Ontario government says Northern College in Timmins will receive $10.7 million under new funding model

The Ontario government says it will provide $10.7 million to Northern College in Timmins under a new postsecondary funding model announced Sept. 25, 2026.

The funding is part of the province’s new postsecondary funding model, which the government says will raise operating grants and add seats starting in fall 2026.

In its announcement, the province said the model includes $6.4 billion in new funding for universities, colleges and Indigenous Institutes across Ontario.

Under the model, operating funding for the postsecondary sector is set to increase 30 per cent to $7 billion in fall 2026. The model also includes specialized funding for small, rural, northern and French-language institutions.

The plan also includes $1.7 billion to fund 70,000 new seats in what the province calls “in-demand” fields, including health care, skilled trades, teaching, and science, technology, engineering and math. The province says a call for proposals will launch this spring, with seats opening in fall 2026.

Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, said the changes are intended to train a “highly skilled workforce.”

In a statement included in the release, Northern College president and CEO Mitch Dumas said the funding would mean “increased government support” and described it as “an important investment in Northern College and northeastern Ontario.”

The province said it has provided more than $2 billion in additional funding for colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes since 2024, in addition to $5 billion a year in ongoing sector funding.

Base per-student funding is set to rise by 6 per cent for full-time students and 30 per cent for part-time college students under the model.

The province says it will reduce more than 400 transfer-payment agreements to 45 five-year Strategic Mandate Agreements with colleges and universities.