The University of Windsor has welcomed news from Queens Park about a sweeping plan to fund colleges and universities.
On Thursday, Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and Nolan Quinn, Ontario Minister of Colleges, Universities, and Research Excellence and Security (MCURES), announced a $6.4-billion investment over four years to support postsecondary education. Ontario will also increase its annual operational funding to $ 7 billion.
The province also announced on Thursday that the current tuition freeze for postsecondary education will end on September 1. Publicly funded colleges and universities will be allowed to raise tuition by a maximum of two per cent each year through the 2028-29 academic year, then up to two per cent or the three-year average rate of inflation for each year after, whichever is lower.
U of W President J.J. McMurtry said he is pleased with the news.
"We are grateful that the government has recognized that Ontario’s universities need support," said McMurtry. "Increasing funding to the sector signals an understanding of the challenges facing universities."
St. Clair College President Michael Silvaggi is also heartened, saying, "this long term funding model and the accompanying updates to the tuition and OSAP frameworks provide stability for colleges and universities across the province."
"These measures will help us continue delivering high-quality, career-focused education that meets labour-market demand and supports the economic growth of our region," added Silvaggi on social media on Thursday night.
The provincial investment is designed to help postsecondary institutions recover financially from a drop in the number of international students allowed each year into Canada. Ontario is also facing higher domestic demand for some of the most expensive programs.
The federal government announced a limit on new and returning international students in January 2024. Since then, Ontario universities and colleges have seen enrolment and revenue decline, resulting in services being cut, faculty and staff being laid off, and the suspension or cancellation of some programs.
