UBC planning a balanced operating budget for 2025/26

UBC is projecting a balanced financial position as part of its 2025/26 budget proposal, presented last week to the Board of Governors’ Finance Committee.

The proposal reflects the university’s commitment to advancing the academic mission and sustaining our financial resilience, while also acknowledging the challenging and evolving landscape that has affected all Canadian post-secondary institutions.

While the impacts of government policy changes, growing geopolitical uncertainties, and heightened competition in the sector are not yet fully clear, the budget conservatively projects a modest decrease in international student enrolment for 2025/26. UBC is actively mitigating this risk through a variety of strategies, including enhanced recruitment efforts and the optimization of student yield.

At the same time, broader economic uncertainties continue to shape UBC’s financial outlook. Factors such as rising operational costs, foreign policy impacts, and trade uncertainties pose challenges that will continue to evolve. In response, there has been a concerted effort across both campuses to reassess our operations, programs, and offerings to optimize our resources and reduce our expenses.

While the proposed balanced operating position for 2025/26 means that revenues are expected to cover expenses at an institutional level, the budget recognizes that financial pressures are not evenly distributed across the university. UBC’s two campuses, Faculties, and units are navigating a range of rising costs and funding constraints, leading to increasing budget pressure that requires prudent decision-making. All are actively managing their finances and focused on long-term planning that enables financial sustainability.

The production of UBC’s budget is one of the university’s most important administrative exercises, and we deeply appreciate the collaboration from hundreds of individuals across both campuses throughout this process. We would like to thank the community for every effort taken to identify recurring savings and revenue opportunities that will support our collective goal of long-term financial sustainability for UBC.

The budget proposal, which will be considered by the full Board of Governors on March 28, can be accessed on the Board website.

Gage Averill
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver

Lesley Cormack
Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, UBC Okanagan

Frank Laezza
Vice-President, Finance & Operations