Tuition frozen, grants up in new two-year funding deals for Nova Scotia universities – Halifax [Video]

Nova Scotia’s 10 universities have signed new two-year funding agreements with the provincial government that include an undergraduate tuition freeze and an increase in operating grants.

Announced Friday, the deals provide universities with a two per cent increase in their operating grants in each of the next two years, although a portion will be held back until universities hit specific performance targets.

The total operational funding increase to the 10 universities is $7.7 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year and $7.8 million for 2026-27. The funding agreements replace one-year deals with universities that expired on March 31.

In a news release, Advanced Education Minister Brendan Maguire said the intent is to get universities “to thrive.”

“Through these longer-term agreements, we are providing more financial predictability for universities to help ensure that they are financially sustainable now and in the future,” Maguire said.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the department said the …