Canada's New Deal Impact! International students sharply decrease, schools shout poverty: local tuition fees may soar!
Canadian universities expect the number of international students enrolled this year to decrease by at least 45% compared to last year, a decline far greater than the federal government's goal of reducing study permit applications by 35%.
The new measures introduced by Ottawa earlier this year were aimed at controlling the surge in holders of university study permits (i.e. study visas), and the results seem to have been immediate.
Universities Canada, an association representing 97 universities in Canada, stated that preliminary figures show that the number of international students at each school is not even close to the target limit.
Manitoba universities and colleges have stated that Ottawa's decision to limit the number of new international students entering the country has resulted in the loss of hundreds of students and millions of Canadian dollars in income.
According to the preliminary autumn enrollment report of the university, the largest university in Manitoba, the number of international students in the fall semester decreased by 7% from 6915 last year to 6433.
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Image source: UofT/David Lee
The report shows that the number of new international students enrolled in the school has decreased from 1951 to 1366.
A school spokesperson stated, "We are concerned about the approximately 30% decrease in the number of new international students, resulting in an overall decrease of 7%. Even with positive growth in domestic enrollment, the reduction in international students is expected to have a long-term impact on our institution
Meanwhile, the University of Winnipeg expects a decrease of approximately 122 first-year students from overseas, or 18%, compared to the fall of 2023. The school's preliminary estimate shows that the economic loss for this fiscal year will reach 4 million Canadian dollars, which will reduce the total tuition revenue by 5%.
Image source: uwinnipegcourses.ca
Although the total enrollment number has not yet been finalized, universities have indicated that the decrease in international student enrollment is a direct result of the federal government's decision to restrict international students in the next two years.
The University of Winnipeg stated that this impact will extend beyond first-year courses.
The school estimates that its majors, applied and continuing education courses, as well as English language courses, will face a 30-35% decline in international student enrollment, with an annual drop of approximately 106 students.
Overall, the University of Manitoba had 7000 international students last year, while the University of Winnipeg had over 1600 international students.
Some other universities in Manitoba have also noted a decrease in international students on campus, but it is too early to link financial costs to this decline.
Warning: Local students' tuition fees will be increased
Governor of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, also warned that universities may raise tuition fees for domestic students to make up for the income gap. According to Statistics Canada, the average tuition fee for international undergraduate students in Canada is about four times that of domestic tuition fees.
Image source: Daniel Timmerman/CTV News Winnipeg
The governor expressed the hope that the federal government can provide support to help control tuition fees.
He said on Thursday, 'We have Manitoba students who are about to go to college and college, and they may face higher tuition fees because the money has to come from somewhere, right?'
We hope to collaborate with universities to address this challenge, but we also face a severe financial situation in Manitoba. Therefore, I hope we can work with universities and colleges to demonstrate to the federal government the need for support to support the changes you are implementing
The university system can't hold on anymore
Ottawa is currently negotiating immigration targets for 2025, including targets for international students, and the Association of Universities is requesting the government not to further reduce student visa quotas or make additional changes to the rules for work permits (i.e. work visas) after graduation.
Gabriel Miller, the president and CEO of the association, said in an interview on Thursday, "The system is really just barely holding on. If it gets hit again in the next few weeks, it could be fatal
The average annual growth rate of international students in universities is 10%, and the total number of international students enrolled in 2023 will reach 255184, accounting for about a quarter of all visa holders in China.
The Canadian government is facing enormous pressure to limit the number of temporary residents in Canada, including international students and work visa holders, in response to public criticism of the increase in immigration and its impact on affordable housing.
Earlier this year, Ottawa announced a two-year limit on the number of student visa applications that can be processed, hoping to reduce the number of students by 35% in 2024. International students in primary, secondary, and graduate schools are not subject to this restriction.
Miller stated that these changes have caused confusion and uncertainty, leading to a sharp decline in enrollment rates.
He said, "They are still considering further modifications to the work visa and may even consider other adjustments to the upper limit. Our message is that any uncertain information will only strengthen the market's perception that Canada's door to opening up to the outside world has been closed
Federal elections and government changes may plunge the international education system into deeper chaos.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has stated that if elected, his government will slow down population growth and link immigration levels to housing starts.
Miller said, "If we can't attract talented new immigrants to Canada, any party's economic plan is not credible. When Boli Zhi said that bringing in talent will depend on whether we have enough housing and infrastructure to accommodate them, that's right, but the question is, where is the plan and how can we help? If we want Canada to prosper, closing doors to the best and brightest people is not an option. The solution is not simply erecting walls and closing doors
He also said that the current widespread restrictions also affect both good and bad people in the higher education industry, and universities are looking for every possible solution to find cost-effectiveness and compensate for the huge revenue loss. The tuition fees for international students are usually three to four times that of domestic students.
He warned, "Ultimately, if the government continues to make decisions that harm our university, the only cost will be expanding classroom sizes, reducing researchers, and damaging the quality of our education system. This will ultimately have a real impact on students
Miller said that students must register on campus within the 10th day of the start of the school year, and the actual international enrollment data of the university will be released in October.
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https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/canadian-universities-see-international-students-enrolment-down-45-per-cent-after-rule-change-the-system/article_ab3243bc-6bbb-11ef-a627-374400a10a6a.html