N.S. freezes tuition and boosts university funding
Posted Apr 25, 2025 09:40:37 AM.
Last Updated Apr 25, 2025 11:36:50 AM.
The Nova Scotia government has signed new two-year funding agreements with the province’s 10 universities, freezing tuition for students and increasing operating grants.
The bilateral agreements for 2025–26 and 2026–27 replace one-year deals that expired at the end of March. Each university will receive a two per cent increase in its annual operating grant, though some of the funding is tied to performance targets.
“We want our universities to thrive,” Brendan Maguire, Minister of Advanced Education, said in the press release. “Through these longer-term agreements, we are providing more financial predictability for universities to help ensure that they are financially sustainable now and in the future.”
Among the conditions are maintaining high enrolment in health programs, expanding work-integrated learning, and increasing access to student housing.
Preferred admission for Nova Scotians in health and education programs will begin in 2026. The agreements also continue the $1,283 Nova Scotia University Student Bursary and require ongoing reviews to ensure academic programs meet labour market needs.
Total increases in operating funding are projected at $7.7 million in 2025–26 and $7.8 million in 2026–27.
