By providing more funding for student scholarships and support programs, the University of Saskatchewan is meeting more needs across the university community. 
The University of Saskatchewan is increasing funding for scholarships and support programs to meet more student needs.

USask trusts investments to provide more support for students

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is preparing to put more financial support in the hands of students in need than ever before.

By James Shewaga

Bolstered by a track record of sound financial management practices and investment strategies, USask will be increasing the spend rate on donor trusts from 3.75 to 4.75 per cent in order to provide more funding for student scholarships and support programs. The change was formally approved by the Board of Governors at the summer meetings on June 23.

USask’s Chief Financial Officer Deidre (Dee) Henne said it’s a win-win for students and donors, whose gifts to the university will be able to go further to provide more financial support for students. 
 
“I am pleased that the long-term performance of the trusts is creating this opportunity for USask,” she said. “Our change from a 3.75 per cent spending rate on trusts to 4.75 per cent reflects a 27 per cent increase in available spending for the purposes of the trusts. This change amplifies the intentions of our donors, meeting more needs across the university community. And this could not be coming at a better time, when there are so many global issues affecting our students in many ways. This change is another way we are increasing student supports.” 

By providing more funding for student scholarships and support programs, the University of Saskatchewan is meeting more needs across the university community. 
University of Saskatchewan (USask) Chief Financial Officer Deidre (Dee) Henne says the change in trust spending will provide additional benefits for students. (Photo: James Shewaga)

Henne said the positive performance of the investments that make up the donor trusts come with carefully selected assets that align with university values.
 
“USask’s responsible investment strategy is diversified across geographies and sectors,” she said. “Hired fund managers have aligned values and consider environmental, social, and governance matters when building funds we invest in. This strategy addresses both market risks and opportunities enabling USask to preserve invested capital while spending more, with stable interest income to create more impact.”
 
Henne said trust administrators will be adjusting their annual spend plans to allocate the additional resources effective May 1. While it could take decades to determine the precise dollar amount allocated annually with the additional funds, Henne said it will have a significant impact and benefit for students.
 
“Take for example a trust that allocates $80,000 each year in student scholarships. Effective May 1st, the amount available each year becomes over $100,000,” she said. “So, across the whole portfolio of trusts we are talking about a huge lift to support the success of our students, while also increasing the impact of other trust funds across areas including research, capital, and equipment.”
 
The president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) is pleased with the board’s decision.
 
“This is very good news for University of Saskatchewan students,” said new USSU President Abtin Safaeian, who officially began his new role on May 1 for the 2026/27 academic year. “We are pleased with the decision, which will help many students facing challenging financial situations. Enhancing student supports, particularly increasing the amounts of scholarships and bursaries, will make a big difference for our students and we support this decision.”
 
While increasing the annual spending from trusts does not come without some risk, Henne’s team is confident it will be well managed.
 
“We are committed to tracking our net returns and return outlook annually to ensure our increased spending rate does not encroach on our capital preservation strategy,” she said.
 
“With any change, we must monitor the sustainability of it. But I am confident with our existing quarterly monitoring, our annual reporting mechanisms, and responsible investment strategy reviews that we have a solid risk management framework.”

By providing more funding for student scholarships and support programs, the University of Saskatchewan is meeting more needs across the university community. 
Deidre (Dee) Henne began her role as chief financial officer (CFO) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in July 2024. (Photo: James Shewaga)

The increased support for students will also move USask up significantly from the bottom quartile to joining the top U15 institutions, in terms of their spend rates from trusts. 
 
“This spend rate change is a sustainable change that we know will have an impact this year and beyond,” Henne said. “It will help attract more donors who want to see higher impact for their gifts. This change may shift us from laggard to leader across our peer group, but it’s more than that. It’s about USask amplifying value to student success and the donor community, which in turn benefits Saskatchewan. It’s important that we don’t stop here, that we keep looking for these opportunities to lead and contribute to our students and society.”