Adult Upgrading
VVS offers a wide range of semester-based online courses designed to help students complete an Alberta high school diploma, upgrade marks, develop new skills, or meet post-secondary requirements. Students complete assignments and activities according to the schedule provided by their teachers. This flexibility helps students manage their time and commitments while staying on track with their education.
CORE AND ELECTIVE COURSES
Visit our Course Catalogue for a full list of our courses and materials.
ONLINE LEARNING
Students log into their Moodle course to work on one unit at a time, regularly submitting assessments for evaluation. Hard-copy textbooks and materials are required for some courses.
ASYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY
With no live classes, students can work any time of day. To meet assessment submission deadlines, plan on spending at least 8 hours per week on each 5-credit course.
TEACHER SUPPORT
Certificated teachers and academic counselors are available by email, phone, or virtual meeting during school hours.
ACCREDITED BY ALBERTA EDUCATION
Course marks are recorded on the Alberta high school transcript and myPass.
ONLINE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Accommodations are available for eligible students; see our Online Inclusive Education Support page for more information.
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
Alberta students 20 years of age or older as of September 1 of the current school year are considered Adult learners.
Alberta students 19 years of age, or younger, as of September 1 of the current school year are classified as school-aged students and should refer to our Grades 10-12 page for their enrollment options.
View our Adult Student Eligibility & Requirements for more information.
For more information about academic upgrading for adult learners, visit the Academic upgrading if you are 20 or older Alberta Government webpage.
REGISTRATION
Register through your PHSD SchoolEngage account. Please do not create a new account if one was previously set up.
| SEMESTER 1 2025/2026 |
SEMESTER 2 2025/26 |
|
| Runs from: | August 27, 2025 to January 27, 2026 | January 28, 2026 to June 24, 2026 |
| Registration opens: | June 26, 2025 | November 18, 2025 |
| Registration closes: | October 6, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. MDT | March 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. MST *Registrations submitted after January 9 are considered late |
| Deadline to request a course add/switch: | September 19, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. MDT | March 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. MST |
| Deadline to request a course withdrawal with tuition refund: | November 14, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. MDT | March 31, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. MST |
COURSE FEES & REFUNDS
Full payment is required within 72 hours of registration approval. Unfortunately, VVS cannot accept partial payments, or payments plans.
VVS can invoice third party payer organizations that agree to cover course and/or material costs for a student, however, VVS courses are not eligible for the Foundational Learning Assistance Program.
Please review our Policies for more details.
| FEE | COST | |
| Course & Material Fees | ||
| Tuition Fees | $175 per credit | |
| – Tuition for a 5-credit course | $875 | |
| – Tuition for a 3-credit course | $525 | |
| – Tuition for a 1-credit course | $175 | |
| – Tuition for up to 20 credits of Off-Campus courses | $875 per school year | |
| Textbook & Material Fees | Varies – Pricing can be found in our Course Catalogue Materials are fully refundable if returned within 30 days of the semester end date in reusable condition. |
|
| PHSD Technology Fee | $35 per school year | |
| Shipping Options | ||
| Ship Materials to Alberta Address | $25 per order On October 8, shipping fees increased from $20 due to the Canada Post strike and having to use an alternate courier. |
|
| Ship Materials to an Address Outside of Alberta | $25 minimum or full cost of shipping fees per order | |
| Pickup Materials from Calgary Campus | No cost | |
| Additional Fees | ||
| Course Switch Fee Applies to each course switch (add and withdraw) made after enrollment |
$25 per course switch request | |
| Re-registration Fee For students who wish to re-register for a Semester 1 course in Semester 2 |
$250 per course | |
| Withdrawal Processing Fee A withdrawal processing fee is deducted from the tuition refund if a request is made before the withdrawal deadline. Unfortunately, course withdrawals requested after the deadline are not eligible for any tuition refund. |
$150 per course | |
| Diploma Exam Fee | $60 per exam | |
| French Placement Exam Fee Available for students with prior experience in French who may need help deciding which French course to start with. Email vvsupport@pembinahills.ca for details. |
$25 | |
**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.
CONTACT US!
Have questions? Give us a call at 1-855-974-5333 extension 5317 or email vvsupport@pembinahills.ca.
REGISTER NOW!
Registration must be completed by a parent, guardian, or student if 18+ or living independently. Please DO NOT create a new SchoolEngage account as this will create delays in processing your request.
If you are an adult student (age 19 and older), and are less than 21 credits from completing your high school diploma, you have options. Vista Virtual School (VVS) has a flat-rate to help you to obtain the credits you need to graduate. Learn more about our Off-Campus Programs!
If you are currently working, and need to complete your general studies to receive your diploma, you can receive up to 21 credits with off campus programming. This includes Workplace Safety Systems (HCS3000), which is the required prerequisite.
What do I need to do to receive credit?
Approval from your VVS off-campus coordinator or academic counsellor is required prior to enrollment.
The counsellor will verify the credits you need and assist you to enroll in the required courses. Each credit requires you to log 25 hours of work.
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 $175 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 for adult enrollments is capped at $875 per school year (September to August) 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 $175
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.
If you have questions regarding course selection to obtain your high school diploma email vvadults@pembinahills.ca or contact:
Lori Goetjen-Lienau
1-855-974-5333 x7211
lori.goetjen-lienau@pembinahills.ca
Schedule an appointment: Goetjen-Lienau Appointment Booking
If you are in semester one and need extra time to complete your course(s), you can re-register for the same course in the next semester for a $250 fee. This option is not available to semester two or summer courses.
To re-register for your semester one course in semester two, log in to your SchoolEngage account and complete the semester two registration form.