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Current Year
SFU Budget 2026–27
Each year, SFU sets an annual financial and budget plan that outlines our investments for the upcoming fiscal year. This year’s budget reflects SFU’s careful cost management and a continued focus on building a strong future-ready university that supports students, advances research and responds to the rapidly changing world of work.
The budget aligns with What’s Next: The SFU Strategy and the Academic Plan 2025–2030. It was approved by SFU Board of Governors on March 26, 2026.
Responsible financial management
SFU is committed to operating within its means while planning ahead. The university anticipates a balanced operating position for 2026–27, a requirement for public universities in B.C and an important foundation for long-term stability. Supported by multi-year planning, cost controls and regular quarterly financial reviews, these measures will help ensure emerging pressures or opportunities are addressed throughout the year.
As the sector’s financial pressures have increased, SFU has introduced a new, more robust budgeting process. Thanks to work and input from planning groups across the university, that new process has been piloted and improved, and is part of our annual cycle.
This year’s budget also reflects:
- A normalization of investment income to historical average due to the completion of the decarbonization of SFU’s investment portfolio in 2025.
- Increases in several areas related to the launch of the School of Medicine, which are fully covered by a provincial grant. This includes increased technology and equipment investments, activity for external consultants and legal services and more.
- A continued pause on external consultants for new initiatives and legal services, except when the service provided is deemed as essential.
- A pause on the hiring freeze for units whose workforce plan is approved, provided hiring aligns to the approved plan.
- A cumulative accumulated surplus, reflecting funds already spent or committed to specific contracts such as building maintenance and upgrades across SFU’s three campuses, research initiatives spanning several years and donor-directed funds.
- A standard 2% contingency fund, which provides flexibility to address in-year pressures and opportunities within the approved budget framework.
- Continued funding for well-being resources and additional learning and development opportunities to support leaders and teams through the transition period.
Looking Ahead
The Canadian post-secondary landscape continues to evolve, putting pressure on universities to innovate, improve organizational efficiency and diversify revenue streams. SFU is preparing for these challenges and opportunities through the following activities:
- Diversifying revenue through non-credit professional programming and expanded partnerships supporting research and innovation.
- Strengthening international recruitment efforts to rebuild enrolment over time.
- Restructuring units and using new workforce planning tools to align staffing with long-term financial sustainability.
- Implementing major technology and capital upgrades to modernize operating systems, strengthen data infrastructure and improve student services.
- Launching the School of Medicine in August 2026, expanding SFU’s impact on health education and community wellbeing, backed by provincial investment. The School of Medicine is fully funded by a separate provincial grant and does not impact our operating budget.
- Using long-term modeling to anticipate multi-year revenue projections, which will inform decision-making.
A commitment to supporting students
SFU remains committed to delivering an excellent teaching and learning experience. As the costs of operating the university increase, we have worked hard to find savings in other areas to minimize the impact on students, as well as to continue to invest in areas that improve the student experience. The university continues to financial assistance to students who need it most.
For 2026-27, students can expect:
- Domestic fees will increase by 2% for new and returning students.
- International fees will increase by 4% for new and returning students, and up to 6% to reflect existing international differentials.
- Robust financial support to students, with over 840 scholarships, awards, and bursaries available through SFU's financial aid database.
We know that cost increases of any kind can be challenging. Our commitment is to keep changes that affect the academic experience as small as possible while maintaining key operations and infrastructure and continuing to invest in student supports, housing and academic programs.
A balanced budget