Ontario Investing $6.4 Billion to Support the Long-Term Success and Sustainability of Colleges and Universities

February 12, 2026

Beamsville – The Ontario government is taking decisive action to protect the access of postsecondary students to the education they need to launch successful careers, build long-term sustainability in the postsecondary sector and support the world-class research being conducted at Ontario universities and colleges, while ensuring education remains accessible for future generations. These actions come in response to the unprecedented pressures Ontario’s postsecondary sector is facing..

“Colleges and universities across Ontario continue to lead the way by preparing students today for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

“This is especially true of our local postsecondary institutions in Niagara, including Niagara College and Brock University. I am grateful that our government is investing in our local students, educators and administrators as we protect career pathways for future generations.”

“In order to protect our province, it is imperative that we continue to train a strong, highly skilled workforce for Ontario for decades to come,” said Hon. Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.

“Through these changes, including $6.4 billion in new funding for the postsecondary sector, our government is not only ensuring the sustainability of our colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes, but also preparing our graduates with the in-demand skills they need to meaningfully find good-paying, rewarding careers, while continuing to keep education accessible and keep costs down for students and their families.”

Ontario’s plan to build a stronger postsecondary sector is based on three principles, including preparing students for rewarding, in-demand careers that meet labour market needs, preserving Ontario students’ ability to access high-quality postsecondary education and providing Ontario’s postsecondary sector long-term sustainability.

“It is more important than ever that we manage Ontario’s finances responsibly – to build a more resilient and self-reliant economy to secure long-term prosperity,” said Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance.

“Postsecondary education is one of Ontario’s most important long-term investments – and this announcement helps ensure that investment remains strong, responsible and sustainable for years to come.”

Federal changes have significantly reduced international student revenues, and the province is also facing increased domestic demand for higher-cost programs and a financial aid program that is dramatically out of line with other jurisdictions. To ensure the province’s world‑class institutions continue producing one of the most competitive workforces in the G7 for generations to come, the Ontario government is making a number of key changes starting in Fall 2026.

A new long-term funding model will see universities, colleges and Indigenous Institutes focused on delivering programs that align with student and labour-market demand supported by increased, predictable funding. This new long-term funding model will bring an additional $6.4 billion into the sector over four years and raise annual operating funding to $7 billion, a thirty percent increase and the highest level in the province’s history. It will also fund 70,000 more in-demand seats, while better meeting the needs of small, rural, Northern, French-language and Indigenous Institutes.

An updated tuition framework will support the postsecondary sector’s long-term sustainability while maintaining one of the lowest rates of tuition increase in Canada. Ontario will allow publicly assisted colleges and universities to raise tuition by up to two percent per year for three years, then up to two per cent or the three-year average rate of inflation, whichever is less, in the years following. This rate of increase will be among the lowest of any province in Canada, including comparable jurisdictions such as British Columbia and Manitoba.

On average, this change will result in an additional cost of $0.18/day for college students and $0.47/day for university students. Low-income students will have this cost absorbed through an enhanced Student Access Guarantee.

A stronger, more sustainable Ontario Student Assistance Program will ensure financial assistance remains available for future generations while supporting students’ appropriate investment in their education and success. To strengthen the long-term sustainability of the Ontario Student Assistance Program and bring it in line with other provinces, Ontario students will be eligible to receive a maximum of twenty-five percent of their Ontario Student Assistance Program funding as grants and a minimum of seventy-five percent of their funding as loans. Ontario Student Assistance Program will no longer offer grants to students at private career colleges, in alignment with changes made by the federal government to its own student support funding.

“Ontario’s colleges are key to developing a skilled and responsive workforce in our communities,” said Sean Kennedy, President of Niagara College.

“This historic and transformative investment significantly enhances our ability to support our province’s strategies for economic resilience and growth.”

“We are grateful for the province’s investment, which will support Ontario’s universities, including Brock, in our key role of preparing graduates, equipping them with the tools necessary to reshape the world through curiosity, courage and creativity,” said Dr. Lesley Rigg, President and Vice-Chancellor of Brock University.

“This funding will drive research and innovation needed to strengthen and grow Canada’s economy and improve quality of life in our communities.”

These changes will protect student access to the education they need to land rewarding, in-demand careers and ensure the province’s world-class institutions can continue producing one of the most competitive workforces in the G7 for generations to come.