About
Helping local learners achieve their academic goals
A Social Investment that Pays Dividends
A first of its kind in North America, the Town's Zero Fee Tuition Program provides the framework for post-secondary institutions to teach courses locally, while easing the financial barriers that separate local learners from their academic goals.
The program provides a tremendous leg up for local learners; but mere altruism is not the Town's end goal. Through the program’s sustained growth we entrench our status as a community of choice by keeping our brain trust local. We create new revenue sources and build resilience into our town’s single-stream economy. We safeguard a skilled labour pool to support our industry incumbents while attracting new business sectors to our front door.
Town Council invested roughly $80,000 into the Zero Fee Tuition Program during its inaugural year of operation in 2019. A subsequent report prepared by Carlson Roberts Seely LLP cited an economic return of more than $600,000 back into the community.
Though still in its nascence, the potential of the Zero Fee Tuition Program is evident. We continue to collaborate with our institutional partners on vital new programming; students are signing up for in-person and remote learning classes at the Clean Energy Technology Centre; local businesses and health care centers are onboarding freshly-trained staff who are already embedded in the community.
Clearly, this is a model that works for our community. Through the ongoing participation of local students and regional post-secondary institutions, and with the active involvement and investment of our industry stakeholders, we can fully leverage the power of this unique vocational program to the net benefit of the entire community.
Just three
simple eligibility requirements
to participating in the program
- Be a Town of Drayton Valley resident*
- Enrol in one of the partner institutions
- Successfully complete your program
* While funding priority is given to residents, applicants residing outside of Drayton Valley may also be eligible for funding.
Five respected institutions. Dozens of sought-after programs.
One exceptional opportunity.
New: UCalgary BscN
Considering a career in health care? You can now study to become a registered nurse right here in Drayton Valley! The University of Calgary and AHS have expanded their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree to our community via the Rural Community Route program.
The application deadline for the September 2024 intake is March 1, 2024, so don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
Seize the opportunity today.
Discover how to make the most of the Zero Fee Tuition Program.
Sponsorship Opportunities
By partnering with local industry stakeholders, we seek to ease reliance on taxpayer dollars and ensure the long-term viability of the Zero Fee Tuition Program. Such financial partnerships are critical, and they also help us tailor educational programming to the evolving needs and priorities of the business community.
Through their ongoing support of this unique community catalyst, our industry partners demonstrate their commitment to building a robust and resilient Drayton Valley while reaping the direct benefits of talent retention, labour pool development, corporate goodwill, tax advantages and more.
