Emphasizing stability and strategic growth

Focused on measured growth, financial sustainability while navigating inflationary pressures, and a holistic and transformative student experience, on March 26 Mount Royal University’s Board of Governors officially approved the 2026/27 consolidated budget. The financial blueprint prioritizes a "student-first" academic mission while ensuring long-term sustainability.

The budget follows the provincial announcement of Feb. 27, which saw the Government of Alberta provide MRU with a base operating grant increase of  2.5 per cent. While the boost helps mitigate rising operational costs, university leadership characterized the budget as a "careful growth" plan designed to protect the institution’s core mission in an uncertain economic environment.

At the heart of the 2026/27 fiscal plan is alignment with MRU’s University Strategic Plan Vision 2030: Opening Minds and Changing Lives,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Tim Rahilly. “The budget intersects so importantly with the strategic plan, and is integral to who we are.”

The University is directing resources toward integrated priorities outlined in the plan, including academic program delivery, indigenization, community engagement, making MRU an employer of choice, and a growing research footprint.

"Our financial realities inform our decision-making, but our academic mission drives it," said MRU Provost and VP-Academic Dr. Chad London, noting that strategic investments are being funneled into teaching excellence and student supports.

“In terms of research and scholarship, we continue to increase supports and our outcomes, with more student research opportunities than ever before and more paid research assistants than ever before and more external grants than ever before. We are investing and putting supports in place for researchers and students to advance knowledge for the betterment of the broader community,” London noted.

“With employee well-being and engagement we are emphasizing workplace wellness and employee recognition to ensure people thrive as part  of the MRU team.”

Mount Royal’s Budget structural drivers on the revenue side include:

• Government grants: 39 per cent of total revenues
• Tuition and fees: 43 per cent
• Other revenues: 18 per cent (ancillary operations, investment income and donations).

Expenses include:

• Salaries and benefits: 69 per cent of total expenses
• Non-compensation expenses: 31 per cent

While many Canadian post-secondary institutions are grappling with significant deficits due to federal caps on international study permits, Mount Royal is weathering the storm due to a responsible and sustainable approach to international recruitment in past years.

MRU, like other universities in the province, operates under a required balanced budget with domestic tuition increases capped at two per cent for fiscal 2026/27.

Beyond the base grant, the budget highlights a continued trend toward "targeted" funding from the provincial government, noted Vice-President Finance and Administration Michael Lam. In addition to base operating funding, the University continues to see support through:

• Capital and maintenance renewal funding: Increasing by 5 per cent compared to prior year
• Targeted Enrollment Expansion (TEE) funding: Continuing, with opportunity for future new TEE funding
• Students with Disabilities funding: Continuing
• Health Workforce Action Plan (HWAP) funding: Continuing
• Mental-health support funding: Continuing

The University is also on track to meet its 2025/26 Investment Management Agreement targets.

“As the university moves into the new fiscal year, the focus remains on long-term financial sustainability and accountability to the campus community,” Lam said.

The University’s budget report to the community will provide an overview of the budget development process and the resulting approved budget, including revenues and expenses. That report will be posted to MyMRU when completed.

More information on the budget cycle and budget development process at MRU is available online.