President Nauman Farooqi breaks down STU’s budget and post-secondary future

Nauman Farooqi stands outside his office at Margaret Norrie McCain Hall. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Nauman Farooqi, president and vice-chancellor of St. Thomas University,  said that the province’s latest budget will put continued pressure on universities, even without an immediate reduction in funding.

“It’s a zero per cent increase, but effectively it is a cut because it’s not keeping pace with inflation,” he said,  following the release of the 2026–27 provincial budget.

The government has presented the budget as maintaining funding levels for post-secondary institutions, but Farooqi said that flat funding and rising costs are a long-term trend already affecting universities.

"We are already suffering because of that," he said.

Farooqi said the university is still waiting for full budget documents before assessing the overall impact, noting initial announcements often do not reflect the full picture.

“The devil is in the details,” Farooqi said, adding that a clearer understanding is expected in the coming weeks.

Among early concerns are changes to shared services in the post-secondary education sector, including organizations that support accreditation and digital infrastructure. 

Farooqi said those systems play a key role in university operations, but details on funding changes are limited.

Despite the uncertainty, he said students are unlikely to see immediate changes in the next academic year. The university has already committed to its course offerings and services and does not plan to scale those back.

"There haven’t been any drastic changes to the way we’re going to do things next year," said Farooqi.

Still, maintaining that level of service will become more difficult if funding does not keep up with inflation. Universities will need to absorb rising costs while preserving education quality.

Farooqi said he has been in contact with provincial officials to highlight the broader importance of post-secondary funding.

"Money spent on post-secondary education is not a cost—it’s an investment," he said.

"When you talk about the education sector, it takes years, sometimes decades, to materialize."

He said the benefits of that investment extend beyond campuses and are not immediately visible in annual budget cycles.

Farooqi also highlighted STU’s economic and social contributions to New Brunswick, including its alumni and community presence.

"We contribute more than $250 million to the New Brunswick economy," he said, adding that thousands of STU alumni live and work in the province.

The budget announcement follows a student protest on March 17, where students from several New Brunswick universities gathered to call for more investment in post-secondary education.

"Students understand the value of a university education," Farooqi said. "Their passion came out loud and clear.”

He said he supports students advocating for their future, even if his role as president requires a different approach.

"As an individual, I would have loved to join," Farooqi said. "But my role is to represent the university at the government level."

He said that the university continues to engage with the government through meetings and formal communication, emphasizing the need for stable, long-term funding.

While the immediate outlook remains stable, Farooqi said it is too early to say how the budget will affect the university in the long term.

For now, he said that the focus is on maintaining academic quality and supporting students, even as financial pressures persist.

"We are a university, not a business," said Farooqi.