HALIFAX – Universities in Atlantic Canada are worried about the big drop in foreign student enrolment expected this fall due to caps imposed by the federal government.
In Nova Scotia, the province has so far accepted less than 4,000 international students for the upcoming year, down from last year’s 19,900 foreign students.
Peter Halpin, president of the Association of Atlantic Universities, says his group’s members are worried about what the enrolment caps will mean for their finances and the diversity of their student bodies.
In March,the federal government capped the number of international student admissions to reform a system it said was exploiting some people.
The caps are expected to lead to cuts of roughly 35 per cent in international admissions in some provinces and more in others.
In Nova Scotia, there are 20,372 seats available in the province’s post-secondary institutions for international students.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2024.