Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is facing a $10 million deficit for its 2025/2026 budget (fiscal year ending June 30, 2026) due to the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) impacts to international student enrolments, along with rising inflation and an anticipated zero per cent increase to the post-secondary institution’s base grant funding from the Government of Alberta.
As a result, RDP will be looking at making structural changes.
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This includes a comprehensive operations and program review.
RDP has completed the program review, and will be suspending five programs, including:
- Administrative Professional Certificate
- Executive Assistant Diploma
- Human Resources Management Post- Baccalaureate Certificate
- Pre-Health Sciences Certificate
- University Transfer Bachelor of Education Secondary (RDP will continue to offer the Bachelor of Education program, including a secondary stream).
In addition, RDP will also be reducing its academic upgrading offering.
Students currently enrolled in suspended programs will not be impacted.
They will be provided with the opportunity to finish their program at RDP. The approximately 60 students admitted into the fall 2025 intake of a suspended program will be offered admission to a different program, providing they meet admission requirements, or receive a refund of their application fee.
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