Stable Funding for Post-Secondary Institutions to Keep Saskatchewan On Track

Released on April 10, 2018

The 2018-19 Budget maintains operating grants to Saskatchewan’s universities, colleges and technical schools. The Ministry of Advanced Education’s 2018-19 Budget of $729 million reflects the government’s plan to invest in programs and services Saskatchewan people value. This year’s post-secondary education budget represents an increase of 1.5 per cent.

Key highlights of the 2018-19 Advanced Education budget include:

Maintaining operating grants to the institutions at their 2017-18 levels;
Restoring $5.0 million in funding to the University of Saskatchewan, which partially addresses an adjustment to the University’s budget in 2015-16;
Funding of $87.8 million for the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan to ensure a successful College that provides quality medical education; and
Increasing capital funding by $900,000 for repairs and maintenance.

“Strong post-secondary institutions are the heart of a strong post-secondary system,” Advanced Education Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said. “Education is the engine that drives our knowledge-based economy. A stable post-secondary sector is a critical piece of our plan to keep Saskatchewan on track.”

The government will demonstrate its strong support for post-secondary education by providing more than $673 million in operating and capital grants to post-secondary institutions, including:

$470 million to the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina and the federated and affiliated colleges;
$151 million to Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, and Gabriel Dumont Institute;
$30 million to Saskatchewan’s regional colleges; and
More than $22 million for capital repairs and maintenance throughout the post-secondary sector.

“No one benefits more from stable funding for post-secondary institutions than the students who study in those facilities,” Beaudry-Mellor said. “If we want our students to excel in Canada and around the world, they need to have confidence they’re receiving a high-quality education at home.”

Students will also benefit from $34 million in direct financial supports, including:

$22 million to support the student loan program, which will provide repayable and non-repayable financial assistance to an estimated 16,000 students;
Up-front grants which provide up to $4,000 per year in combined federal and Saskatchewan assistance for a typical full-time student; and
$12 million for scholarships, such as the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship and the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship.

In addition, students continue to receive benefits after their studies through the Graduate Retention Program, which provides Saskatchewan income tax credits of up to $20,000 for tuition fees paid by graduates who live and work in Saskatchewan.

Over more than a decade, the province has invested $9.1 billion in post-secondary institutions and student supports.

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For more information, contact:

David Horth
Advanced Education
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0926
Email: david.horth@gov.sk.ca

Stable Funding for Post-Secondary Institutions to Keep Saskatchewan On Track

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