfessionalDevelopment.Funding@healthsharedservices.ca.

A Return of Service (ROS) agreement outlines the recipient’s commitment to work for AHS in exchange for receiving the bursary. The AHS agreement includes specific terms and conditions, summarized below.

Successful applicants will receive two Return of Service agreements:

• Alberta Health Services (managed by Health Shared Services)
• NADB (managed by Alberta Advanced Education)

Summary of the AHS Return of Service

• Recipients must complete one (1) month of full-time service (or the equivalent in part-time/casual hours as per the applicable Collective Agreement) for every $500 of total bursary funding.
  • Example: A $4,000 bursary requires eight (8) months full-time work.
• The AHS & NADB ROS agreements are served at the same time, but after any other ROS obligations with AHS (and/or the Provincial Health Agency or Corporations) or NADB.
• If you receive relocation support from AHS, your ROS agreement obligations will be served consecutively.
• If you do not fulfill the terms of the ROS agreements, you will be required to repay the bursary funds as outlined in the agreements.
• If your eligibility changes before you begin your service, your bursary amount and required service may also change. You may be required to sign a revised agreement.

Fund Disbursal

• NADB conducts its own evaluation of shortlisted applications and collaborates with Alberta Student Aid to create the NADB ROS agreement.
• If approved by all parties, bursary payments are issued as two separate cheques: one from AHS/HSS, and one from NADB.
• Cheques are mailed between mid-January and late March.

Is this award open to all Alberta residents?

This award is open to all Alberta residents who meet the required eligibility criteria. A portion of the funding is designated to support Indigenous individuals.

I am Indigenous but was not selected for one of the Indigenous bursaries. Am I still eligible for the general funding stream?

Yes. Applications from Indigenous individuals are the first group considered. If not selected in that round, your application will then be re-evaluated alongside all other applicants for the general funding stream.

Can I receive this bursary more than once?

Yes. You may receive the bursary in multiple years if selected. However, each year’s Return of Service (ROS) agreement must be served consecutively.

Why is the Return of Service limited to only AHS positions?

This bursary is funded by AHS and is intended to attract new skilled workers to the AHS workforce.

I am employed by another Provincial Health Agency/Corporation. Do I need to get a job at AHS to fulfill the Return of Service or can the hours be completed in my current position?

Bursary recipients are required to retain an AHS position within the Northern Alberta Development boundaries to fulfill the Return of Service.

If you hold a position at a PHA/PHC requests related to leaves of absence, scheduling, hiring, or other employment matters associated with fulfilling this Return of Service will be considered and administered in accordance with the applicable collective agreement, policies, and operational requirements.

What is the role of Health Shared Services (HSS) to manage this bursary?

Health Shared Services (HSS) is administering the bursary on behalf of AHS. HSS is responsible for all communications, collecting applications, managing the selection committee, payments, tracking, etc.

I was awarded a bursary last year and it states that I can get a job at any ‘eligible health agency’. This year’s Return of Service (ROS) says I have to work at AHS. Which one is right?

They are both right. If you’ve received this bursary in multiple years, the ROSs for each year are served consecutively. For example, if you received a bursary one year requiring 100 hours and another the next year for 100 hours, then you owe a total of 200 hours. You may obtain one (1) position that meets the qualifications for all of your ROSs and retain it for the length of all agreements or you may move to other eligible positions to satisfy consecutive Returns of Service.

Carefully review the terms of each ROS that you’ve signed and contact us at ProfessionalDevelopment.Funding@hssab.ca with any questions specific to your situation.