Three months away from a spring election, the Manitoba government announced in January that it would boost spending for colleges and universities by $27.9 million. That’s a four per cent increase, bringing the total budget to $710.8 million.

“We know that our colleges and universities provide opportunities for our young people and help stimulate our economy,” said the province’s premier, Greg Selinger.

The bulk of the funding will be aimed at increasing the operating budgets of post-secondary institutions, while the remainder will be allocated to implement programs targeted primarily at First Nations students.