THE CHALLENGE:

Implement the new mobile friendly public service portal for the Alberta Post-Secondary Application System (APAS) and enable Apply Alberta to gather high quality student data.

THE OUTCOME:

ARC transformed APAS's 15-year-old legacy portal with a modern, mobile-responsive platform built on React 19, .NET 9 Core, and Entity Framework Core, delivering 20 persona-specific interfaces that streamline applications and enhance student data quality for Alberta's public post-secondary institutions.

‍

BUSINESS CASE:

ARC established its relationship with the Alberta Post-Secondary Application System (APAS) through a competitive bidding process under Request for Proposals (RFP) #26–001. This engagement was initiated via the Master Agreement between Cybera and ARC to provide project-focused technical services.

The primary challenge facing APAS was the need to retire the legacy ApplyAlberta Applicant Web Portal, which had been in operation for approximately 15 years. To modernize their services, the client required a complete replacement of the aging front-end with a new, mobile-friendly interface integrated into the existing APAS Member Service Portal. The project aimed to deliver approximately 20 new user web interfaces tailored to specific personas, including Alberta high school students, out-of-province Canadian students, and international applicants. Beyond the visual refresh, the intended outcomes included ensuring full compatibility across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices, as well as modern browsers. Furthermore, ARC was tasked with conducting rigorous unit, load, performance, and web vulnerability testing while providing comprehensive technical documentation and knowledge transfer to the APAS team.

START/COMPLETION:

October 2025 – April/May 2026

BUSINESS SOLUTION:

ARC worked closely with the APAS team to understand their new mobile-friendly UI requirements and navigate significant changes in the technology stack. The primary objective was "Project: Transform," which focused on replacing a 15-year-old legacy system with a modern, high-performance platform.

SOLUTION & IMPLEMENTATION:

• The team replaced the aging front-end with a responsive interface integrated into the existing APAS Member Service Portal as well as the APAS Caching and Email Services.

• Implementation began by leveraging Figma wireframe designs to ensure a user-centric approach from the start.

• A critical security shift was executed by moving the Alberta.ca integration from the older SIAMS (Secure Identity & Access Management System) to a modern SAML implementation for single sign-on with Custom Cookie-JWT scheme

• CSRF Protection: Anti-forgery tokens required on all controllers via ValidateAntiforgeryToken filter and X-XSRF-TOKEN header validation, preventing cross-site request forgery attacks.

• Distributed Key Management: Uses Redis with encrypted passwords and Data Protection API to securely share encryption keys and anti-forgery tokens across loadbalanced server instances.

• Defense-in-Depth: Strict CORS policies, custom security headers middleware, server header suppression, authorization attributes on all endpoints, and forwarded headers support for accurate client IP tracking behind proxies.

• A custom API layer was designed and implemented specifically to service the new public portal.

• The development process utilized AI tools extensively within both the UI and API layers to maintain stability while meeting complex, wizard-based interface requirements.

• UAT phase was completed in 4 weeks with minimal defects

SIGNIFICANT DELIVERABLES:

• Persona-Specific Interfaces: Delivered 20 new web interfaces tailored to specific user types, including Alberta high schoolers and international applicants.

• PESC Data Set Optimization: Developed a streamlined method for creating PESC (Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council) data sets, reducing code complexity for transcript transfers by a significant margin.

• Global Address Module: Implemented a refined system for collecting worldwide student address information to ensure data consistency.

• Technical Documentation: Provided comprehensive documentation and a full knowledge transfer to the APAS team to ensure long-term system sustainability.

CLIENT OUTCOMES & KEY ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Legacy Retirement: Successfully enabled the decommissioning of a 15-year-old legacy portal.

• Enhanced Data Quality: Tightened data collection protocols, directly improving the quality of student records feeding into the transcript exchange system.

• Universal Accessibility: Achieved full compatibility across mobile, tablet, and desktop devices and all modern browsers.

• Scale: The new system supports a platform that has historically processed over 2 million applications and delivered more than 3 million transcripts.

TRANSFERRABLE EXPERIENCE:

This project provides several high-value experiences that can be applied to future client engagements:

• Legacy Modernization: Expertise in replacing deeply entrenched, decade-old legacy systems with modern frameworks without disrupting service.

• Government Integration: Experience navigating the specific requirements of government-linked organizations, including deploying to GoA datacenters and utilizing specific hardware constraints.

• Identity Management Migration: Proven ability to transition large-scale systems between complex authentication protocols (SIAMS to SAML).

• AI-Assisted Development: Demonstrable success in using AI tools (Claude, Cursor, Copilot, Perplexity, etc.) to accelerate the delivery of complex UI/API requirements under tight deadlines.

TECHNOLOGIES USED:

To deliver the project successfully, ARC utilized a sophisticated and modern technology stack:

• Front-End: React 19.

• Back-End: .NET 9 Core, C#

• Data & ORM: SQL Server and Entity Framework Core.

• Design & Security: Figma for wireframing and SAML for secure identity management.

• Development Tools: Extensive use of AI-driven tools to enhance development efficiency and platform stability.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Timeline Management: The aggressive timeline (October 2025 – April/May 2026) underscored the necessity of AI-assisted development to meet delivery milestones without sacrificing code quality.

• Data-Centric Design: Tightening data collection at the user-entry point is the most effective way to prevent downstream issues in complex transcript exchange systems.

• Remote Infrastructure Navigation: Working in a fully remote environment while managing specific client-mandated hardware and datacenter deployments requires rigorous coordination and technical adaptability.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

“ARC brought strong technical expertise and a clear understanding of the post-secondary sector in Alberta to the project. They worked collaboratively with us throughout the design and implementation, were very accommodating when new ideas or issues came up, and provided strong documentation to support their work. Their practical approach helped us make informed decisions while also identifying opportunities to use modern technology to build a solution that will provide long-term value. Ultimately, this collaborative approach enabled us to successfully deliver the project on time and on budget”.

Boris Belkin, Senior Director, Digital Innovation & Strategy,

Alberta Post-Secondary Application System (APAS)

‍

‍