The University of Saskatchewan received an increase of two per cent to its base operating grant March 20 when the provincial government tabled its annual budget.

The increase matches last year’s grant hike and is almost precisely what the university expected, say university administrators.

The total 2013-14 provincial budget for the Ministry of Advanced Education is set at $787.7 million, up nine per cent from last year. This covers all of the province’s post-secondary institutions, including both the major universities and several Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology campuses.

University Provost and Vice-President Academic Brett Fairbairn says administrators expect an annual uptick of two per cent to the operating grant for the foreseeable future.

The U of S was hit hard last year when the 2012-13 provincial budget revealed only a 2.1 per cent increase when the university had based its budget projects on receiving an additional five per cent.

The unexpectedly small grant increase caught the university off-guard: the previous year, the government had doled out an increase of five per cent.

Despite being the second year in a row that the U of S has received an increase of about two per cent for the provincial operating grant, Fairbairn said it will not affect the university’s budget in the same way last year’s grant increase did.

“We can tell that it’s close to what we projected so it’s not going to make a big difference one way or the other,” he said.

Fairbairn added that every bit of funding for the university is beneficial, especially considering the funding cuts that other institutions in Canada are facing.

“When you look across the country, this is pretty good. It’s a tight time for higher education but [there is] pretty good support in Saskatchewan.”

An email sent out to the U of S community on March 20 by university administration said that the increase in total funding — operating, capital and targeted funding — is $35.8 million more than the previous year’s total funds.

Post-secondary capital projects across the province will receive $25.5 million during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The health sciences facility at the U of S will receive an additional $4 million to continue construction during 2013-14. That $4 million is part of the $16 million allocated for the health sciences’ operating and capital costs.

Research facilities across the province will split a total $17.3 million. Targeted funding has been granted for the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, the Canadian Light Source, VIDO-InterVac, the Global Institute for Food Security and other initiatives.

The provincial government will continue funding student aid, the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship, and the Graduate Retention Program.

Opposition critic Trent Wotherspoon said the Saskatchewan Party’s 2013-14 budget has failed students by not providing universities with the funding needed to cover operating costs.

“It is very troubling to see the treatment of education at prosperous times [when] we see cuts within programs where we see skyrocketing tuition,” Wotherspoon said.

Wotherspoon also criticized the budget for its lack of support for affordable housing and childcare, two pressing issues for students.

A financial town hall will be held June 13 in Convocation Hall where the provincial operating grant, capital funding and targeted funding will be reviewed.

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Graphic: Cody Schumacher