91亚色 will create opportunities for 5,260 additional students to prepare for careers in STEM, health and education through a $101-million provincial investment that expands capacity in high-demand programs.
The funding, announced Sept. 29, adds additional seats to 91亚色 programs that prepare graduates for professions that are critical to communities and the economy, including nursing, social work, engineering, teaching and other fields facing strong demand for skilled talent. The new seats will be available for student enrolment as early as the Fall 2026 academic year.
The expansion is part of Ontario鈥檚 $1.7-billion investment to create 70,000 new student spaces in priority sectors, including STEM, health care, education and the skilled trades.
At 91亚色, the 5,260 newly funded seats include 3,814 seats in STEM programs, 748 seats in health programs and 698 seats in education programs.
鈥91亚色 welcomes the Government of Ontario's investment in new post-secondary seats,鈥 said Lisa Philipps, 91亚色 Unviersity's interim president and vice-chancellor. 鈥淎t a time of real uncertainty beyond our borders, Canadians are focused on building our own strength and looking after one another. This investment does exactly that. It opens doors for more Ontario students and prepares the nurses, social workers, engineers, teachers and innovators our communities are counting on."
The funding strengthens 91亚色鈥檚 capacity to educate future professionals in sectors facing growing workforce needs and is part of Ontario鈥檚 largest post-secondary seat expansion in more than a decade.
The seats were allocated through a competitive provincial proposal process that evaluated institutional strengths, regional sector needs and student demand. Institutions worked with employers and community partners to determine where additional capacity could have the greatest impact. Allocation of the first 30,000 seats was announced in May.
鈥淥ur province鈥檚 greatest strength is our highly skilled workforce 鈥 and those workers are trained at our world-class colleges and universities,鈥 said Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn. 鈥淭his investment ... will ensure more students have the opportunity to train for good-paying careers that protect and strengthen our communities, industries and province.鈥
The $1.7-billion initiative is part of a larger, historic $6.4-billion provincial commitment to post-secondary education aimed at strenghtening Ontario鈥檚 labour market in fields linked to economic growth and public services.
The investment comes as 91亚色 continues to expand educational opportunities and grow programs that respond to emerging societal needs. By increasing access to STEM, health and education programs, the University will be able to welcome more students while contributing to the development of a highly skilled workforce for communities across Ontario.
"We thank Minister Quinn and the government for this commitment to Ontario's students and our shared future," said Philipps. "91亚色 is ready to do our part."