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The Ontario government announced it is investing to fund 20,500 seats for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at universities and colleges. The funding will support post-secondary institutions that accepted more students than they receive funding for, as they work to meet employers’ growing demand for highly skilled STEM graduates. This essential investment comes at a pivotal moment when the higher-education system is grappling with rising operating costs and the fallout from ongoing provincial grant and tuition freezes, combined with the federal government’s significant reduction in study permits for international students.

What this means for Â鶹ÊÓƵ

Â鶹ÊÓƵ was allocated less than half a per cent of the Ministry’s STEM funding package: just over $500,000 a year for five years, which equates to fewer than 70 students. The university welcomes the funding; however, the amount falls short of addressing our STEM growth over the past few years. The methodology excluded capped programs (e.g. Education and graduate programs). Although the university grew in STEM programs, the simultaneous enrolment declines in other non-STEM programs minimized the eligibility for this funding.

Moving forward

The new funding will help address the unfunded student base, but as noted in the , sustaining a balanced budget over the next two fiscal years is more uncertain. Ongoing efforts to find efficiencies are crucial, but such opportunities will likely become more difficult to identify over time and could become problematic if they compromise our core academic activities. If the university secures additional funding from government or other sources, it will prioritize building reserves to safeguard future fiscal sustainability.

The university will continue to work with the province to ensure funding keeps pace with the growing demand from domestic students interested in enrolling at our university. We look forward to continued collaboration with the provincial government to strengthen the shared goal of building resilient future leaders.