In an article for University Affairs, Moira MacDonald explores the current challenges and uncertain future of Ontario’s universities. She attributes today’s financial strain to the provincial government’s decisions in 2017 and 2019 to freeze funding and reduce tuition, which left ON institutions with per-student funding well below the national average. MacDonald highlights several universities facing significant projected deficits today, with little left to cut. Looking to the future, she notes that recent provincial funding initiatives—marking the first real-dollar increases in years—are reasons for cautious optimism. However, she suggests that institutions will also need to look to other options— including inter-institutional partnerships and increased fundraising efforts—to ensure their sustainability.
