Some BC post-secondary institutions are cutting jobs as international student enrollment drops due to Canada’s new limits on students coming to the country.
It’s a situation that bodes poorly for workers, students, and BC’s economy, according to the BC Federation of Students.
“The system isn’t on the brink of collapse. It’s actually collapsing right now,” BCFS’ secretary-treasurer Cole Reinbold told Daily Hive.
Camosun College on Vancouver Island said 400 fewer international students began their studies this fall than was budgeted for. It expects international enrollment to decline even further in the coming years.
This week, the college announced it will be doing layoffs.
“So far, the unexpected loss of international student tuition revenue… has been offset by essential spending and hiring, one-time funds and use of budget contingencies,” a Camosun spokesperson said. “To address a projected deficit of at least $5 million in 2025/26, the college has been forced to make the difficult decision of eliminating vacant positions and layoffs across all employee groups.”
Instructor jobs hit as Langara’s international student enrollment drops
Pauline Greaves, an instructor at Langara College’s School of Management and the president of the Langara Faculty Association, told Daily Hive that changes in federal policy to limit international students have led to decreased enrollment — and fewer jobs for teachers.
She explained that universities and colleges in Canada have been chronically underfunded by the government and have instead come to rely on international students’ tuition dollars. Now that the federal government is turning off the tap of incoming international students — whose tuition fees are not capped the way domestic students’ are — institutions are facing a financial reckoning.
“Langara is probably one of the highest in the province, if not the country, in terms of international students. So we’re tremendously impacted,” she said.
Langara offers the same classes multiple times in any given week. These different class times are referred to as sections. Greaves said the college hosted 112 fewer sections this fall than last year, which translated to about 27 fewer teaching jobs.
Greaves predicts that the international student shortfall will only become more pronounced in 2025. Right now, it’s estimated that 64% of international students who want to come to Langara won’t be able to. That could mean teaching job cuts in the triple digits.
“We’re looking at 30 to 100, if not more, faculty members who will not be offered work,” Greaves said. “It is really, really difficult and incredibly discouraging for faculty.”
Student and teacher associations blame government’s lack of funding
Greaves and Reinbold are united in asking the provincial government to take a closer look at how it funds post-secondary education.
Reinbold said funding for student education at post-secondary institutions has been steadily declining over the last generation. Back in the 1970s, about 80% of the cost of a student’s education was paid for by the government. But those government subsidies have been falling. Now, she said government money only covers about 40% of the cost of a Bachelor’s degree, and students pay the rest.
“It’s not a shortage of international students,” Reinbold said. “It’s a shortage of $500 million the government needs to put into the post-secondary system.”
Over the past 40 years or so, Canadian universities have turned to international students to supplement the revenue shortfall as government subsidies have fallen. However, under pressure to reign in immigration amid post-pandemic economic difficulties this year, the federal government enacted new limits on international student enrollment.
Canada clamped down on the number of study permits issued to incoming international students and mandated that post-secondary institutions report data on international enrollment.
“If you’re an institution and you see the one lever you have is international students — of course you’re going to pull it. And you’re going to charge them more,” Reinbold said. “But that only works if international students aren’t a volatile source of income.”
The University of British Columbia, the province’s biggest post-secondary institution, told Daily Hive it’s also dealing with the ramifications of declining international enrollment.
“Like all post-secondary institutions across Canada, UBC faces a more challenging financial context as it heads into 2025/26,” a spokesperson said. “Recent policy changes, global economic challenges, rising geopolitical tensions, and heightened competition in the sector are affecting international student enrolment.”
Despite the challenges, UBC has not made any major changes yet.
“The university is fortunate to remain in a strong financial position which allows it to effectively manage current pressures.”
Simon Fraser University, another sizeable campus in Metro Vancouver, also predicts its budget will be tight for the next several years. But it hasn’t announced any layoffs.
“New government restrictions on international undergraduate and graduate students, delays in visa applications and limitations on spousal visas are contributing to lower future international tuition forecasts,” it said.
Post-secondary institutions are massive employers in the communities where their campuses are, and advocates predict that their financial difficulties will be felt widely.
“For years, the provincial government has not funded post-secondary education properly,” Greaves said. “They have totally ignored the fact we had all these international students. It wasn’t proper planning. They really did not want to review the funding formula for post-secondary.”
Daily Hive reached out to the BC Government for comment. We will update this piece when we hear back.