ÆLIÉS

What ÆLIÉS does

ÆLIÉS (Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures) is the official general association representing approximately 15,000 master's and doctoral students at Université Laval in Québec, Canada. Founded in 1964 and operating from Maison Marie-Sirois on the Université Laval campus, the non-profit is governed by a Board of Directors composed of student representatives and an annually elected Executive Committee, with the General Assembly as the supreme decision-making body. Membership is automatic for all 2nd and 3rd cycle students, funded through mandatory institutional fees bundled with tuition and collected via the university's billing system.

The association's service portfolio spans three functional pillars. (1) Advocacy and rights: placement of student representatives on approximately 50 university committees, councils, and commissions, plus a dedicated student rights accompaniment agent and public policy positioning on mental health, French-language policy, LGBTQ2IA+ issues, doctoral employability, and federal research funding. (2) Financial and material support: IT equipment bursaries (20% coverage up to $1,000), pedagogical travel subsidies, international student hardship bursaries (up to $500), publication sponsorships, the ASEQ group health and dental insurance program ($518.08/year for 2025-2026), the universal transit pass (LPU) covering RTC, STL, and Lévis ferries, and the Frigo-partage community fridge network across 4 residences and 4 pavilions. (3) Operating subsidiaries: Chaire Publique (cultural events and research dissemination, founded 1997), Halte-Garderie (24-child childcare facility co-operated with APEtUL), and Café Fou AELIÉS (on-campus café and social venue). Additional services include free writing retreats co-sponsored with FESP and the University Library, an annual university agenda, free graduation photography, and academic problem-resolution support.

The business model is a non-profit membership and advocacy organization with no proprietary technology platform. Distribution is community-led: outreach through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, an email newsletter, the aelies.ulaval.ca website, in-person office hours, orientation events (Rentrée UL), and university partnership referrals. Revenue derives from mandatory student fees, ASEQ/Desjardins insurance administration, and subsidiary operations (café sales, childcare fees, event revenue). The organization currently employs approximately 15 staff across coordinator, communications, archival, and project roles, and is undergoing a 2025–2026 organizational restructuring with a dedicated project coordinator to overhaul policies and regulations.

Name

ÆLIÉS

Legal name

Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures

Website

https://aelies.ulaval.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ÆLIÉS is the official graduate student association at Université Laval, representing ~15,000 master's and doctoral students through advocacy, financial support, ASEQ health/dental insurance, universal transit pass, writing retreats, and three operating subsidiaries (Chaire Publique, Halte-Garderie daycare, Café Fou). Funded by mandatory tuition-linked fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Association Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALANAE

International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals)

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/International Student Services & Immigration Support

Keywords

• Student association services
• Graduate student advocacy
• Group student insurance
• Student financial support
• University member services

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Student fees / Membership dues: ÆLIÉS is funded through mandatory student fees included in tuition for all 2nd and 3rd cycle students at Université Laval. These fees support the association's operations, services, advocacy activities, subsidies to member associations, and subsidiary operations (Café Fou, Halte-Garderie, Chaire Publique).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ÆLIÉS is a non-profit student association representing approximately 15,000 graduate (2nd and 3rd cycle) students at Université Laval in Québec, Canada. It delivers membership services including a group health and dental insurance plan, a financial support program, writing retreats, a student transit pass, and a daycare, alongside collective representation and advocacy for graduate-student rights.

Product overview

AELIÉS (Association des étudiantes et des étudiants de Laval inscrits aux études supérieures) is a student association representing approximately 15,000 graduate students at Université Laval. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of member services organized around three core missions: defending student rights and interests, representing members to university and government bodies, and providing services that support economic and social well-being. The service portfolio includes financial support programs (computer equipment scholarships, pedagogical subsidies, international student bursaries), health and dental insurance coordination, academic support services (writing retreats, student rights accompaniment, graduation photography), campus life amenities (transit pass, community fridges), and three subsidiaries: Café Fou AELIÉS (campus café), Halte Garderie (daycare), and Chaire Publique (cultural and public education initiatives).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Health and Dental Insurance Plan Negotiated group health and dental insurance coverage offered to ~15,000 graduate student members of ÆLIÉS at Université Laval, providing access to coverage individual students would not be able to obtain on equivalent terms.
• Financial Support Program Financial assistance program available to graduate-student members to help alleviate financial hardship during their studies.
• Student Transit Pass Transit pass made available to graduate-student members of ÆLIÉS through a negotiated partnership with the local transit provider.
• Writing Retreats Organized writing retreats for graduate-student members, providing dedicated time and space for thesis and dissertation work.
• Halte Garderie (Daycare) On-campus daycare service operated by ÆLIÉS, providing childcare for the children of graduate-student members at Université Laval.
• Graduate Student Rights Advocacy and Representation Collective representation and advocacy on academic-policy, funding, and student-rights matters affecting graduate students at Université Laval.
• Café Fou AELIÉS Campus café run by ÆLIÉS as an operational unit, serving graduate students and the campus community at Université Laval.
• Chaire Publique Opinion and editorial column run by ÆLIÉS as a platform for graduate-student voices and public commentary on academic and societal issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Halte-Garderie serves 24 children per care block; estimated 50-100 families benefit per session
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASEQ (Alliance pour la santé du Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASEQ provides the group health and dental insurance plan for all ÆLIÉS members. The plan is mandatory for all 2nd and 3rd cycle students at Université Laval and is administered in partnership with Desjardins Assurances. Fees for 2025-2026 are $243.65 (health) and $274.43 (dental) annually. The ASEQ also operates the 'Programme mieux-être' mental health support program.
• APEtUL (Association des parents-étudiants de l'Université Laval)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPEtUL co-operates the Halte-Garderie with ÆLIÉS, a childcare facility serving student parents. This joint initiative accommodates up to 24 children per care block, with an estimated 50-100 families benefiting each session.
• Université LavalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversité Laval works with ÆLIÉS on multiple initiatives including the universal transit pass (LPU), student representation on governance bodies, and the annual university agenda. The university provides institutional infrastructure and fee collection mechanisms for student associations.
• CADEUL (Confédération des associations d'étudiants et étudiantes de l'Université Laval)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCADEUL is the undergraduate student association and co-signer of the universal transit pass (LPU) referendum and joint memoires on transportation policy. The two associations collaborate on shared advocacy objectives.
• RTC (Réseau de transport en commun de Québec) and STL (Société de transport de Lévis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RTC and STL are transit partners for the Laissez-passer universitaire (LPU), which provides unlimited access to public transit in Quebec City and Lévis for all Université Laval students, including ferry services between the two cities.
• Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales (FESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFESP collaborates with ÆLIÉS on the 'Et si on rédigeait!' writing retreat program, which provides free writing retreats for graduate students. The faculty co-sponsors these sessions alongside the University Library.
• Bibliothèque de l'Université LavalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University Library co-sponsors the 'Et si on rédigeait!' writing retreat program, providing facilities and support for graduate students working on theses, dissertations, and research papers.
• Desjardins AssurancesminorOthersDesjardins Assurances processes health and dental insurance claims for ÆLIÉS members through the Omni mobile app and web portal. Claims submitted via the app are processed within 48 hours.
• Université Laval — multiple faculties and departmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÆLIÉS nominates and places student representatives on approximately 50 committees, councils, and commissions (CCC) across all faculties and departments at Université Laval, representing graduate student interests in academic governance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AGSEM (Association des étudiant·e·s aux études supérieures, postdoctorales et des migrations de l'Université McGill): AGSEM is the graduate and postdoctoral student association at McGill University in Montreal, offering a directly comparable mandate: mandatory-fee membership, rights accompaniment, financial support, and advocacy for graduate students. Same legal/operational model in an adjacent Quebec university context.
• CADEUL (Confédération des associations d'étudiants et étudiantes de l'Université Laval): CADEUL is the undergraduate student association at Université Laval and the most direct peer to ÆLIÉS — same institution, same mandatory-fee model, similar service portfolio (insurance, advocacy, transit), and overlapping committee representation. The two associations already co-sign memoranda on shared issues like transportation.
• SOGS (Society of Graduate Students) at Western University: SOGS is the graduate student association at Western University in Ontario, representing a similar scale of graduate students with mandatory fees and a comparable service-and-advocacy mandate. Useful English-Canadian peer for benchmarking governance and fee-funded service delivery.
• GSA-UQAM (Regroupement des étudiant·e·s des cycles supérieurs de l'UQAM): GSA-UQAM is the graduate student association at Université du Québec à Montréal, another Quebec-French graduate association operating under the same provincial policy environment as ÆLIÉS. Closely comparable for benchmarking language-policy advocacy and Quebec-specific graduate issues.
• AEP (Association étudiante de Polytechnique Montréal): AEP is the student association at Polytechnique Montréal, another Quebec graduate-heavy institution with a mandatory-fee membership model. Comparable for benchmarking service delivery, advocacy tactics, and operational scale within Quebec higher education.

Broad incumbents

• Union étudiante du Québec (UEQ): UEQ is the provincial student federation in Quebec, providing broader political representation for Quebec students including graduate students. Comparable as a layer above individual student associations like ÆLIÉS, with shared advocacy on tuition, financial aid, and university funding.

Others

• ASEQ (Alliance pour la santé étudiante au Québec): ASEQ is ÆLIÉS's core insurance partner and an ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor but a closely linked organization that delivers group health and dental coverage to Quebec student associations. Useful reference for understanding ÆLIÉS's insurance revenue economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AssoAELIES
• Facebookfacebook.com/asso.aelies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aelies
• Instagraminstagram.com/aelies.ulaval

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ÆLIÉS