Surge in foreign students ‘is not just politics’

Enrolment of international students in Canadian universities will be sharply higher this autumn, universities say, and the incoming freshmen include large numbers of high school students from the United States. With the increase coming during the first year of a contentious presidency, there’s plenty of talk about the trend being an obvious reaction to President Donald Trump, but it’s not that simple, writes Craig S Smith for The New York Times.

While plenty of students who have chosen Canada for higher education cite the political climate in the United States, admissions officers and students say economics remains the main motivation.

Besides the cost and the political climate, students also say they were attracted by affordable health care, relative safety and a more relaxed atmosphere in Canada. Students from outside North America also point to the ease of immigration to Canada.
Full report on The New York Times site