Update notes provincial budget maintains status‑quo funding while confirming support for student housing and West Shore projects.
Note: This message is presented as it was originally shared with the college community and may no longer reflect the most current information. For the latest updates and details, please visit Camosun’s Future.
Special CamNews
I’d like to provide an update on the newly released provincial budget, ., which was delivered on Tuesday, March 4. This budget projects a $10.9 billion deficit for the province in 2025/26 and maintains the status quo for post-secondary institutions, with no significant reductions or increases.
Six institutions are forecast to run deficits in 2024/25, including Camosun, and 17 are predicted to run deficits in 2025/26. We informed the province of our financial situation in fall 2024 and continue to work closely with the Ministry to mitigate our situation. However, the government has not allocated any new funds in this budget to assist institutions experiencing serious shortfalls due to declining international student revenues.
Within the budget, there were two positive pieces of news for Camosun. First, our planned student housing project, along with those at North Island College and Okanagan College, will proceed as scheduled. Second, the $108 million capital investment in the West Shore Learning Centre campus remains in place.
For those who would like more in-depth information on the specifics of post-secondary funding, capital projects, or potential tariff impacts, I encourage you to visit the . You can also watch the Honourable Brenda Bailey, Finance Minister, , or .
If you have any questions about how this budget may affect Camosun or our community, please reach out to your workplace leader.
Budget facts:
- Although the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills’ total budget will increase by $112 million, the increase fulfills previous commitments (e.g., the Shared Recovery Mandate). It does not provide new or flexible operating dollars to address inflation, lower tuition revenue, or other financial pressures.
- This increase includes the following allocations:
- $82.2 million increase for the Shared Recovery Mandate.
- $11.1 million for the Future Ready Action Plan, including $8.9 million for technology program seats, $1.5 million for veterinary medicine seats, $0.5 million for early childhood education seats, and $0.2 million for mass timber.
- $12.2 million increase for the Health and Human Resource Strategy.
- $4 million increase for the Simon Fraser University School of Medicine.
- While there is no dedicated funding set aside for wage increases across government (including post-secondary institutions), the province will address these costs through contingency funds as needed.
- $4 billion in contingency funds have been set aside to address unpredictable costs, which include wage increases, pressures on critical services, and potential tariff response measures.
More information:
Camosun's Future
Find out how Camosun is protecting programs and keeping student supports strong while responsibly managing its budget.
Contact information
Rodney Porter
Executive Director, Communications and Marketing