If you request academic accommodations (such as tutors, assistive technology or exam accommodations), you must provide Accessibility Services with current, relevant documentation for your disability. This helps determine your eligibility for services and accommodations and lets us know whether funding may be an option.

Click here to access a printable summary of the following information.


Updated assessments

If you do not have relevant disability documentation or if your documentation needs to be updated, you need to meet with Accessibility Services to determine what documentation may be required to be eligible for services. Additional documentation may be required if the resulting impact changes.

Who requires an updated assessment?

Your existing documentation is acceptable if you were over 18 when you were assessed. However, if your assessment was completed while you were in K-12 and is more than five years old, you will require an updated assessment.

Why is an updated assessment needed?

Applications for federal and provincial grants for students with permanent disabilities require updated assessments. An up-to-date assessment also provides the most appropriate recommendations for services and support in keeping with the requirements of a post-secondary setting.

When should an update be completed?

We recommend that you get an updated assessment within 6 months of starting your first semester at college, or after an extended break from school. Grant applications are not approved without the updated assessment and cannot be backdated.

If you are a high school student preparing to enter college, you should request an updated assessment in your Grade 12 year.

Accessing new or updated assessments

There are three options to access new or updated assessments for students with learning disabilities:
 

  • Self-funded: We will give you contact information for a local assessor. The usual cost is about $1,800. Students eligible for grant funding, diagnosed with a learning disability can apply for reimbursement of up to 75% of the assessment cost (to a maximum of $1,200). Please note the following:
    • Payment options may be available through assessing agencies.
    • Applications for reimbursement must be submitted within six months of testing and will be considered only if you remain registered at a post-secondary institution and are diagnosed with a learning disability.
    • A receipt and a copy of the assessment must be sent to Student Aid Alberta a minimum of 30 business days before the last day of classes of the term in which the application for reimbursement is made.
       
  • Third party benefits: Health benefits may cover the cost of obtaining required documentation of your disabilities. Check with Accessibility Services to find out what specific documentation is required for you.
     
  • Alberta Human Services (AHS): Accessibility Services will write a referral to AHS for students who demonstrate they lack other financial resources for funding an educational psychological evaluation to determine if they have a learning disability.
    • Note: This option can take up to several months to complete.
    • If you are applying for or using Alberta Works funding, you must advise your AB Works caseworker regarding your referral to AHS.