B.C. post-secondary institutions deal with loss of revenue amid cuts to international student permits

Santana Dreaver · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 9:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Schools and colleges successful B.C. proceed to deal with the fallout of the national government's determination to issue fewer planetary pupil permits.

Last January, the national authorities announced a two-year headdress connected the fig of planetary students that colleges and universities successful Canada are capable to judge each schoolhouse year.

More than a twelvemonth later, educators accidental the impacts of the change are being felt astatine post-secondary institutions crossed the province.

Selkirk College successful B.C.'s West Kootenay portion says it is closing learning centres successful the communities of Kaslo and Nakusp arsenic it addresses financial challenges related to national restrictions connected planetary pupil recruitment. 

Selkirk College president Maggie Matear says the assemblage anticipates a nonaccomplishment of $9 cardinal successful revenue. 

"While this determination wasn't made lightly, it's portion of a larger program to guarantee Selkirk College remains financially sustainable and continues to service our portion for generations to come," Matear said.

LISTEN | Selkirk College closing learning centres successful Nakusp and Kaslo:

Matear said that her bosom goes retired to students and unit astatine the affected learning centres, adding that she began her vocation astatine a distant assemblage college. 

Nakusp Mayor Thomas Zeleznik told CBC's Daybreak South that the nonaccomplishment of the learning centres is devastating for the community, stating that beyond world learning the assemblage besides offered forestry programs and first assistance training.

Lane Trotter, the president of Camosun College successful Victoria, B.C., told CBC's All Point West that the assemblage is anticipating an $11-million shortfall successful gross this year. He said the assemblage is preparing for module layoffs.

"Moving towards layoffs is the past happening that we privation to do, but unluckily that's the absorption that we're moving in," said Trotter, who added that the fig of layoffs is unknown.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), which has 5 campuses successful the Metro Vancouver suburbs of Surrey, Langley and Richmond, said past period that it planned to contented afloat oregon partial layoff notices for 70 unit members. KPU provost and vice-president of academics Diane Purvey said the assemblage projected that gross from planetary tuition and fees volition diminution by $49 cardinal implicit the 2026 fiscal year. 

A announcement connected the Government of Canada's website says that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to issue 437,000 survey permits successful 2025, a 10 per cent decrease from the 2024 cap.

A connection from B.C.'s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said that portion it understands the challenges faced by B.C. schools, institutions are liable for their ain operations under B.C.'s University Act and College and Institute Act.

The ministry said that from 2017 to 2025 the state has increased operating grants for nationalist post-secondary institutions by implicit $1 billion. 

The ministry said it has raised concerns astir the impacts of the policies to the national authorities and it will proceed to enactment with B.C. post-secondary institutions as they enactment to negociate their operations and budgets.

IRCC said successful an email that it cannot remark connected the finances of acquisition institutions arsenic capable funding is a provincial and territorial responsibility.

It besides said it is moving with provinces, territories, acquisition institutions and stakeholders to make a sustainable way guardant for planetary students.