Canada's cap on foreign students hits hard, college to cut 40 programmes, staff

The Justin Trudeau government's cap on international students to Canada might have started hurting Canadian colleges. A Canadian college is suspending 40 academic programmes and reducing staff, citing shifts in government policies and a predicted drop in student enrolment.

Sheridan College, located in Ontario with campuses in Mississauga, Brampton, and Oakville, expects about 30% fewer students next year, leading to a $112 million loss in revenue, according to its president, Janet Morrison, reported CBC News.

Sheridan college was founded in 1967. The college serves over 40,000 students, including many international students.

The affected programmes span faculties, including Animation, Arts & Design, Health & Community Studies, Humanities & Social Sciences, Science & Technology, and Business. Additionally, 27 other programmes will undergo an "efficiency review".

"We are suspending some programmes and placing others under efficiency reviews. All current students in these programmes will have the opportunity to graduate, but we will not enrol new first-year students moving forward," Sheridan stated on its website.

Some programme suspensions will start as early as May, with others phased out gradually over the coming months and years.

The announcement comes after the Canadian government’s cap on study permits for international students, a response to the country's housing shortage and rising cost of living. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Minister Marc Miller confirmed that study permit approvals for 2024 will be reduced by 35%, with a cap of approximately 360,000 permits.

The Canadian government's policy change is expected to significantly affect international students, particularly those from India, who make up a substantial portion of Canada’s student population.

Many international students, including those from India, are drawn to Canada not only for education but also as a pathway to permanent residency.

In 2023, nearly 320,000 Indians received study permits, but the 2024 cap is expected to curtail such approvals dramatically.

Ontario's 2024 budget highlights that the province's colleges are expected to lose $3.1 billion in revenue over the next two years due to the decline in international student enrolment.

Although Sheridan’s president did not directly link the cap on international students to the college's financial challenges, a background document on its website cites "declining domestic enrolment" and "major changes in government policy" as key factors.

Seneca Polytechnic, another Ontario institution, announced last month that it would temporarily close its Markham campus due to the international student permit cap, underscoring the widespread impact of the new policy, reported CP24 News.