Canadian universities have navigated an era of unprecedented change in the past few decades. The COVID-19 pandemic added a layer of uncertainty to an already tumultuous situation and posed unique challenges to the financial sustainability of universities.
The 2020-2021 FIUC data release provides insight into the implications of the pandemic on university finances in Canada.
Assessing universities’ financial situation is not a simple exercise. Caution must particularly be exercised when assessing the level of surpluses and deficits incurred by institutions.
CAUBO has prepared an analysis that provides context for the data and summarizes the notable differences in the growth rates and trends for spendable and restricted funds. The analysis also acknowledges the uncertainty that university decision-makers faced at the onset of the pandemic. The short analysis is available here for members.
CAUBO’s Financial Dashboard, has been updated with the latest FIUC data release (2020-2021) and allows members to quickly see trends in university income and expenses at the national, provincial, and institution level.