P.E.I. college cuts programming, other schools continue to feel international student cap impacts

A P.E.I. college is suspending eight courses to save money due to a cut in foreign student enrolment.

Programming cuts at Holland College on Prince Edward Island are part of a larger, “grim” picture of the future, as post-secondary institutions continue feeling the impact of the international student cap.

Peter Halpin, head of the Association of Atlantic Universities, says the region lost nearly 3,000 international students in the 2024-25 academic year, mainly in Nova Scotia.

Halpin projects this year will be “equally as grim” for universities.

While Halpin says predicting upcoming enrollment numbers is challenging, many universities are reviewing academic programming, services and staffing, as well as projected budgets.

On Friday, Holland College attributed its suspension of eight academic programs — and reductions to three courses — to Ottawa’s cap on international students and changes to post-graduation work permits.

In an interview with CTV News Monday, Sandy MacDonald, the college’s president, called it a “very difficult” decision.

“In our history, we move programs around from time to time. We’ve suspended a single program or two programs in the past, but we never had any layoffs to this extent – maybe one or two – but not 35. It’s cast a bit of a pall over the school.”

The college projects international student enrollment will drop sharply, from 799 in 2024 – a high for the institution – to about 140 in 2026, which would mark an 83 per cent reduction.

Along with the cap and post-graduation work permits, MacDonald says Canadian colleges and universities are facing damage to their reputation.

Halpin agrees, saying a “lot of damage” has been done to Canada’s international standing and brand.

“At one time, we were considered the most welcoming country in the world for international students,” says Halpin. “That has changed quite dramatically. So, in addition to these policy changes, there’s also very long delays in visa processing, which is very discouraging to international students.”

Meanwhile, about 10 per cent of the Nova Scotia Community College population has been international students, a total that remained unchanged last year.

But numbers for the upcoming school year will be reduced by half, meaning only about 550 students will come from abroad.

Like many other schools, it means revisiting how they plan for the future.

“We have to look at what our programs attract and orienting our programs in the marketplace towards more domestic students,” says Andrew Lafford, the vice-president, academic for NSCC. “That’s the work ahead of us right now.”

In Fredericton, St. Thomas University says it was on an “upward trajectory” coming out of COVID-19, but estimates they missed out on about 30 international students last year, which is equal to about $600,000.

“We do expect this year to run a deficit, of which about half will be due to the changes by the federal government,” says spokesperson Jeffrey Carleton. “What was ironic in our circumstances is we did have residence space for these students, we did have classroom space for these students.”

New Brunswick Community College has already announced several program suspensions and cancellations, along with 66 jobs cut.

The school says more program decisions are expected later this spring.