Ontario is investing $79 million to fund 2,861 additional student seats at Ontario Tech University and Durham College.
The new Durham student seats will be in health care, STEM, skilled trades, education and other programs tied to labour-market demand. Seats can become available as early as fall 2026.
Ontario Tech receives 2,523 seats
Ontario Tech’s allocation includes 1,021 STEM seats, 436 health seats, 272 education seats and 794 in other labour-market-driven programs.
University president Steven Murphy said the expansion will increase access to high-demand fields including engineering, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced transportation and health care.
Durham College receives 338 seats
Durham College will receive 151 skilled trades seats, 132 STEM seats and 55 health seats. College president Elaine Popp said the capacity should create opportunities for students while helping employers find skilled workers.
Part of provincewide expansion
The Durham allocation is part of a provincewide $1.7-billion investment intended to support more than 70,000 additional postsecondary seats. Proposals were assessed using capacity, student demand, industry needs and regional labour-market conditions.
The announcement provides funded capacity, not a guarantee that every program will add every seat immediately. Students should check with each institution for program availability and admissions details.
