Internal docs show Ontario was aware it had an ‘over-reliance’ on international students

As Ontario’s post-secondary institutions come to grips with a far-reaching federal cap on international student approvals, internal provincial documents reveal that the Ford government was aware that colleges and universities had an “over-reliance” on overseas students as a way to make up for budget deficits.

The documents, obtained by Global News, also gave the Minister of Colleges and Universities a dire snapshot of the life of international students in Ontario, highlighting the lack of existing services for students who are dealing with “intensive feelings of isolation.”

They also suggested the province was in the midst of a plan to ramp up its international student program despite the worries articulated by provincial staff.

The revelations come as colleges and universities cry foul over the federally imposed cap on international students that will cut their numbers in Ontario by around 50 per cent. The institutions argue the cap could jeopardize the financial health of the sector and lead to an erosion of course and on-campus support.

Internal government documents, obtained by the advocacy group One Voice through freedom of information laws and shared with Global News, laid bare the reasons behind the post-secondary push for more international students.

“International tuition fees are unregulated in Ontario and revenue from international student tuition has been increasingly supporting the financial sustainability of PSE institutions,” said one briefing document prepared by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

The document states that in 2021-22, international students accounted for 28 per cent of total revenue at publicly assisted colleges, or $1.6 billion, while international tuition made up 19 per cent of total revenue at publicly assisted universities, totalling $3 billion.

The document also notes that colleges also had an “over-reliance on one specific country — India” and that the institutions had “limited oversight” over the recruitment agencies that they hired to attract international students.

The government’s own snapshot of the situation highlighted the explosive growth of international students in Ontario.

“From 2016-17 to 2020-21, the number of full-time international students at publicly-assisted PSE institutions grew by 82 per cent,” the document noted.

The ministry also tracked the rise of international students at private career colleges, which the government document said had “grown substantially.”

“From 2013 to 2019, the number of international students enrolled in vocational programs at Private Career Colleges (PCCs) increased almost 12 times, from 882 international students in 2013 to 10,368 in 2019.”

But while the issue seemed to simmer on the government’s backburner, ministry officials told the minister’s office that the province “does not have an international postsecondary education strategy in place,” even as the province encouraged growth in the sector.

Provincial documents indicate the province felt the growth in international students has been “successful,” especially as the Ford government focused on post-pandemic recovery.

The ministry document casts a positive light on the academic, social and cultural experience that international students bring to university and college campuses while noting that they “generate revenue” and create new ties between the province and global jurisdictions.

“They are a key part of Ontario’s PSE activities,” ministry officials said in the document.

The internal briefing material largely suggests the substantial growth in international students was considered, by the Ford government, as reaching its policy objectives with little concern about the impact on housing.

The province, the document notes, was actively working with the federal government and post-secondary institutions to “reduce barriers for international student entry to the province” and to retain them after graduation.

The government, an internal slide deck notes, even wanted to work on name recognition by developing an “umbrella brand” that would help “strengthen international student recruitment.”

A spokesperson for the Ford government said international students were a key part of Ontario’s post-secondary education sector.

“International students play an important role in our communities, providing meaningful benefits to Ontario and our postsecondary institutions,” the government said.

“That said, we know some bad actors are taking advantage of these students with false promises of guaranteed employment, residency, and Canadian citizenship. We’ve been engaging with the federal government on ways to crack down on these practices, like predatory recruitment.”

They said everyone involved needed to “work together” to ensure international students coming to Ontario are supported while studying and well-placed to get jobs in the province when they graduate.

One note prepared for minister Dunlop toward the end of 2022 explicitly laid out the struggles faced by international students who come to study in Ontario, emphasizing the inadequacy of the current system.

“International students have unique needs (intense feelings of isolation, culturally appropriate care, etc.), that cannot always be met by existing services,” the document said.

The minister was told that a lack of mental health supports for international students on campuses was a “recurring theme” and that those coming to Ontario from abroad to study had “high incidences of depression and anxiety.”

Balraj Kahlon, an advocate with One Voice Canada, told Global News the tone of the documents makes the government’s approach to international students “sound like a corporate board more than public servants.”

He said the group pushed to uncover the Ford government’s internal conversations about international students because “community advocates are losing faith in institutions” having either the interest or ability to solve the brutal problems faced by international students.

A separate 2022 government document pointed out that the rise in international students has “led to an increase in demand” for mental health services on Ontario campuses.

“This may also increase an expectation or need for specific, culturally-informed supports,” the document advised.