Dalhousie Budget Planning
Up-to-date information about university operating budget planning
Latest news
January 23, 2023
The Dalhousie Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) has released its draft Operating Budget Plan for 2023-24, including tuition and fee recommendations.
- Read the full budget plan recommendations: Dalhousie Draft Operating Budget Plan 2023-24 [PDF] (Summary of tuition and fees can be found in Appendix D)
This plan also incorporates the new model for international tuition, which applies to new undergraduate students starting Fall 2023 and beyond and was approved by the Board in the fall.
The Dalhousie community is invited to provide feedback on this draft Operating Budget Plan, as well as tuition and auxiliary fee increases. Students, faculty and staff should check their dal.ca email or review the memo below.
The Board of Governors is scheduled to review and approve the final Operating Budget Plan at its March meeting.
Dal's operating budget at a glance
The operating budget funds the day-to-day operations of the university, accounting for the majority (70%) of the university’s financial activity. The draft operating budget plan for this upcoming fiscal year (2023-24) balances revenues and expenditures at $557.8 million.
Where the money comes from
- Nearly 90% of the budget's operating revenue comes from two sources:
- Tuition fees, set by the university's Board of Governors: 47.3%
- Provincial operating grant, set by the provincial government: 41.4%
- The remaining 11.3% comes from other various smaller sources, most notably endowment revenue.
Source: Draft 2023-24 Operating Budget
Where the money goes
- Most of the operating budget (74.6%) is allocated to Faculties and units to deliver on priorities in support of the university's mission and to carry out their day-to-day work.
- The vast majority of Faculty and unit spending (93%) is on compensation for faculty and staff (salaries, benefits and pension payments). Faculty and staff compensation makes up nearly 70% of overall university operating expenses.
- Dalhousie allocates resources similar to its U15 comparators (Canada’s group of leading research‐intensive universities). Dalhousie spends 63.1% of its operating budget in academic areas (Faculties, including Graduate Studies and Continuing Education), compared to the U15 average of 59.4%.