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B.C. caps foreign post-secondary student enrolment

Click to play video: 'International student cap allocated among provinces'
International student cap allocated among provinces
While some provinces will see a drastic drop in international student enrolment, some will see a rise in numbers despite a national cap on intake. – Apr 10, 2024

British Columbia’s government introduced new guidelines for public post-secondary education institutions, capping the number of international students at 30 per cent of their total enrolment.

In a statement, the provincial Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills says the new limit is meant to make sure that “international student enrolment doesn’t strain an institution’s ability “to provide appropriate services.”

The ministry says the new guidelines call for public universities and colleges to submit international education strategic plans to the government, which the province will monitor to make sure the cap is being followed.

Click to play video: 'Francophone universities worried about international student cap'
Francophone universities worried about international student cap

Schools such as the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and University of Victoria say international student enrolment levels there do not exceed the 30 per cent limit and the change will not impact operations.

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University exceeded the limit set for 2023-24 at 36 per cent, but officials say the school year started before the federal government capped international students at 360,000 this year — a 35 per cent decrease from 2023.

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The university’s vice-president Zena Mitchell says in a statement that the B.C. government guidelines aligned with their expectations.

The province says the guidelines start this month, and schools are expected to come into alignment over the coming year.

It B.C. government says the cap is also meant “to help ensure that enrolment levels do not put pressure on local communities.”

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