Ontario is investing $750 million to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at colleges and universities across the province, creating as many as 20,500 new enrolment spaces per year.
The new funding comes as applications from Ontario students to STEM undergraduate programs at Ontario universities increased by 34% from 2020 to 2024, according to provincial data. STEM programs have been producing some 70,000 graduates a year.
Publicly assisted colleges and universities recently finalized their 2025-2030 operating funding agreements with the province and gained access to the STEM funding immediately upon signing.
“This essential investment will help address the growing demand for university STEM spaces, building the highly skilled workforce Ontario needs in critical sectors like advanced manufacturing, AI, and life sciences,” announced Council of Ontario Universities CEO Steve Orsini in a statement. “It comes at a pivotal moment when Ontario urgently needs to boost its productivity and economic competitiveness.”
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
The latest environmental engineering news direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Over the next year, Ontario is suspending funding recoveries for institutions, particularly colleges, that have fallen below their enrolment floor, ensuring that affected institutions can use the more than $17 million in waived recoveries to support enrolment in STEM programs.
Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, said the STEM funding is designed to protect Ontario by “building a more resilient economy that can withstand whatever comes our way, including tariffs and economic uncertainty from the U.S.”
The provincial government previously increased funding by $1.3 billion over three years to help address financial pressures for colleges and universities.
