The McGuinty government released the 2006 Ontario provincial budget yesterday. Although the Budget's primary focus was on addressing infrastructure needs, it did include some additional details on the roll out of the Reaching Higher plan for post-secondary education. The province will double student aid spending by 2009-10, and include increases to 60,000 the number of students getting up-front grants in 2006-07. It also raises the annual income threshold at which a two-child family qualifies for grants, from $35,000 to $75,000.

McMaster President Peter George was glad to see new funding for research, with the creation of innovation awards and money to aid commercialization of research. While this may help McMaster Innovation Park, he said in a Hamilton Spectator interview, “we need to spend more time speaking with the minister about funding enrollment growth.”

Read the March 24 Hamilton Spectator article.