INTENT

Alberta Employment and Immigration (AE&I) is obligated to account for its spending in relation to the provision of Skills Investment programs and services. In the event a learner is withdrawn from training prior to completion, AE&I may require the training provider to repay a portion of the training benefits that were paid by AE&I on behalf of the learner.

POLICY

Training Benefit Overpayments for Part-Time Training

Learner Never Attended: If a learner attends less than one day of a training session, 100% of the tuition, mandatory fees, and student association fees must be repaid to AE&I. Books and supplies will also be considered repayable by the learner.

Learner Attends At least One Day of a Training session: For learners who attend one or more days of a training session, tuition and fees paid by AE&I on behalf of the learner are subject to the training provider’s repayment policy.

Training Benefit Overpayments for Full-Time Training (Non-EI and EI Learners only)

Learner Never Attended: For learners who attend less than one day of a training session, training providers are required to repay all tuition, mandatory fees, and student association fees that were paid by AE&I on behalf of the learner less a $50 administration fee. Books and supplies will also be considered repayable by the learner. 

Learner Attends At least 1 Percent of a Training Session: Mobius automatically calculates the overpayment to the training provider using the following formula:

1. Mobius determines the number of calendar days in the training session.
2. Mobius determines the number of calendar days the learner attended based on the withdrawal date.
   • If the learner attended between 1% and 20% of a training session, 75% of the tuition, student association fees, and mandatory fees are repayable. Books and supplies are not repayable.
   • If the learner attended between 21% and 40% of a training session, 40% of the tuition, student association fees, and mandatory fees are repayable. Books and supplies are not repayable.
   • There is no training benefit overpayment if the learner attends 41% or greater of the training session.

Example: Learner in Academic Upgrading from September 1 to April 30. Learner withdraws November 4.

• 2 Training session referrals: September 1 to December 30 (121 days) and January 1 to April 30 (121 days).
• 65 days attended in first training session, 0 days attended in second training session. 
• 53.7% attended in first training session, 0% attended in second training session.
• No training benefit overpayment is calculated for the first training session. 
• All tuition, mandatory fees and student association fees are repayable for the second training session less a $50 administration fee. Books and supplies will also be considered repayable by the learner.

PROCEDURE

1. Notify the Learner Income Support Office of the never attended or withdrawal. Learners must be withdrawn from a training session prior to sending a refund to AE&I. Please refer to the Never Attended and Withdrawals policy.
2. Mobius automatically calculates the tuition overpayment upon receiving the withdrawal information.
3. Training provider receives the First Reconciliation letter which lists the outstanding tuition overpayments from the previous month.
4. Validate the amounts listed in the First Reconciliation letter with your own records. If you have questions regarding the tuition overpayment calculation or to discuss a discrepancy please contact the Learner Income Support Office by phone at 780-644-1348, by fax at 780-415-9947, or by email at EI.LISO@gov.ab.ca.

Refunds should be sent to:

Minister of Finance
Learner Income Support Office
P.O. Box 17000, Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 2P7

It is recommended a copy of the First Reconciliation letter is sent with your refund however, if you are sending a refund without the letter provide the following information:

• the learner name, 
• the Mobius AE&I identification number,
• the reason the learner was withdrawn (e.g., unacceptable attendance or progress),
• the withdrawal date, and
• the amount.

Refunds are applied to the fiscal year in which the original payment was made.  If a refund is received in the same fiscal year in which the original payment was made, the refunded amount can be re-used if time permits the processing of a new funding application.  If the refund is received in a fiscal year other than the one in which is was paid, the refunded amount cannot be re-used.

Training Benefit refunds are adjusted to learner records to report the reduction in the student award for tax reporting purposes.

Training Benefit overpayments to training providers will be collected on according to the Overpayment Reconciliation policy.