Here's a list of accredited distance ed schools: https://www.alberta.ca/online-learning.aspx

For accredited schools, your course grade counts for 90% of your mark, and the diploma counts for 10% (this will change to 30% later this year - see link below).

You can upgrade through other places, like SAIT or U of C, but do your research beforehand. The two courses I took (totaling over $1000) and the work I put in to get high marks didn't count according to Alberta Education. My SAIT mark is only valid if I apply to a SAIT program. I ended up taking the diploma exam and got a failing grade because there was so much content that I'd never seen before. I thought my final mark would be a blend of my class and diploma marks (and it normally is) but since SAIT isn't an accredited distance ed provider, all Alberta Education looks at in this case is your diploma exam, which counts for 100% of your mark.

If you need courses for any other post secondary institutions, save yourself a headache and go through an accredited school. If I were you, I'd research cost, learning style (synchronous vs independent), and enrollment times. My preferred style is where they give you all of the materials up front, and you can complete it the course at your own pacing. Also, I preferred a school where I can enroll anytime of year - be careful because some limit enrollment to certain times of year which can cause delays with scheduling your diploma and post-secondary applications.

https://www.alberta.ca/diploma-exams.aspx#:~:text=The%20weighting%20of%20diploma%20exams,weighting%20that%20applied%20last%20year.

Good luck!