Western University’s Board of Governors approved a balanced budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, focused on academic excellence, research impact, student experience and strategic growth.
Western is projected to end the fiscal year with a balanced budget, one that sets out critical investment of nearly $1 billion, from attracting top research talent to constructing new spaces for impactful research that will serve the university community and Canada.
“Western’s prudent fiscal management and strategic budgeting serve us well. This careful stewardship enables us to invest in our highest priorities and our commitment to academic excellence and research innovation remain at the core of our approach,” said Western President Alan Shepard.
The university’s budget – part of a new two-year planning cycle – is built around the priorities set out in Towards Western at 150, from research impact to teaching excellence to global engagement. To ensure that Western can continue to drive greater impact across Canada and around the world, the university launched its $1-billion All in Campaign, a fundraising and alumni engagement effort, last year.
Academic mission at the core of Western’s 2026-27 budget
Western is allocating a total of $105 million for student financial aid, strengthening support for qualified students facing barriers. More than $47 million will fund undergraduate scholarships and bursaries, an increase of more than four per cent over the 2025-26 budget. An additional $6.35 million in one-time funding is planned for international undergraduate student recruitment awards. Graduate student funding, a planned $50.5 million, is included as part of faculty budgets. “We’re reinforcing the core operations that enable success and long-term impact,” said Florentine Strzelczyk, Western’s provost and vice-president (academic). Investments in the 2026-27 budget include:- $2 million to support 295 Undergraduate Summer Research Internships, a core experiential learning opportunity for undergraduate students.
- $3.4 million to extend the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, attracting global research talent.
- $5 million in IT infrastructure renewal and expansion, a high-priority investment to support rapidly expanding university-wide central infrastructure, from wireless technologies to security to databases and software applications.
- $16 million to acquire a new 7T high-field magnetic resonance imaging scanner (MRI), which produces ultrafine image resolution, is the latest in cutting-edge equipment to enhance Western’s leadership in neuroimaging research ($7 million from the central budget with additional funding from the Vice-President Research portfolio and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry).
- $30 million in one-time funding to grow the Endowed Chairs Matching Program, bringing top researchers to Western and support lasting discoveries and student training.
Construction, modernization in capital plan
As Western’s student body grows and the university attracts top research talent, support is needed for space to study, live and drive innovative solutions to society’s toughest challenges. The 2026-27 capital budget includes the following major academic projects which are underway or in various planning stages:- A new Engineering building
- A new undergraduate student residence on University Drive
- The Pathogen Research Centre
- The Bioconvergence Centre
- A new facility for the Faculty of Health Sciences
