EAP Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The EAP program is a Designated Learning Program and is eligible to receive foreign nationals on a study permit. EAP program applicants who have:

• been offered admission,
• accepted their Offer of Admission, and
• paid the $500.00 tuition deposit

Will receive a Letter of Acceptance. This is an official document which can be used to apply for a Canadian study permit.

However, students should be aware that applicants from certain countries may have difficulty gaining a study permit to study only EAP. If you have any questions about this, please contact our International Student Advisors.

If you are interested in continuing your studies at the undergraduate or graduate level at the University of Lethbridge, you should also apply for your preferred degree program. If you meet all other academic admission requirements, you will receive an Academic Requirements Met - English Proficiency Outstanding letter.

Use both your Letter of Acceptance for the EAP program and your Academic Requirements Met letter to your undergraduate/graduate program when submitting your study permit application.

Please note that it is the Government of Canada that reviews, approves, and issues study permits, not the University of Lethbridge.  

If your study permit was not approved, you can contact our International Student Advisors. Include a copy of your rejection letter and they will be able to advise you on how to strengthen your next application. You may reapply for a study permit.  

Offers of Admission to the EAP program are valid for two semesters. If you are not able to travel to Canada before the original program start date because you will need to reapply for a study permit, you can defer your Offer of Admission to the following semester. Offers of Admission can only be deferred once.

No. The EAP application fee is non-refundable under all circumstances. The EAP tuition deposit is non-refundable and only transferable in the instance that a student satisfies the English Language Proficiency requirement before the start date of the EAP program, in which case the EAP tuition deposit may be applied to Undergraduate tuition charges. For our full refund policy, see here.

Most students must successfully take both Advanced level courses (Reading & Writing and Communication) to complete the EAP program and satisfy the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement for admission into degree programs.

Occasionally, students with strong English proficiency who score very high on our placement test are given special permission from the Manager of the English Language Institute to take a single EAP course (either Reading & Writing or Communication, depending on which would be more beneficial to the student) alongside a for-credit course at the undergraduate or graduate level.

In this instance, students who complete the single Advanced-level EAP course to which they have been assigned will be considered to have completed the EAP program.

In addition, students who complete one of the two Advanced-level EAP courses may also be granted special permission from the Manager of the English Language Institute to take a single for-credit course at the undergraduate or graduate level alongside the remaining Advanced-level EAP course in the next semester.

These options are not guaranteed and will be offered at the discretion of the Manager of the English Language Institute.

Offers of Admission to undergraduate or graduate programs are only valid for two semesters. If your original offer expires before you complete the EAP program, you will need to reapply. Our office would be happy to help you with this process.

EAP students may work on-campus only, provided your study permit contains remarks stating you can do so. You must comply with all other conditions of your study permit, and you will need to obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN). If you have any questions about working in Canada, please contact our International Student Advisors.

If you have a study permit valid for a minimum of 12 months and you will reside in Alberta for at least that long, you are eligible to apply for Alberta Health Care (which provides basic health insurance coverage) at no cost. See more information here. All students must have health insurance to participate in the EAP program.

EAP students are not automatically enrolled in the Student Union Health and Dental Plan. You can opt-in to this plan if you desire (to do so, contact the Student Union), or you can research other alternatives for extended health insurance.

The costs of the EAP program are the same for international and domestic students. However, Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered fulltime in EAP classes are eligible to receive a $500.00 EAP domestic student bursary each semester. No application is required to be considered for this award.

All students are expected to be self-funded, however, there are two awards uniquely available to EAP students. You can learn more here.

The placement test is a scheduled portion of EAP orientation at the beginning of the term. The exact dates will vary each semester; however, we usually schedule the orientation 1-2 business days before the first day of classes. More details about the date of the placement test and orientation will be sent to you by email a few weeks before the beginning of the semester. All students are expected to be present for the EAP placement test and orientation.

If you will be unable to arrive in Lethbridge for the placement test and orientation, please email eli@uleth.ca as soon as you are aware. Students must arrive in Lethbridge no later than the last day for course registration for the appropriate semester (see Academic Schedule for deadlines).

If you will not be able to attend classes by that date, you should defer your Offer of Admission to the next semester. You can defer your offer of admission by emailing admissions@uleth.ca

All new EAP students must take the placement test, even if they have previously taken a standardized English test. However, you are welcome to submit any preexisting test scores, which may help us with preliminary placement.

All that is required to apply for the EAP program is a completed EAP application form (found here) and payment of the $125.00 application fee. No other documentation or standardized test scores are necessary.

There is no ‘minimum’ level of English required to apply for the EAP program. However, the lowest EAP level we offer is pre-intermediate (roughly equivalent to a 4.0 on the IELTS/CEFR A2). Students who possess some basic knowledge of the English language will be more successful in their studies.

If you have previously taken a standardized English test, you are welcome to submit your scores, which may help us with preliminary placement. However, this is not a required part of the application.

An EAP level will only be offered if there is sufficient demand and enrolment. We cannot guarantee that all levels of EAP will be available every semester. We most frequently offer the intermediate, high-intermediate, and advanced level classes.

If a student is placed into a higher or lower level of study due to the unavailability of an appropriate level, efforts will be made to accommodate the student.

You can find the deadlines to apply to the EAP program here. Although the deadline to apply is typically close to the start of the EAP semester, we encourage students to apply early so that they can make the necessary preparations to apply for a study permit and travel to Canada before their studies begin.

The EAP class schedule will vary depending on the semester. Classes are commonly scheduled between Monday and Friday during office hours (between 9AM and 4PM). For a sample of a class schedule, please see our ELI Student Guide (pg 9). There are 20 hours per week of scheduled lecture time (10 hours per week in each course) and student are additionally expected to complete homework, assignments, and course readings outside of class time. 

Yes, students registered in both EAP courses (Reading & Writing and Communication) have fulltime status. There are 20 hours per week of scheduled lecture time (10 hours per week in each course) and student are additionally expected to complete homework, assignments, and course readings outside of class time. 

Students registered in only one EAP course are considered part-time. 

One semester of EAP study is approximately four months of study. The number of semesters required to complete the EAP program depends on your starting level. There are 4 possible levels of EAP study (see EAP Program Details). Each level requires one semester to complete. 

EAP classes are currently offered in-person only.

EAP classes are currently offered only at the Lethbridge campus.

Our EAP tuition and fee costs can be found on our website here.

You can find the application form for the EAP program here. Once you have completed the EAP application form, please attach it in an email and send it to admissions@uleth.ca

The English Language Institute can prepare customized English language programs for groups of 15-30 students. You can learn more here.

Independent applicants may wish to explore our Summer English Experience Program.

The EAP program is specifically designed to meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Requirement for the University of Lethbridge. Other institutions will have their own ELP requirements and may or may not accept completion of the University of Lethbridge EAP program. You should contact the respective institution’s Admissions office.

No. You cannot use EAP to meet the SELP requirement. The SELP is an additional requirement that students interested in applying to the Faculty of Health Science must meet. These students must prove ELP and SELP. See here for more information on how to meet the SELP requirement.

Students can apply to live with a homestay family, in residence on campus, or search for their own shared or private accommodation off-campus. You can learn more about these options here.

Please see here for more information about bringing your family members to Canada, or contact our International Student Advisors.

Students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds join our EAP program every year. We have welcomed students from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, Ukraine, Peru, Colombia, and many other countries! 

Students are assigned to EAP classes according to their proficiency level. Although it is possible you might share classes with your friend(s), we cannot guarantee this. In either case, getting to know your new EAP classmates is a great opportunity to make new friends and build global connections.

All of our EAP instructors possess TESL certification. They are highly educated individuals with years of instructional experience at the post-secondary level.  

There is a scheduled week-long break each semester. You can find semester dates here.

Students admitted under the Conditional English Proficiency route to undergraduate or graduate studies at the University of Lethbridge must maintain continuous registration in the EAP program during Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters until the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement is satisfied. Failure to do so will result in loss of the student’s conditional admission status, as outlined in the University of Lethbridge Academic Calendar.

In addition to losing any condition admission status, students who choose to take one or more semesters off before returning to the EAP program must reapply to rejoin the EAP program (including payment of the $125.00 application fee again.) Students may be required to retake the placement test (and pay the associated $35 placement test fee) when they return to the EAP program.

The English Language Institute organizes activities, events, and workshops throughout the semester. Examples of activities include board/card games, language exchanges and conversation groups, exploring various fun services on campus (such as the Agility Innovation Zone, Rock Climbing Wall, and CKXU radio) and more! You can find our ELI Activity Calendar here.

The English Language Institute offers the following language supports to all EAP students:

• English Language Partner Program: provides students with conversational English language support. Students practice speaking English in casual, one-on-one conversations with student volunteers.  
• Writing Tutor Program: provides students with support for their written assignments and essays. Tutors are student volunteers who provide feedback at different stages of the writing process.

EAP students can also access other academic support services on campus such as the Accessible Learning Centre, Writing Centre, and Student Success Centre.

All EAP students are charged a mandatory Sport and Recreation Services fee (see here for more details on fees) which gives you access to the gym, track, swimming pool, and rock-climbing wall. EAP students are also welcome to use other facilities and services on campus, which are available to all uLethbridge students, such as the Library, Accessible Learning Centre, Health Centre, Counselling Services, and more.

EAP students can join student clubs on campus. This is a great way to meet new people and get involved in the uLethbridge community. You can find a list of student clubs here. Often during the 2^nd week of the Fall and Spring semesters, clubs will promote themselves at booths located around campus for “Club Rush Week.”

The UPass (semester-long bus pass) is an included cost in EAP tuition and fees. Your Upass will be active for any semester in which you are enrolled in EAP classes (Spring, Summer, and Fall), and is assessed to both full-time and part-time students.

Your Student ID card will also function as your bus pass. To request your Student ID card, use this form.

Students living in residence on campus may be eligible to opt-out of UPass. For more details, see here.