Achi news desk-
The Ford government has announced that it will allocate almost all international students to public universities and colleges, with private career colleges set to receive no international student places at all.
The new policy — which will see 96 percent of international students go to public post-secondary institutions — is Ontario’s response to a federal cap on the number of international students coming to Canada, which was introduced at the beginning of the year.
The remaining four percent will go to language schools, private universities and other selected institutions. The government said no international students will attend private career colleges.
Other rules are also being introduced to keep the number of international students under control at some colleges and universities.
The number of international students enrolled in 2023 will be the high water mark for non-domestic enrolments, and institutions will not be allowed to have more international students than they did that year. The ratio of international students will also not be able to exceed 55 percent of the 2023 first-year domestic enrollment rate, with exceptions for “high demand” programs.
“We are protecting the integrity of our province’s post-secondary education system by attracting the best and brightest international students to Ontario to study in fields vital to our economy,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “We have been working with post-secondary institutions to ensure that international students are enrolled on the programs to support a flow of graduates for in-demand jobs.”
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A cap on international students was introduced early in the year by the federal government, with Ontario set to lose around 50 per cent of its international students.
Universities and colleges have relied heavily on fees from international students to cover the drop in revenue from domestic tuition, which has been frozen since it was cut in 2019. Officials with the Ministry of Finance expect colleges and universities lose about $3 billion over two years because of the cap.
Speaking on Tuesday, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy promised he would not “allow colleges to fail” but stopped short of saying a financial rescue package was on the horizon for the sector.
On Wednesday, the government announced that it would spread the lower number of international students mainly between public institutions.
The limited number of international students will now be prioritized in areas of high demand, the province said, citing healthcare, STEM, hospitality and childcare.
Universities and colleges will also be required to “guarantee that housing options” are available to international students.
There is clarity on how the province will allocate international students following a $1.3 billion package announced for the sector earlier in the year, well below the $2.5 billion recommended by an expert panel.
At the end of January, the province also announced new measures including a review of some programs with a focus on pipelines from education to work, a pause on public-private college partnerships and the requirement for housing to be provided to international students.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
