February 24, 2026

Statistics Canada has released the 2025 results of its survey of approaches to educational planning, which examines how parents and guardians financially prepare for their children’s postsecondary education. The survey found that 71% of parents and guardians were saving for their children’s education. Parents with higher ed experience and/or who had a higher household income more commonly reported savings than their counterparts. Parents who were saving typically were doing so through a registered education savings plan (89%), in-trust accounts (28%), and/or tax-free savings accounts (28%). Aside from educational savings, parents commonly said that they would help their children pay for PSE when they began their studies (64%) and/or shared that they would offer free room and board (59%).

The Government of Alberta has announced that it is providing the Recovery on Campus Alberta program with $3M to help all 26 publicly funded AB postsecondary institutions embed addiction recovery into the postsecondary experience. The funds will be used to offer individual and group supports, collaborate across campuses, offer scholarships, and more. The University of Calgary, which leads the program, announced that it will also launch its Recovering in Place Lab to advance research and approaches to support addiction recovery in postsecondary communities. “Students can’t succeed academically if they’re struggling alone. Recovery on Campus Alberta ensures that recovery supports are visible, accessible and integrated into campus life,” said AB Minister of Advanced Education Myles McDougall.

The Government of Prince Edward Island has announced new financial incentives for students interested in studying French as a second language at the University of Prince Edward Island. Students considering the UPEI Bachelor of Education, Français langue seconde program will be offered a $2K tuition credit, with an additional $3K signing bonus available to those who stay after graduation to teach through the province’s public school boards. PEI Minister of Education and Early Years Robin Croucher shared that recruiting teachers for French education has proven a challenge, but that he is optimistic about the impact of these incentives.

Royal Roads University and Sooke School District 62 have signed an MOU to develop dual credit opportunities for local high school students. Students entering grade 11 or 12 in 2026/27 can choose dual credit courses from several undergraduate certificate programs at Royal Roads, including those in the areas of environmental sciences, business and sustainability, and the social sciences. Courses will primarily be hosted at the RRU Langford John Horgan Campus, which Sooke School District Board Chair Amanda Dowhy explained means that students will be “surrounded by teams of educators who know them and are committed to supporting their success as they take meaningful steps toward their goals.” 

Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the University of Regina, and the University of Saskatchewan joined Government of Saskatchewan Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff for a mission to the Philippines and Thailand. The mission is focused on advancing SK’s education, research, and labour market goals by creating new partnership opportunities, deepening relationships, and strengthening SK’s reputation. Sask Polytech, URegina, and USask will sign several MOUs that strengthen Saskatchewan’s International Education Strategy by fostering international collaboration and knowledge-sharing and creating exchange programs for SK students, faculty, and researchers.

Brock University has released its first Strategic Enrolment Management Strategy, which maps the university’s plan for 2025-2030. The strategy outlines the university’s current enrolment situation and barriers, as well as its four priorities for the future: aligning programming with demand, building the university’s brand, supporting retention, and building a sustainable and resilient international student strategy. The strategy lists the tactics that the university will use to accomplish each of these priorities, and offers a summary of what success will look like. “This five-year strategy is about reimagining Brock for tomorrow while meeting the needs and expectations of our students and restoring our competitive edge in a highly competitive sector,” said Brock Provost and VP Academic Arja Vainio-Mattila.

Athabasca University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has launched a Bachelor of Environmental Studies program. This fully online, interdisciplinary program combines liberal arts and science with real-world experience. Students can choose from courses in a variety of disciplines to create a unique program plan, and will create an e-Portfolio, participate in student forums, and complete a capstone project during their studies. “[I]t covers a broader range of interdisciplinarity—it’s business, health, social sciences, humanities, fine arts, and science,” said AU Associate Professor Dr Lorelei Hanson. “We need champions to help people think about all these converging issues and imagine something different, something better.”

In a new Nature article, Amber Dance discusses how librarians can support scientists with literature searches and data management. Dance explains that librarians can help academic scientists search relevant databases, ensure they meet open-science requirements, and sift through AI-generated search results or code. Additionally, libraries often have subscriptions to services that support data management and organization, as well as archives of unpublished information, which can provide researchers with additional information. “People shouldn’t be shy about reaching out to get help or seeing what’s available” from their institution’s librarians, commented Carnegie Mellon University librarian Melanie Gainey. “We really focus on being a welcoming space.”

The University of Calgary is closing its Department of Classics and Religion (CLARE) at the start of July and moving its programs to other departments. Classics faculty members and programs will move to the Department of History, while Religious Studies faculty members and programs will move to the Department of Philosophy. Students will be taught by the same instructors, take part in the same courses, and complete the same degree that they enrolled in. UCalgary said that the decision was a part of the university’s Faculty of Arts Renewal, which was designed to “modernize academic structures and better align programs with disciplinary strengths.”

Collège Montmorency has announced that it is taking several steps to increase its capacity from 9,350 students to 10,000 students for the 2026 academic year. The cégep has experienced sustained growth, to the point that it has had to turn away students due to a lack of space. To enable growth in the future, it has taken on a variety of infrastructure projects over the last year, including inaugurating a new modular pavilion, renovating existing learning spaces, and expanding its sports facilities. It has also announced its intent to hire new staff and faculty in the coming weeks to ensure it can accommodate the increase in students.