Alberta has projected significant education spending linked to immigration trends. The province expects to spend about $600M on temporary resident students as part of its $10.8B education budget for 2026.

According to provincial data, Alberta’s public school system currently educates 45,554 students who are children of temporary residents, along with 14,661 refugee students. The estimated cost of educating each student is roughly $12,000 per year.

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Why Alberta Is Spending $600M on Temporary Resident Students

The estimated $600M spending on temporary resident students reflects the cost of providing public education to children of foreign workers and other temporary residents.

However, officials say calculating the exact spending is challenging because school funding varies based on each student’s needs.

Some students require additional services such as:

• English language instruction
• Learning support programs
• Special education assistance

Because these supports differ between students, the estimate represents a general calculation rather than an exact budget category.

Student Numbers and Education Costs

Recent provincial figures show a slight decrease in the number of temporary resident students compared to the previous year.

Year	Temporary Resident Students	Estimated Cost
2025	47,389	$566M
2026	45,554	$544M

Meanwhile, refugee student enrollment has grown significantly, increasing 80% over the past 5 years.

Immigration Debate and Proposed Referendum

The spending estimate has sparked policy discussions in Alberta.

The provincial government is preparing 9 potential referendum questions that residents could vote on in October. Some proposals would allow the government to introduce fees for services such as education and healthcare for certain immigrant groups.

Supporters believe the referendum could help manage provincial spending, while critics worry it may affect immigrant families already contributing to Alberta’s workforce.

Additional Education Funding

The province is also investing $300M to address classroom complexity, which includes support for students with additional learning needs.

As part of this initiative, Alberta plans to create 476 complexity teams in elementary schools. Each team will include:

• 1 Teacher
• 2 Educational assistants

These teams will provide targeted support for classrooms with diverse learning requirements.

The estimate that Alberta will spend $600M on temporary resident students highlights the growing connection between immigration patterns and provincial education budgets. With tens of thousands of students from temporary resident families enrolled in public schools, future policy decisions could influence both education funding and immigration debates across the province.