Adult Basic Education

Do you want to improve your education to build a better future for yourself and your family?

Do you need to finish your high school diploma or take extra high school courses to find a better job, or move on to post-secondary education and training?

If so, adult basic education programs are designed to help.

Adult basic education facts

Adult basic education courses lead to a high school diploma, or Dogwood Certificate, and to prerequisites for post-secondary programs.

You can take these courses:

  1. At public post-secondary institutions
  2. At your local high school
  3. Online through the Province’s virtual school, LearnNowBC, at www.LearnNowBC.ca

Tuition is free at post-secondary institutions or online. Starting in September 2008, it will also be free at local high schools.

Adult Basic Education in British Columbia’s Public Post-Secondary Institutions: An Articulation Handbook – 2007-08 Edition

This handbook provides:

  • The adult basic education program framework used in the B.C. post-secondary education system.
  • Core course outlines.
  • Transfer guides for courses across B.C.’s post-secondary institutions.
  • Information about the British Columbia adult graduation diploma.

Adult Basic Education in British Columbia's Public Post-secondary Institutions: An Articulation Handbook. [5.97mb]

2005 Adult Basic Education Student Outcomes Survey

The Report of the 2005 Adult Basic Education Student Outcomes Survey [1.57 mb] presents the responses of more than 4,200 students who attended adult basic education classes at B.C. public colleges, university colleges and institutes in 2003-04. The survey includes information on:

  • Student demographics
  • Their employment after taking adult basic education
  • Whether they went on to post-secondary education
  • Their evaluation of their experiences in these classes.

For hard copies of these publications contact B.C. Government Publications Services at http://www.publications.gov.bc.ca.

Adult basic education funding

If you are eligible, we may be able to help you pay for books, supplies and other costs through the adult basic education student assistance program.

For further information, contact:

Learning Programs Branch
Students & Learning Division

Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development
PO Box 9882 STN PROV GOVT
VICTORIA BC V8W 9T6

Other links

For a list of adult basic education programs at individual colleges, university colleges, institutes and Thompson Rivers University, visit Adult basic education programs in the British Columbia / Yukon post-secondary system.

For information about the programs provided by the Ministry of Education, visit:

To find out about adult literacy grants, go to the Adult Literacy website.