Provincial budget supports expansion of teacher education at CUE
2025-26 operating budget for CUE approved by Board of Governors
The Government of Alberta has announced it is increasing funding to Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) to support the expansion of the Bachelor of Education After Degree (B.Ed AD) program. CUE will receive an additional $1.2 million in operating funds for the 2025-26 fiscal for the expansion.
“This investment reflects our government’s commitment to strengthening Alberta’s education system by ensuring aspiring teachers receive high-quality training in an innovative, supportive learning environment,” said CUE President and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Tim Loreman.
Starting in Fall 2025, the additional $1.2 million in funding will enable CUE to expand its B.Ed AD program from three to five cohorts, allowing approximately 70 more students to pursue careers in education. With an increasing demand for qualified teachers, this expansion will help address Alberta’s teacher shortage while maintaining our program’s high academic and professional standards.
To support this growth, the funding will contribute to hiring additional full-time faculty members, expanding field experience support, enhancing practicum opportunities, increasing classroom space, and improving student services such as mental health support, career advising, and engagement activities.
“CUE’s B.Ed AD program has a strong reputation for preparing highly skilled educators, and this expansion ensures that even more students can benefit from its rigorous and practical training,” added Dr. Loreman. “By investing in teacher education, we are investing in the future of Alberta’s students, classrooms, and communities.”
Click here for more information on CUE’s Education program.
CUE Operating Budget
Though the additional funding for the B.Ed AD program is welcome news, balancing our operational and capital requirements with the need to be fiscally responsible given the current economic situation in Alberta and across the country is significantly challenging.
As an independent post-secondary institution, the majority of CUE’s revenue comes from student tuition and fees. The second largest source of revenue is from annual Government of Alberta grants. This sets CUE apart from publicly funded post-secondary institutions that often receive higher levels of support from government funding.
With that in mind, the Board of Governors has approved the 2025-2026 operating and capital budgets for CUE.
Not including the B.Ed program expansion, our operations budget for 2025-26 is $46.6 million, up from last year’s $44.6 million budget.
The majority of CUE’s capital budget for 2025-26 ($9 million of the $11.9 million budget) will fund the first year of our two-year student residence project. CUE does not receive any capital funding from the Government of Alberta. Enhancing the student experience at CUE has always been a priority and the new residence, which will be completed by December 2026, is an exciting and much needed project for our university.
While domestic enrolment is projected to grow slightly this next fiscal year, the decision last fall by the federal government to reduce the cap on international student study permits in 2025 by 10% will impact our overall enrolment. We are estimating a 2% decline.
As a result, there will be a modest increase in domestic tuition and fees of 2% while international tuition and fees will increase by 3%. Student residence fees and other revenue from auxiliary services will also be increased by 2%, however parking rates will remain the same.
“Increasing tuition and fees by any amount is always a difficult decision but CUE is confident this will allow us to continue to ensure student success and protect a sustainable future for our university,” said Dr. Loreman.
Click here to learn more about CUE’s budgeting and planning processes.