Adult Upgrading Program
VVS provides students with a complete distance learning experience by offering a wide variety of courses. Registering with us gives students the flexibility they need to complete their Alberta high school diploma, improve high school marks, learn a new skill or fulfill post-secondary requirements. We are an Alberta Education-accredited, distance education school. All high school courses taken with us will appear in students’ myPass accounts and on their Alberta transcript.
For general information about academic upgrading, graduation requirements and high school diplomas, visit the Academic upgrading if you are 20 or older Alberta Government webpage.
Introductory Information
Check out this short introductory video of our Associate Principal, Frank McCallum, describing our adult upgrading program.
Registration Information
Year-round registration is available for VVS Adult upgrading courses.
Adult learners are defined as a student 20 years of age, or older, as of September 1 of the current school year.
Enrollment is guaranteed for eligible students.
REGISTER
Course Information
Course Completion Timelines: Adult students have up to six months to complete core courses or 3- or 5-credit elective courses, and up to three months to complete 1-credit CTS courses.
Course Extensions: Adult students can apply for a course extension, for a fee, with teacher approval and upon presentation of a reasonable completion plan.
– Extensions are for three months (a maximum four extensions per course) and are permitted up to one year from the original course expiry date.
– Adult students must apply for extensions within six months of the course expiry or withdrawal date.
Course Format: Courses are accessed online with students working through content, assignments and quizzes on your own schedule.
Teacher Support: Teachers are available by phone or email during regular school hours to answer specific questions and may have additional resources to help students.
Course Withdrawals: To request to be withdrawn from a course, Adult students must submit a Course Withdrawal Request Form.
COURSE CATALOGUE
Materials & Fees Information
Adult tuition fees are based on $140 per credit.
Material fees are not included in tuition. Students can purchase textbooks and other materials from VVS (textbooks may be in new or used condition) or any other available source. Course materials/textbooks purchased through VVS are not refundable. Refer to our Course Catalogue for a list of materials and pricing.
Shipping: Students residing in the Calgary region are required to pick up their materials from the VVS Calgary campus or pay a $15 flat rate shipping fee. Those residing outside of Calgary but within Alberta will have materials shipped to them at no cost. Out-of-province students are responsible for shipping fees.*
Full Payment is required within 48 hours of your registration application being processed.
A third party payor (Band, Social Services, WCB, etc) may cover the course cost for adult students. Please note, VVS courses are not eligible for Foundational Learning Assistance Program funding.
– Our Finance Department will send an invoice to the contact provided on the registration application
– Once payment is received, the student will be enrolled.
For refund information, see our Refund Policy.
*See our Shipping Policy for more details.
Fees for Adult Students
*tuition fees are based on $140 per credit
Current Cost
Tuition for a 5-credit course $700.00
Tuition for a 3-credit course $420.00
Tuition for a 1-credit course $140.00
Three Month Course Extension $100.00
Transcript Evaluation $100.00
High School Equivalency Application $100.00
**VVS does not issue Tax Receipts (T2202) – they are only issued by post-secondary institutions. VVS high school upgrading courses are not usually tax deductible. A statement of VVS expenses at VVS can be accessed in the SIS Student Ledger.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding course selection to obtain your high school diploma email vvadults@pembinahills.ca or contact our Adult Academic Counsellor:
Lori Goetjen-Lienau
1-855-974-5333 x7211
lori.goetjen-lienau@pembinahills.ca
Book an Appointment
For registration or other general inquiries, please call 1-855-974-5333 x5317 or email vvsupport@pembinahills.ca
If you are currently working, and need to complete your general studies to receive your diploma, you can receive up to 21 credits by completing work experience courses.
What do I need to do to receive credit?
Approval from your VVS off-campus coordinator or academic counsellor is required prior to enrolment. You must arrange to enrol in Work Experience 25 (OTH2998), Work Experience 35 (OTH3998), and Career Internship 10 (OTH1910) – if applicable.
The counsellor will verify the credits you need and assist you to enrol in the required courses. Workplace Safety Systems (HCS3000) is also a required prerequisite.
Can I choose this option instead of core course requirements to graduate?
No. If you need to complete specific courses, including English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Career and Life Management, and/or Physical Education, these still are required and cost $140 per course credit.
This option is only available to adult students that need general credits, and can achieve these credits through a work experience program.
What does this cost?
Course tuition is capped at $675 for up to 20 credits of work experience and career internship courses.
The student also must complete the Workplace Safety Systems (1 credit) course prior to enrollment—the cost for that course is $140.
How am I evaluated?
Students in a work experience course are supervised by an employer’s on-site supervisor and the VVS off-campus coordinator. You must have a work agreement and learning plan with your employer, and the off-campus coordinator must complete a worksite inspection.
Plan to put in 25 hours of logged work for each course credit up to 15 total credits as work experience, and 5 credits as a career intern.