Ontario gov’t says of new international student caps: Conestoga College will see largest decline

A statement from the Ontario government about its reaction to the new federal limits on international students says “Conestoga College will see the largest decline.”

Ontario will give the vast majority of its allocated international student study permits to post-secondary institutions that offer in-demand programs such as those in the skilled trades, child care and health care.

Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop announced Wednesday the province is prioritizing programs to support in-demand jobs upon graduation.

A news release from that ministry said “22 of 23 universities will keep applications at the 2023 level. Only Algoma University will see a decline from its 2023 applications. 11 of 24 colleges will keep applications at the 2023 level. Colleges with public-private college partnerships and Conestoga College will see the largest decline.”

A 2023 report from Conestoga called The Conestoga Effect, Adapting for Prosperity III: Addressing Critical Needs lays out some statistics on their international student population.

In 2022, the three departments of the college with the highest percentage of international students were Workforce Development, 36.6%; Business, 35.4%; and Applied Computer Science & IT, 9.5%.

On Thursday morning, Conestoga College issued a response to the federal government’s announcement, as the institution said its allocation was set to “less than 50 per cent of our current international enrollment,” adding that the recent news will see them revisit enrollment and operational impacts.

Additionally, the college maintained that it will continue to “work collaboratively with all government partners” to continue supporting a workforce that is “equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in key sectors.”

The federal government announced in January this year it would slash the international student permits it would hand out, with Ontario seeing its allotment cut in half.

Post-secondary institutions, especially colleges, in the province turned increasingly to international students after Premier Doug Ford’s government in 2019 cut tuition by 10 per cent and froze it.