The Meadow Lake campus of North West College (NWC), shown above, and the North Battleford campus, shown below. (NWC/website)

By meadowlakeNOW Staff

EDUCATION

What Sask.’s $250M post-secondary funding deal means for North West College

Nov 5, 2025 | 3:44 PM

Saskatchewan’s new four-year post-secondary funding agreement will boost operating budgets and cap tuition increases at three per cent a year — a move North West College (NWC) says will help keep education within reach for students in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake.

The province announced Monday it will invest an additional $250 million over four years in publicly funded post-secondary schools. The deal provides a three per cent increase in operating grants each year from 2026 to 2030, on top of a one-per-cent rise already in place for 2025-26.

Under the agreement, publicly funded post-secondary schools will be limited to tuition increases of zero to three per cent annually, a reduction from the previous four-per-cent cap. The deal begins April 1, 2026 and runs through March 31, 2030, with the one-per-cent grant increase already in place for 2025-26 becoming permanent.

Dr. Eli Ahlquist, president and CEO of NWC, said while the exact amount the school will receive isn’t yet known, the new funding is “a significant demonstration of the confidence the province has in the post-secondary sector.”

He called the investment timely given rising costs and economic uncertainty. It’s “certainly a very welcome thing,” he said.

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The agreement targets day-to-day operations, giving colleges flexibility to strengthen staffing, programs and student services. Ahlquist said the goal is to allow institutions “to invest in themselves” and decide where those dollars can make the biggest impact.

Some of that support, he added, could go toward academic help for students who need it most.

“We’ve seen increases in students with different types of learning disabilities or requiring additional tutoring,” he said, noting the extra funding lets colleges address those needs “in a strategic way to reduce attrition and grow our enrolments.”

The province says the tuition cap will help keep education affordable while giving colleges predictable funding. Ahlquist agreed the deal benefits both sides, calling it a clear sign the government wants to maintain accessibility.

The commitment, he said, “definitely brings stability to the students in terms of what they can expect to pay.”

He said the multi-year structure will help institutions plan with confidence.

“Every year at budget, it’s always a bit nerve-wracking and then exciting as you wait to see how things are allocated. This commitment really stabilizes things so that we can plan strategically.”

While NWC isn’t facing layoffs, Ahlquist said the steady funding helps guard against future pressures.

“In today’s economic reality, it’s a very critical piece that we can have that stability in planning and forecast things out, so that we can invest in ourselves, which is an investment in the high-quality education that we’re delivering.”

“It’s a truly remarkable investment to see that happen on a multi-year platform, not just year to year.”

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com