N.S. increases university funding to freeze tuitions, boost operating grants

Nova Scotia will freeze tuitions in the province’s 10 universities.

Nova Scotia says a new funding agreement with the province’s 10 universities will freeze tuition for students, boost operating grants and strengthen accountability and sustainability.

The two-year agreements for 2025-26 and 2026-27 replaces the current one-year agreements with universities, which expired on March 31.

The funding increase to the 10 universities is $7.7 million for the first year, and $7.8 million for the second year.

“Our government is freezing tuition for Nova Scotian students to improve affordability for post-secondary so they can get the education they need to start their career,” said Brendan Maguire, minister of Advanced Education, in a provincial news release.

“We want our universities to thrive. 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.”

The province says the new agreements provide universities with a two per cent increase in their operating grant each year. Some of the grant will be held back until universities achieve specific targets within their agreements.

Some highlights of the new agreements include:

• no increase to tuition for Nova Scotian residents in undergraduate programs, with the option for universities to decrease tuition
• continuation of the Nova Scotia University Student Bursary program
• preferred admission for Nova Scotian students in undergraduate health and bachelor of education programs that start after Jan. 1, 2026
• a requirement for universities to continue to expand access to work integrated learning opportunities, ensuring students have job-ready skills
• a program review that ensures university programs meet current educational standards, respond to labour market demands and are economically viable
• performance-based funding and accountability measures, including a requirement to fill health program seats to an average enrolment rate of at least 97 per cent. Universities are also asked to advance plans to increase student housing to ensure housing is available for at least 15 per cent of a school’s student population and that on-campus housing has a maximum vacancy rate of five per cent
• continuation of the three committees established under the previous bilateral agreements (academic programming committee; financial sustainability and accountability committee; and research and innovation committee)

The provincial government says new financial indicators and benchmarks, as well as financial reporting, will be implemented to assess the financial health of universities, which will be reviewed over five years annually.

According to Students Nova Scotia, undergraduates studying in the province pay some of the highest tuition fees in Canada – 33 per cent above the national average.

The student advocacy group is praising the province’s move to freeze tuition for students who hail from Nova Scotia.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing that affordability measure be put into place,” said G Saleski, executive director of Students Nova Scotia.

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