Reposted from the BC Federation of Students – Feb 17, 2026
BC Budget Overlooks Post-Secondary Crisis
BC Budget 2026 Fails Students and will Deepen the Post-Secondary Crisis
Budget 2026 is out, and once again, students are left wondering how much worse things need to get before the provincial government acts. Amid escalating financial crises across BC campuses, the 2026 Budget continues to withhold urgently needed investment in post-secondary education. Despite years of advocacy, students’ calls for increased funding for BC’s public post-secondary institutions remain unanswered, intensifying the strain on a sector already stretched beyond its limits.
Holding the Line Isn’t Enough
While Budget 2026 maintains current funding levels for post-secondary education, it does not come close to addressing decades of underfunding. At the same time, the province has set aside a $5 billion contingency fund that is not earmarked to stabilise institutions or respond to the financial fallout caused by the federal government’s reduction in international student permits. The government may be focused on reducing the deficit, but ignoring the crisis in post-secondary education will only make BC’s challenges more expensive and harder to fix in the years ahead.
“Education is a vital public service. By not increasing operating grants to institutions, the government is consciously allowing the continued erosion of BC’s post-secondary system,” said Debi Herrera Lira, Chairperson of the BC Federation of Students. “Students are already feeling the consequences. Fewer courses and programs mean longer times to graduate, higher costs, and fewer opportunities. The government is not only jeopardising students’ futures but also putting the province’s workforce readiness at serious risk.”
