Red Deer Polytechnic in Red Deer, Alberta, announced on March 24, 2026, that it received a $10 million anonymous donation to help people learn how to manage their money. The school will use the gift to launch a new program that offers free training to students and the public on practical skills like budgeting, debt management, and long-term saving.
The new money management program comes at a time when many local residents are facing economic pressure. While the unemployment rate in the Red Deer region fell to 7.2 per cent in February 2026, many students in the province continue to carry high levels of debt, with some owing an average of $38,000 by the time they finish their studies.
A portion of the $10 million donation will also be used to create a new financial aid program for students who cannot afford their tuition. Applications for this new support will open on May 7, 2026, to help more local families access college training without taking on heavy debt.
The donation will also fund the growth of the school’s manufacturing innovation department and a new health technology learning centre. This gift is the second largest in the history of the institution, which has grown to serve more than 11,000 students every year since it first opened in 1964.
