Portage College says there are negatives and positives for the school when it comes to the new provincial budget.
The college has sent out a release, saying the recent fiscal plan handed down by the UCP government will mean a loss of $904,000 in Campus Alberta Grant funding for 2021-2022.
The schools’ President and CEO Nancy Broadbent says she is confident her institution will be able to weather the storm and remain a key economic driver for Northeastern Alberta.
“Our students, faculty, staff, and managers are resilient,” said Broadbent. “We have faced challenging times before and have come through even better in many cases. I am confident we will do so again.”
The school says this reduction marks the third year in a row that its’ operating budget has been cut.
The school says some positive results from the new provincial plan include funding for mental health and students with disabilities being maintained and the Apprenticeship Technical Training Grant being given a 3.2 percent boost for the next school year.
“We look forward to increased flexibility in the programming regulations and continued support of our employer partners to increase the opportunities for journeymen in our region,” said Broadbent.
The UCP government says it is projecting a deficit of $18.2 billion dollars for 2021-2022.