On February 23, the Nova Scotia government tabled its 2026-2027 budget with more than $20 million in university funding cuts, including a $3.7-million reduction in graduate scholarships.
Student unions at four universities voted to strike to protest the cuts, heeding a call to action from the Canadian Federation of Students.
During a province-wide strike from March 15 to 21, students demanded a 20% reduction in tuition, increased public funding, the end of differential fees for international and out-of-province students, and institutional divestment from corporations involved in fossil fuels, weapons manufacturing, and activities that violate human rights and Indigenous sovereignty.
The Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT) supported the strike action in a statement and said that rising tuition and student debt, public underfunding, and institutional instability are unsustainable.
With the province confronting a $1.2-billion deficit, the government reduced Nova Scotia Community College’s operating grant by $9.4 million, prompting student and staff protest rallies at the college’s campuses.
According to ANSUT, “a publicly funded system must be structured in a way that does not balance its books on the backs of students — domestic or international.”
