The Government of Alberta tabled Budget 2025 on February 27. I am pleased to share some important highlights.
Amid challenging financial headwinds for the Government of Alberta, Budget 2025 held some excellent news for the University of Alberta. Over the next three years, the Government of Alberta will invest $100 million to transform the Biological Sciences Building into a world-leading STEM and life sciences research and education hub to be named the Life Sciences Innovation and Future Technologies (LIFT) Centre. These funds will double much-needed lab spaces, opening up access to high-demand programs across the university.
The U of A will contribute another $100 million to this project, which will help keep our province at the forefront of innovation, discovery, and cutting-edge education. LIFT will help to attract the best and brightest minds to the U of A and is projected to increase the U of A’s economic impact by an estimated $154 million in the first five years.
I want to thank the entire LIFT project team, led by Dr. Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell, the college dean and vice-provost of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences. The team did an exceptional job building an interdisciplinary and transformational vision for this project. LIFT will be a hub for interdisciplinary teaching and research across the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the university. LIFT will bring together life sciences researchers, faculty, students and industry leaders to foster collaboration and discovery, driving an impact that will benefit Alberta and beyond.
In more good news for the U of A, Campus Saint-Jean will receive $4 million over the next two years for much-needed infrastructure support. Campus Saint-Jean serves a vital role as the only Francophone post-secondary institution in Alberta.
The U of A received just under $45 million in capital maintenance and renewal, a 7.2 per cent increase over last year. This includes a second year of funding for renovations to the Butterdome, with design work starting this spring and construction following later in 2025.
In more challenging news, our provincial operating grant will remain flat for a fourth consecutive year at $436.6 million. During the past three years, we have seen 11.6 per cent inflation and it is projected to be 2.3 per cent next year. Flat funding over these four years equals an effective and cumulative 13.5 per cent cut to our operating grant, or $59.2 million, since 2022. This means continued significant financial pressure on the U of A. University administration has been planning for a flat operating grant, with senior leaders working across the institution to develop a strategic approach to cost reductions and, where possible, increased revenue opportunities.
Despite financial pressures, we remain committed to the vision and ambitions of Shape: A Strategic Plan of Impact, including our goal to grow to over 60,000 students by 2030. While Budget 2025 did not include new funding for enrolment growth, it did include continued funding for enrolment growth announced in previous budgets, which has enabled the U of A to grow by more than 4,800 seats since 2022. We will continue to advocate to meet the growing demand in Alberta. Last year, we saw an eight per cent increase in domestic undergraduate applications, mostly young Albertans. So far this year, our domestic undergraduate applications are up another 10 per cent. With a rapidly growing population in Alberta, the Government of Alberta predicts we will need over 31,000 new post-secondary seats by 2030.
The Expert Panel on Post-Secondary Institution Funding and Alberta’s Competitiveness has been mandated to review and evaluate post-secondary funding in Alberta and examine funding models for higher education across Canada and worldwide. We will do all we can to support this panel's work, advocating for fair, sustainable, and predictable funding for Alberta post-secondary institutions and investment in enrolment growth to accommodate Alberta’s rapidly growing population. Building and sustaining a strong post-secondary sector is vital to a thriving Alberta and a growing economy.