Help Paying for the CAEC in Alberta: Grants, Free Classes, and How to Apply

What the CAEC costs in Alberta

Alberta does not publish one province-wide test price. Testing centres set their own fees, which is why prices differ from one centre to the next. Before you book, ask the centre for its total, including any proctoring or administration fee, and compare two or three centres if you can.

• Rescoring: Alberta lists a $30 fee to rescore a test.
• Registering: create an account on the CAEC digital platform, then schedule a test at the testing centre you choose.
• Questions about the test: Alberta Education’s CAEC team answers email at EDC.CAEC@gov.ab.ca.

Foundational Learning Assistance: the big one

Foundational Learning Assistance is a grant for adults in foundational programs such as academic upgrading and Adult Basic Education. It pays a monthly amount based on your household’s financial need, and it can cover:

• Education costs: tuition, mandatory fees, student association fees, and books and supplies.
• Living costs: food, clothing, personal needs, transportation, rent or mortgage, and utilities.
• Child care: it can be included.

It is a grant, so you do not pay it back. It does count as taxable income, which is worth knowing at tax time.

Who can get it:

• You are 18 or older when your program starts.
• You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person with a valid Social Insurance Number.
• You have an established Alberta address and live in Alberta while you study.
• If you study full-time, you are unemployed or working fewer than 20 hours a week.
• You are enrolled in an eligible program, such as academic upgrading, Adult Basic Education, English as an Additional Language, or pre-apprenticeship.
• You have financial need, based on your household’s resources.

The part to understand: Foundational Learning Assistance supports you while you are enrolled in a program. It is not a voucher for the test fee on its own. The route it opens is enrolling in academic upgrading to prepare for the CAEC, with your costs covered while you do it.

How to apply: apply online up to 12 weeks before your program starts. You will need a verified Alberta.ca Account, your Alberta Student Number, and your Social Insurance Number. Apply as early as that window allows, because rent is due from the first day of class.

The part-time option: Community Adult Learning Program

If you cannot study full-time, Alberta funds Community Adult Learning Program providers across the province offering part-time learning. Alberta lists supports these programs can offer, including child care, transportation, and waived fees. Find a provider near you through the program directory at calp.ca, and ask whether they run CAEC, math, or writing preparation.

Alberta also notes that some testing centres run test preparation classes, so it is worth asking your testing centre too.

If you are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis

The federal Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program (ISET) funds training through local Indigenous organizations across Canada, and it includes urban and non-affiliated Indigenous people. Each organization decides what it supports, so ask yours directly what it can cover for CAEC preparation and testing. The government keeps a directory of these organizations by province and territory.

Which route fits you

• You can study full-time and money is the barrier: enrol in academic upgrading and apply for Foundational Learning Assistance.
• You work or have family commitments: join a Community Adult Learning Program for structure, and study on your own between sessions.
• You are close already: skip the program, take the free sample tests, and book once you pass timed practice comfortably.

Sources

Every fee, rule, and program in this guide comes from these official pages, checked in September 2026.

• Government of Alberta: How to earn your CAEC
• Government of Alberta: Foundational Learning Assistance
• Government of Alberta: Funding for academic upgrading and adult learning
• Government of Canada: Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program