As Ontario navigates rapid economic shifts and challenges, our 2026 pre-budget report, Protecting and Growing Ontario’s Future through Talent and Innovation, highlights how strong universities build a strong Ontario by preparing the workforce employers urgently need, driving innovation across strategic sectors, and anchoring communities across the province. Every year, more than 135,000 graduates leave Ontario universities equipped with the skills, ideas, and resilience – the careers, entrepreneurial spirit and job creation that power Ontario’s economy. At the same time, billions of dollars in university research are building the technologies, companies and industries of tomorrow.
But to continue fulfilling this role, Ontario’s universities need a sustainable foundation. To ensure the financial sustainability of Ontario’s universities, in addition to emphasizing additional efficiencies and cost-saving measures, we recommend that the provincial government:
Increase base operating funding by $1.2 billion starting in 2026/27 growing to $1.6 billion by 2028-29 to enroll more Ontario students and drive innovation and economic growth.
Now is the time to invest in the growth of what Ontario’s economy needs – university talent, research and innovation.
