We knew that limiting international student visas would be bad for post-secondary schools, but we couldn’t have known it would cause one of the largest mass layoffs the sector has ever seen.
Driving the news: Newly released data shows that over 10,000 faculty and staff members across Ontario colleges have been laid off in the past year — roughly a sixth of the sector’s workforce — while more than 600 college programs have been cancelled or suspended.
Why it’s happening: Ontario’s public colleges make over three-quarters of their tuition fees from international students, who made up 42% of all enrolment in the 2022-23 school year. Since Ottawa clamped down on international student visas, that cash has dwindled.
Why it matters: Universities and colleges across the country are facing money problems from low international student enrolments, and can’t just raise tuition prices for domestic students. That leaves many schools with few options but to cut staff, services, and programs.
- The top 20 universities in Ontario could lose a cumulative $330 million for the 2024-25 school year and $600 million in the following year, according to one industry organization.
Bottom line: Even if the post-secondary sector gets a boost in government funding, it won't be able to replace what’s become many schools' main revenue driver. A 2023 report found tuition paid by students from India contributed more cash to Ontario post-secondary schools than the provincial government.—LA