With the cap on international students leading to a drastic drop in their numbers, many Canadian colleges and universities that used to admit a large number of students from countries such as India are now fearing steep budget cuts.
Langara College, for instance, is bracing for significant reductions in enrollment, especially among high-fee-paying international students.
President Paula Burns of Langara College has informed faculty about a staggering 79 percent decrease in applications from international students for the spring of 2025, compared to the same period last year.
According to a report in the Vancouver Sun, members of the faculty association have labeled this situation a “crisis,” describing it as a “sudden and overwhelming drop” in enrollment that will affect everyone.
This sharp decline in international students, coupled with a reduction in domestic students, will have consequences for wages, benefits, and jobs, instructors warned in a group email to faculty.
With 37 percent of its student body holding study visas, Langara College has one of the highest proportions of international students among public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. Last year, the college enrolled approximately 7,500 international students, mostly from India, according to federal government statistics. This figure surpasses even that of Simon Fraser University, which is a much larger institution.
However, Langara is not alone in facing these challenges. Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and Vancouver Island University are also planning budget cuts due to declining international student numbers, who typically pay tuition fees four times higher than domestic students. Meanwhile, the University of British Columbia reports that its enrollment is tracking according to budget projections, which are balanced.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, with international students making up 38 percent of its total enrollment, accounting for about 8,400 students, has the highest proportion of international students among these institutions.
According to the Vancouver Sun, international students from 150 countries make up nearly 40 percent of the 533,000 students enrolled in British Columbia’s post-secondary institutions, including private colleges and trade schools.
For international students, tuition fees can be four times higher, or more, than those for domestic students. For instance, at the University of British Columbia, an international student can expect to pay $45,000 a year in tuition, which is nearly five times more than what a domestic student pays. At Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the international tuition fee of over $21,000 a year is 4.5 times higher than the fee for domestic students.
The University of Victoria recently highlighted the significant impact international students have on their budget. Although international students constitute only 11 percent of the student population, their tuition contributed to one-third of the university’s revenue in the 2023-24 academic year.