University of Saskatchewan reacts to cap on international students

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While international students have become a key source of revenue for cash-strapped universities across Canada, a new federal cap on numbers of study permits is not expected to do much harm to Saskatchewan’s largest university.

“We don’t anticipate our provincial allocation will have a significant impact on our financial sustainability,” said Heather Persson, associate vice-president of strategic communications and chief communications officer for the University of Saskatchewan.

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International student numbers roughly tripled in Canada since 2015, rising to some 900,000 in 2023.

Amid rising reports of some Canadian institutions exploiting the higher fees charged to foreign students while offering little in the way of housing supports or quality education, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced earlier this year that the number of new international study permits would be capped for two years, with a 35 per cent reduction coming.

Persson noted that the U of S has avoided problems seen elsewhere in Canada by maintaining  a “strategic” approach to recruiting international students that keeps numbers “sustainable” in terms of the university’s ability to offer housing, cultural and educational supports.

The federal reduction in permits is being applied across the provinces on a per capita basis, meaning some provinces, like Ontario, could see numbers of permits reduced by more than 50 per cent. The Ontario provincial government recently announced $1.3 billion over the next three years to help schools compensate for the lost revenue from fewer international students.

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In Saskatchewan, the provincial government this month announced it had reached an agreement with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to increase the allocation of new undergraduate or college-level study permits under the cap from 12,000 as initially proposed in February to just over 15,000.

“In Saskatchewan we have been responsibly building our international student program and are committed to providing the supports international students need to succeed at our post-secondary institutions,” Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said in a media release announcing the deal.

“We appreciate IRCC increasing its allocation for Saskatchewan, as international students play a key role in maintaining economic growth and are a critical component to helping meet our labour market needs.”

Persson said the U of S has yet to learn what its final allocation of permits will be with the latest increase, but said there have been “really intense and productive conversations” between university and provincial government officials.

While the curb on international student numbers isn’t expected to create a major financial problem for the U of S, Persson said that doesn’t mean the university isn’t “concerned” about the federal cap, while adding international student enrolment remains “an incredibly important issue for us.”

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