University of Regina raises tuition and cuts staff amidst budgetary challenges

Sarah Onyango · CBC News

· Posted: May 02, 2025 6:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

Students astatine the University of Regina volition beryllium paying much for tuition successful the 2025-26 world year. 

The university's committee of governors has approved the 2025–26 operating budget, which includes fund reductions of astir 2 per cent.

"Given the fiscal situation, cost-saving measures volition beryllium implemented crossed the University successful alignment with our halfway ngo of teaching and learning, research, assemblage transportation and pupil support,"  the assemblage said successful a quality merchandise Wednesday.

Those measures see a 4 per cent tuition summation for caller and returning students, arsenic good arsenic occupation losses. So far, the assemblage has confirmed 5 layoffs.

In its release, the assemblage cited several factors down the fiscal pressures: a driblet successful planetary students, level home enrolments and tensions from the United States.

"Along with ongoing fiscal pressures related to inflation, universities are encountering challenging fiscal times," Wednesday's release said.

Jeff Keshen, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina, confirmed that the assemblage has had a 59 per cent driblet successful caller planetary pupil enrolment for the 2025 wintertime semester. 

"That's chiefly owed to what's been a existent glacial gait of processing by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)," Keshen said. "So that has resulted successful millions of dollars successful mislaid gross for our institution, and colleges and universities crossed Canada." 

Recent IRCC changes see a simplification successful the fig of survey permits issued successful Canada. Keshen said this has created apprehension among prospective planetary students, who fearfulness being rejected by Canadian immigration.

"The occupation is that those students are nary longer applying successful those aforesaid numbers due to the fact that Canada's estimation overseas has been truthful sullied due to the fact that of each these regularisation changes, and due to the fact that the students cognize that there's been specified delays successful processing and specified precocious rejection rates," Keshen said.

A counry-wide challenge

Keshen noted that different institutions crossed the state are experiencing akin drops successful planetary enrolment.

"I volition accidental that our 59 per cent driblet is not retired of enactment with what different institutions person experienced," helium said.

He added that the assemblage had a multi-year backing statement with the provincial government, an statement galore different post-secondary institutions bash not have.

"We were thankful due to the fact that a batch of places, they're either freezing it wholly oregon they're cutting it," helium said.

That backing statement expired past year, but was extended for 1 further year. Keshen said it's unclear whether the state volition proceed supporting it amid ongoing economical uncertainty.

The assemblage says it does not instrumentality tuition increases lightly and volition proceed efforts to pull planetary students to Regina.

Keshen echoed that sentiment, encouraging students successful request of fiscal enactment to interaction Student Affairs.

"We don't privation to spot [students] fall disconnected and not beryllium capable to implicit their studies due to the fact that of fiscal strains."