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Our financial foundation
UBC Okanagan operates under a clear financial mandate: as a public institution, UBC must approve a balanced consolidated budget every year. This requirement ensures responsible stewardship of public resources and long-term sustainability for our campus.
Since our establishment in 2005, we’ve grown from 3,500 students to a vibrant community of nearly 12,000 in 2024, while maintaining our commitment to sound financial management throughout this significant period of growth. These principles guide our budget planning process throughout each cycle.
How is the campus funded?
The majority of UBCO’s operating budget comes from two main sources: provincial government grants and student tuition. The provincial grant provides approximately $112 million annually, while tuition from both domestic and international students contributes about $128 million.
Together, these sources account for 92% of our operating budget.
While we also receive other types of funding, such as research grants, donations, and endowments, it’s important to understand that these funds come with specific restrictions. These restricted funds must be used for their designated purposes and cannot be redirected to general operations, even during challenging financial times.
How are resources invested?
The largest portion of UBCO’s operating budget—approximately 75%—goes toward salaries and benefits for the faculty and staff who make the campus run. These are the people who teach our students, conduct research, maintain our facilities, and provide essential services across campus.
The remaining funds support a wide range of operational needs. These include general operating expenses such as utilities, core IT systems, maintaining and upgrading our facilities, providing student services, purchasing educational supplies and equipment, and ensuring campus continues to evolve and grow.
We also dedicate significant operating budget resources to student financial aid through scholarships, fellowships, and bursaries.
Where do tuition dollars go?
When students pay tuition, their investment supports multiple aspects of their educational experience. The majority goes directly to faculty and academic programs, ensuring high-quality teaching and learning opportunities.
Another portion supports essential student services and campus operations.
We also reinvest a significant portion of tuition back into student support through financial aid. Additionally, international student tuition helps fund our Excellence Fund, which supports strategic investments in faculty recruitment, research initiatives, and enhanced learning experiences.
How are budget decisions made?
Budget decisions reflect a careful balance of many priorities. Many factors are considered, including academic needs, student support requirements, infrastructure maintenance and development, research support and strategic initiatives.
These decisions involve extensive consultation with the campus community to ensure the university is making the best use of limited resources while maintaining the high standards expected of a globally top-ranked university.
While the University must prepare an annual budget for approval, the campus develops forecasts for future years based on the best available information to help ensure that current decision making also considers the longer-term financial implications.
Why can’t the university move money from one area to another?
Many of our revenue sources come with legal restrictions on how they can be used. For example, research grants must be used for specific research projects, and donated funds must be used according to donor specifications.
What about emergency funds?
While we do maintain contingency funds for unexpected situations, these must be carefully managed to ensure long-term campus sustainability. Our commitment to balanced budgets means we must plan carefully for both immediate needs and future challenges.
Want to learn more?
UBCO is committed to transparency around its financial planning and management. For those interested in learning more about UBC’s budget process and current financial information, detailed resources are available through the following links:
UBC’s Budget Process Annual Budget Reports