No child is ever denied access to an education in The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) because of an inability to pay. If you can’t afford the fees, there are several ways to qualify for a central fee waiver.
Waiver applications for the current school year are found online through your MyCBE account and are available from the start of the school year until June 30.
What is Covered
Approved applications will have the following fees, if applicable, waived for the school year:
- Transportation
- Lunch Supervision
- Student Supplies
- Musical Instrument Rental
What is not Covered
School-based fees are not covered by the waiver. This includes items such as course fees, activities, field trips and goods/services. Please contact your school directly for questions regarding school fees.
Eligible Applicants
All families are welcome to apply for a central fee waiver. Please note: the CBE aligns with federal and provincial guidelines when assessing waiver applications. Citizenship is taken into consideration in our waiver assessment.
How to Apply
Waiver applications for the current school year are available from August 15 through your
MyCBE account. The deadline for waiver applications is June 30 of the applicable school year. Waiver applications that are submitted past the deadline may not be approved.
A new fee waiver application form must be completed for each school year.
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Waiver Category
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Description
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Supporting Documents
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Low Income with proof of government support
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A family is approved for a municipal or provincial support program during the current school year, including:
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- City of Calgary Fair Entry letter, OR
- Alberta Child Health Benefit letter and card, OR
- Social Services benefit card, or current letter verifying your receipt of benefits
Both the applicant and student(s) names must appear on the documents.
*In alignment with federal and provincial guidelines, additional information may be requested to support the waiver application.
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Low income due to sudden loss of income
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A family suddenly falls under the low income threshold as defined by the
Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off guidelines. The loss of income may be due to job loss, illness/injury, or enrolment in a full-time post-secondary institution, etc.
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Current Notice of Assessment and proof of loss of income such as:
- Government benefit statements (e.g. Employment Insurance benefits, social services benefits, disability insurance, etc.)
- Pay stubs or proof of self-employment income if currently employed
- Any other relevant documents to support your application
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Government Sponsored Refugee
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A family are Convention refugees sponsored by the Government of Canada
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- Parent(s) “Confirmation of Residency” papers indicating Convention Refugee and a current Citizenship and Immigration cheque stub, OR
- A copy of current dated Interim Federal Health Certificate of Eligibility for applicant and children.
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Death of a Parent/Legal Guardian or Student
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A family has experienced the death of a parent/legal guardian or student within 12 months of the school year.
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- Obituary, OR
- Funeral program, OR
- Death certificate
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Family Emergency
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A family has experienced a traumatic life event (such as a natural disaster or a life-altering illness/injury) and are unable to pay for school fees as a result.
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- Current Notice of Assessment for all adults
- Evidence of catastrophic event (e.g. police report, doctor’s note insurance claim, court order, eviction notice, etc.
- Any other documents to support your application
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Shelter/Social Services Protection
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A family resides in a shelter or is under social services protection.
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- Letter from recognized social services or shelter organization
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How to Apply
Please note: In addition to the steps below to have fees waived, you will still need to register for all services by filling out and submitting the required online forms.
Step 1:
Review the waiver categories and gather your supporting documents. Photocopies are accepted.
Step 2:
Complete the Central Fee Waiver application online at MyCBE. Refer to the categories above to ensure that you provide all the supporting documents. Applications that do not have all the required documentation cannot be assessed.
Applications can take up to 12-16 weeks to process. To allow sufficient time to process your application, please apply as soon as possible. The final deadline for application is June 30 of the applicable school year.
Instruction Sheet:
General Information
- Central Fee Waivers are approved on an annual basis. Waivers can only be applied to the current school year’s fees.
- Complete one fee waiver application form per student by submitting your application and supporting documentation online using your MyCBE account.
- Approval is not guaranteed with the submission of the waiver.
- If your waiver application is denied or not processed due to lack of supporting documentation, you are responsible to pay your child’s school fees.
- Please allow 8-12 weeks for processing your waiver. If you have not received a reply from the CBE after 12 weeks, please send your inquiries to feewaiver@cbe.ab.ca.
- If you apply for a waiver, you must still register for school bus transportation and lunch supervision if your child uses these services.
- You will be notified regarding your submission’s approval or denial by email and you can find the decision in your
MyCBE account.
- You may be contacted by email or phone to clarify your application.
- Please review the information regarding criteria and documents required for submission carefully as they have been expanded to clarify the process and to accommodate changes to government support programs.
- Legal guardians must be on file with the school in the student demographic information.
Low Income Cut-Off Guidelines
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Size of Family |
Total Income (before tax)
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2
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$38,003
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3
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$46,720
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4
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$56,724
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5
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$64,336
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6
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$72,560
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7 or more persons
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$80,785
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Please note: CBE follows the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off guideline to determine waiver eligibility.
