Overview:
The pathway partnership between Cornerstone International Community College of Canada (CICCC) and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is designed to help international students meet NAIT's English Language Proficiency (ELP) admission requirements through Cornerstone's ESL program.
What the Pathway Allows:
- Students who successfully complete ESL Level 6.5 or higher at Cornerstone, with a minimum final grade of 70%, are considered to have met NAIT's English Language Proficiency (ELP) entrance requirement for NAIT credit programs.
- This applies to NAIT Certificates, Diplomas, Applied Degrees, and Bachelor Degrees.
How to Transfer / Validate the Pathway (Student → NAIT)
Step 1
Complete the required ESL level at Cornerstone
To be eligible under the pathway, the student must:
- Complete ESL Level 6.5 or higher
- Achieve a minimum final grade of 70%
- Fully complete the course (not in progress)
Important: NAIT will not validate English proficiency if the ESL level or final grades are missing or unclear.
Step 2
Apply to NAIT
- The student submits an application to NAIT for a credit program of interest.
- At this stage, NAIT may issue a conditional offer, pending final ESL completion.
Important: Admission decisions are always made by NAIT, not Cornerstone
Step 3
Request official documents from Cornerstone
Once ESL is completed (or near completion, if conditional):
The student must request Cornerstone to send the following documents directly to NAIT:
Required documents
- Official Transcript
- Must clearly show:
- ESL Level completed (6.5 or higher)
- Final grades
- Course completion status
- Certificate of Completion
- Confirms successful completion of ESL Level 6.5+
- Letter of Acceptance (LOA) or Letter of Enrolment (LOE)
- Used depending on the student's stage:
- LOA: student admitted but not yet started
- LOE: student actively enrolled or completed
- Must clearly reference English as a Second Language (ESL) and the level achieved
NAIT emphasized that documents must clearly indicate the ESL level, not just "ESL" in general.
Step 4
How documents must be sent
- Students cannot send documents themselves
- All documents must be sent directly from Cornerstone to NAIT
- Delivery method:
- Official institutional email (Registrar / Admissions)
- Or other NAIT-approved secure methods
Documents sent by students, agents, or third parties will not be accepted for validation
Step 5
NAIT review and validation
NAIT reviews the documents to confirm:
- ESL Level 6.5+ completion
- Minimum 70% grade achieved
- Alignment with NAIT's ELP requirements
Once validated:
- The English requirement is marked as met
- The student can proceed toward full admission, subject to program-specific criteria
Required Documents Details:
- Official Transcript
- Must clearly show ESL Level completed (6.5 or higher)
- Final grades
- Course completion status
- Certificate of Completion
- Confirms successful completion of ESL Level 6.5+
- Letter of Acceptance (LOA) or Letter of Enrolment (LOE)
- LOA: Used when student is admitted but not yet started
- LOE: Used when student is actively enrolled or completed
- Must clearly reference English as a Second Language (ESL) and the level achieved