The Government of Alberta tabled Budget 2024 on Feb. 29. While we are still completing our analysis to determine some details, I want to update you on what we know.
Our provincial operating grant will be $436.6 million in 2024-25 — the same amount the university received each of the last two budget years, during which inflation has increased by over 10 per cent. Without additional provincial funding to cover inflation and our rising costs, there will be significant ongoing pressure on our institutional budget.
With a rapidly growing young population in Alberta and U of A applications up by 8 per cent last year, we continue to make the case for the urgent need for additional funding to support domestic enrolment growth. However, this budget did not include any new funding for domestic enrolment growth for any degree programs at Alberta’s universities beyond the amounts previously announced in the existing Targeted Enrolment Expansion program. We will continue to do all we can to advocate with the government to secure funding for future domestic enrolment expansion.
Budget 2024 includes $34.9 million in funding for Capital Maintenance and Renewal (CMR) at the U of A, which we will use to address deferred maintenance of our facilities, a $1.8 million or 5 per cent reduction from last year.
I am pleased to report we are getting an additional $27 million over three years in project-specific CMR funding to renew the exterior of the Universiade Pavilion – commonly known as the Butterdome. Campus Saint-Jean is receiving a $1.3 million investment (over the next two years) for upgrades. The government has also committed $10 million over the next three years to add mental health professional spaces at post-secondary institutions across Alberta.
We remain fully committed to working with the provincial government to advocate for the University of Alberta, our students, faculty and staff, and the broader post-secondary sector. Post-secondary education is the foundation for a strong Alberta economy and a vibrant province, and the U of A will continue to play a leading role now and in the future.
Bill Flanagan
President and Vice-Chancellor