Universities face rough semesters without foreign students

In the past decade, international students – typically charged at least double the tuition fees paid by domestic students – have become a vital part of Canada’s post-secondary system. But with closed campuses and borders threatening new enrolment and institutions anticipating significant budget cuts, Canadian universities and colleges are bracing for rough semesters ahead, writes Jessica Wong for CBC News.

“All universities – like all Canadians – want to get back to normal as quickly as we can, but some of that is outside our control,” said Universities Canada President Paul Davidson, whose association represents public and private universities across the country. What happens with international students is a definite concern, as they represent about 50%, on average, of total tuition revenue, according to Davidson.

In its recent international education strategy plan, the federal government reported foreign students contributed an estimated CA$21.6 billion (US$15.5 million) to Canada’s GDP in 2018 and that, between 2014 and 2018, the number of international students studying in Canada increased by 68%.
Full report on the CBC site