OCUFA releases 2026 Pre-Budget Submission

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has released its 2026 pre-budget submission, A Made-in-Ontario Economic Solution: Ensuring Universities Continue to Drive Ontario’s Prosperity.

In the submission, OCUFA calls on the government to invest in the public universities that create economic prosperity across the province, help each generation of Ontarians improve their career outcomes, and drive research and development in critical industries.

To ensure that Ontario’s universities can meet Ontario student demand and continue to drive the Ontario economy, OCUFA calls on the government to:

• Commit to reaching the Canadian average in per-domestic student funding within five years, providing a clear and credible pathway to closing Ontario’s longstanding funding gap.
• Ensure that Ontario’s university funding model supports the enrolment growth of academically qualified domestic students so that access to a university education is driven by student readiness and societal need, rather than constrained by outdated funding caps. Current demographics and the high level of demand for an Ontario university education indicate that the caps are no longer appropriate.
• Reverse the decision to convert OSAP grants to loans. We are concerned about affordability for students and families with the recent announcement of up to 85% grants and 15% loans changing to 25% grants and 75% loans.

These recommendations will ensure that Ontario’s universities are able to make an even greater economic contribution the province, supporting the achievement of the government’s economic priorities.

Read the submission here.

To arrange an interview with OCUFA President Rob Kristofferson, please email media@ocufa.on.ca