Thompson Rivers University (TRU) shared an update on its financial position and next steps toward long-term stability at a university-wide budget town hall Tuesday, outlining progress to date and the work ahead to restore financial strength by 2027/28.

Like most post-secondary institutions across Canada, TRU has faced sustained financial pressure since early 2024, driven by a sharp decline in international enrolment and rising compensation costs and inflation. Since fall 2024, the university has implemented nearly $30 million in permanent budget reductions.

At the same time, domestic enrolment has reached its highest level in a decade, providing an important foundation for future growth.

“The bold ambition is to turn the university’s unprecedented financial challenges into a strategic transformation, positioning Thompson Rivers University for success for decades to come,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Airini.

Budget measures already taken in 2025/26 have stabilized the university’s financial position. Looking ahead to 2026/27, TRU is seeking an additional $18 to $21 million in reductions to fully balance the budget.

Just over $5 million has already been secured through operational changes, including reductions to discretionary travel, external services, and other non-essential costs. Further work is underway to find efficiencies, manage vacancies carefully, and align academic planning with demand.

“Our goal in the next 18 to 20 months is to live within our means and make strategic investments to help grow our means from 2028 onward,” said Airini. “We are making progress on knocking back the projected deficit. The key moving forward is cost avoidance plus revenue generation. I am convinced we will recover our financial strength by 2027/28.”

Matt Milovick, TRU’s vice-president of administration and finance, said the past year has required sustained, institution-wide action to address the structural deficit.

Since fall 2024, the university has implemented across-the-board operational budget reductions and has cut approximately 193 full-time equivalent positions through a combination of early retirement incentive programs, staffing complement adjustments, and the elimination of vacant positions. The changes affected all employee groups and every faculty and administrative portfolio.

“These were not one-off measures or isolated cuts,” said Milovick. “This was a deliberate, institution-wide effort to reset our cost base to match our enrolment reality and put TRU back on a path to financial strength.”

Milovick emphasized that a significant portion of the reductions were achieved through voluntary measures, including early retirement programs and careful reviews of vacancies and non-essential positions. He noted that TRU is now operating closer to staffing levels last seen in 2017/18, adjusted for current enrolment patterns.

“For 2025/26, the actions already taken have stabilized our position,” he said. “Looking ahead to 2026/27, the remaining work is difficult but very achievable. We’ve already secured more than $5 million through operational changes, and we have a clear line of sight on how the remaining gap can be closed through cost avoidance, vacancy management, and targeted efficiencies rather than blunt cuts.”

Milovick added that the university’s approach has been guided by the goal of protecting academic quality and student experience while avoiding deeper disruption in future years.

“If we do this work now, we reduce the risk of having to do more drastic things later,” he said. “This is about making the hard choices in a disciplined way so that TRU can live within its means, rebuild operating reserves, and reinvest carefully as revenues recover.”

TRU Interim Provost Shannon Wagner emphasized that the university remains focused on its academic mission and student experience. The institution continues to welcome students from all backgrounds and across modes of delivery, supported by strengths in law, applied and responsible artificial intelligence, environmental and wildfire studies, health and nursing, education, trades, and graduate programs.

As British Columbia’s first dual-sector research university, TRU unites vocational training with higher education and use-inspired research. With record domestic enrolment and continued momentum under Future TRU, the university is positioning itself for long-term resilience and renewal.

“Universities exist to teach, to discover, and to serve learners,” said Wagner. “The steps we are taking will protect that mission over the long term. Our decisions continue to be driven by our TRU values. We are relentlessly student-centred,” Wagner said.

“We will continue to give B.C. and our communities what they need — a resilient, capable workforce that finds solutions to today’s pressing challenges and improves the living and social conditions. We’re here for the region, B.C., and for all Canadians.”

Thompson Rivers University is leading in sustainability. Learn more about TRU’s contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.