Ontario colleges, universities and business groups urge boost in post-secondary funding

Allison Jones · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 2:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Three large organizations representing Ontario's colleges, universities and concern assemblage are urging the state to boost concern successful the post-secondary sector, saying the economical menace from the United States underscores the need.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Ontario released an unfastened missive Thursday to Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, some of whom were re-appointed Wednesday to those furniture positions.

The groups are calling for accrued operating backing and wealth to grow enrolment, arsenic good arsenic enhanced probe backing and stronger partnerships betwixt government, manufacture and academia.

U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed and threatened assorted rounds of tariffs connected Canadian products and has spoken astir wanting companies to determination manufacturing, specified arsenic successful the car sector, from Canada into the United States.

The groups constitute successful the missive that supporting endowment development, upskilling and re-skilling are much important than ever, fixed the imaginable looming economical disruption and the request for Ontario to go much competitory and self-reliant.

Ontario's colleges and universities person been progressively struggling with finances successful the look of debased provincial funding, frozen tuition fees and national cuts to planetary pupil permits, and accidental an further $1.3 cardinal successful backing implicit 3 years announced past twelvemonth by the state does not travel adjacent to sustaining the sector.