Universities in Atlantic Canada worried about big drop expected in foreign students

With conscionable complete 1 period earlier nan opening of nan schoolhouse year, universities successful Atlantic Canada are worried astir nan expected large driblet successful overseas student enrolment owed to caps imposed by nan national government.

In Nova Scotia, nan state has truthful acold accepted little than 4,000 world students for nan upcoming year, down from past year’s 19,900 overseas students.

However, nan number of world students who really take to study successful nan state whitethorn beryllium moreover little than that. In opposition to nan remainder of nan country, Atlantic Canada has a comparatively debased conversion complaint — nan ratio of students who enrol successful programs compared to nan number of offers sent.

Peter Halpin, executive head of nan Association of Atlantic Universities, said immoderate of his group’s members are worried what effect nan enrolment caps and debased conversion rates will person connected their finances and nan diverseness of their student bodies.

“We expressed our interest from nan outset that this could person a very antagonistic effect connected our institutions successful Atlantic Canada,” Halpin said successful an interview.

Halpin didn’t, however, sanction which universities are peculiarly concerned, only saying that astir 30 per cent of students successful Atlantic Canadian universities are from extracurricular nan country, a percent higher than successful nan remainder of Canada.

“International students are very important to our universities and our effort to internationalize our campuses and nan communities successful which they are located,” he said.

In March, the national authorities capped nan number of world admissions aft months of unit to return stronger action against colleges that are believed to beryllium exploiting overseas students, who are charged an mean of 5 times arsenic overmuch arsenic Canadians. The number of overseas student visas had tripled successful a decade successful Canada to much than 1 million, exacerbating a terrible lodging shortage successful nan country.

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The caps were expected to lead to cuts of astir 35 per cent successful world admissions successful Nova Scotia, and much successful others. Provincial Advanced Education Minister Brian Wong said successful precocious March that nan state would beryllium capable to administer 12,900 study licence applications successful 2024.

In Nova Scotia, location are 20,372 seats disposable successful nan province’s post-secondary institutions for world students. Among nan province’s 32 universities, colleges, backstage profession colleges and connection schools, Cape Breton University successful Sydney, N.S., and Saint Mary’s University successful Halifax are allowed nan astir world students, pinch 7,086 and 2,760 seats disposable respectively. Halifax’s Dalhousie University follows successful 3rd spot for full seats, pinch 1,680 spots disposable for overseas students.

Halpin said charismatic enrolment figures will beryllium disposable successful October.