BREAKING: U of A operating grant to increase
The U of A's operating grant will increase by $3.1 million after four years of a flat grant.
Christina VarvisOn February 27, University of Alberta President and Vice-Chancellor Bill Flanagan sent an email stating that the U of A’s operating grant would increase.
The operating grant, which is the main funding provided by the Government of Alberta, is to rise by $13.1 million to a total of $449 million in both 2025–26 and 2026–27.
The U of A’s operating grant had remained at $436.6 million for four years.
The estimated total operating grant for all post-secondary institutions in Alberta in 2026–27 is $2.7 billion. This means PSIs will have to cover 58 per cent of operating costs, or $3.8 billion, through other sources of funding.
“This investment helps address a portion of approximately $30 million in additional compensation costs arising from recently concluded collective agreements with our four unions,” Flanagan said in the statement.
“It enables us to continue supporting our faculty and staff while sustaining the high-quality learning, research, and innovation environment that Albertans expect from the [U of A].”
The email also mentioned the $148 million over three years allocated to the Targeted Enrolment Expansion (TEE) program. The funding will target health care, engineering, and education programs to add more seats for students.
