Algonquin College is recommending suspending nearly 40 of its academic programs by next September in order to deal with what it calls “unprecedented financial challenges.”
In a message to staff sent out on Tuesday, Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé says that the entire education sector is facing the challenges, in part, “because of a prolonged and ongoing provincial government tuition freeze, chronic underfunding, and recent federal government immigration policy changes that negatively impact international enrolments.”
He says that “immediate and substantial action” is needed to address this “perilous fiscal situation” and, without intervention, he says the college will incur a budget deficit, on a cash flow basis, of at least $60 million in 2025-2026, rising to $93 million by 2026-2027.
The college will be recommending the suspension of 37 academic programs, effective Fall 2025 to the Board of Governors at its meeting later this month.
Brule adds that while layoffs are unavoidable, they are committed to mitigating their impact through staged resource adjustments.
In early January, the college announced it plans to close its campus in Perth in 2026 as it faces a multi-million dollar deficit.
