Strong Support for Students in 2016-17 Provincial Budget
Province Maintains Post-secondary Investments to Keep Saskatchewan Strong
The 2016-17 Budget will maintain strong investment in our province’s post-secondary students.
“Saskatchewan’s most precious resource is its people,” Advanced Education Minister Scott Moe said. “We will continue to support post-secondary students despite financial challenges.”
Over the past nine years, the province has invested more than $7.3 billion in post-secondary institutions and student supports.
Operating grants to the province’s post-secondary institutions this year are virtually unchanged. Saskatchewan post-secondary schools continue to receive strong support, including:
- $475 million for the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina and their affiliated and federated colleges;
- $156 million for Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and Gabriel Dumont Institute; and
- $29 million for Saskatchewan’s regional colleges.
The government’s strong commitment to students is also reflected in a range of programs aimed at helping them save and pay for school. Advanced Education’s Budget provides more than $53 million in direct support to students, including:
- $32.5 million for the Student Aid Fund to provide student grants, bursaries, and loans;
- $14.3 million for scholarships, including the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship; and
- $6.5 million for the Saskatchewan Advantage Grant for Education Savings.
“In addition, post-secondary grads will continue to get all of their tuition costs back up to $20,000 through the Graduate Retention Program if they stay and work in Saskatchewan after graduation,” Moe said.
This Budget provides nearly $26 million in capital for advanced education and training, with an estimated $170 million to be provided to this sector over the next four years. This year, the province will continue to provide $23.6 million to post-secondary schools for preventative maintenance and renewal. The budget also contains $2.2 million in capital funding to complete the Southeast Regional College campus in Weyburn.