To register with VVS, you must be:

• A resident of Alberta. (Though you may temporarily reside elsewhere.)
• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

You will need to provide official documentation proving your citizenship upon registration. This might include your Canadian birth certificate, passport, citizenship card, or landed immigrant card. You may also be asked to provide documentation proving your residency.

Alberta Education defines an Adult Student as any student who is twenty years of age or older on September 1st, of the current school year.

As an adult student, you do not require prerequisite courses, but you do need to show prerequisite skills.

If you do not have the recommended prerequisites for a course you would like to take, you can show your prerequisite skills through a placement exercise.

By placing you in the best course for your skill level as demonstrated through a placement exercise, we are better able to help you succeed in your course.

Please contact us if you would like to take a placement exercise to demonstrate your prerequisite skills.

Adult students upgrading by distance education may be eligible for the Alberta Works Skills Investment Bursary (SIB). The Skills Investment Bursary is administered by the Alberta Students Finance Board and Alberta Human Services. A key goal of this program is to increase opportunities for Albertans to gain the knowledge and skills needed to obtain sustainable employment, increase their incomes, and reduce the need for government support.

Eligible students may receive up to $5,000 per year. More information can be accessed on the Alberta Human Services website.

Skills Investment Bursary (SIB) Application Instructions:

1. Review SIB Application Instructions.
2. Fill out sections 1 through 6 of the Skills Investment Bursary Form.
   • Having issues opening the form? Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader
   • Right-click the link you’d like to download
   • Choose “Save Link As…”, save to your desktop
   • Open the file.
3. Register online with Vista Virtual School
   Once we’ve confirmed your registration, Vista Virtual School will complete the Training Provider Information form, and we’ll email the completed form to you.
4. Once we’ve returned the Training Provider Information form to you, you submit your bursary application to the Learner Income Support Office. This can be done by either:
   • Applying online
     Note: If you apply online, you will be required to sign the final page of your SIB application and submit it, along with your Training Provider Information form.
   • Mailing the application and supporting documents to:
     Learner Income Support Office
     Box 17000, Station Main
     Edmonton, AB  T5J 4R4
5. Await a decision. Alberta Works will review your application and notify you of its decision. This review may take up to 12 weeks. Once you have been approved for funding, Vista Virtual School will contact you, enrol you in your course(s) on your approved session start date, and ship your required course materials.

Skills Investment Bursary (SIB) Session Dates

Students funded through the Part-Time Skills Investment Bursary (SIB) through Alberta Works
must meet Alberta Human Services’ minimum policy requirements for attendance. In order to
meet attendance requirements in a distance learning environment, Alberta Works funded
students are expected to complete and submit coursework on a regular basis in order to
indicate attendance.

Vista Virtual School (VVS) students funded through Alberta Works are expected to complete
courses within 20 weeks. In order to indicate attendance, work must be submitted in each
course each week. Timelines for assignment submission will be provided upon enrollment;
students are expected to adhere to their timeline. Medical documentation is required to
substantiate missed deadlines.

To keep students informed, VVS will provide a progress report to funded adult students each
week to show their work to date in a course.
If a student falls behind in expected submission of their coursework, disciplinary actions will be
taken according to the following schedule:
● 20% behind expected course completion – 1st warning
● 30% behind expected course completion – 2nd warning
● 40% behind expected course completion – Expulsion from course and SIB program.
If a student is withdrawn from a course due to lack of progress, they will be required to re-apply
to Alberta Works for re-enrollment.
To help mitigate risk of students being withdrawn from courses, all funded adult students will be
advised of and must agree to the Attendance Policy for Funded Adult Students prior to being
accepted to a VVS course.

Reference:

Alberta Works Attendance Policy Requirements

Alberta Works Part-Time Training (Skills Investment Bursary)