Ontario to spend $750 million on STEM programs at universities, colleges

MPPs Nolan Quinn, left, and Todd McCarthy sit in the Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park in Toronto, Monday, April 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

TORONTO — Ontario says it will invest $750 million to boost funding for science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs at colleges and universities across the province.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn says the funding will be used to fund 20,500 STEM spots per year.

Quinn says the investment in students will help create a more resilient economy, which has been hurting recently with U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war.

Colleges and universities have struggled financially for years under Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government, which froze tuition for domestic students, and more recently due to the federal government’s cap on study permits for international students.

Last year, the provincial government ponied up $1.3 billion to help stabilize the sector, which was about half the amount colleges and universities said they needed.

The province says the money for STEM programs will be available as soon as institutions sign their 2025 to 2030 operating funding agreements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press