University, college feel financial pinch

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This article was published 23/12/2024 (269 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine College expects a steep revenue drop, with international student earnings for 2025-26 falling from $21 million to $6 million, says the college’s communications and marketing director Anya McNabb.

Brandon University (BU) is also grappling with the fallout from a decline in international student enrolment, a trend reverberating across Canada in the wake of recent federal policy changes.

McNabb told the Sun that international student enrolment has been a significant revenue driver in the college, contributing to program expansion and domestic student opportunities.

“Before federal changes started being announced in January 2024, we were planning for continued growth, including 134 additional domestic seats, which was a direct consequence of international enrolment and program expansion,” McNabb said in an email. “At that time (pre-Jan 2024), the projected revenue from international activity was $21 million for 2025-26, which is now expected to fall closer to $6 million.”

Regarding its contingency plan, McNabb said the college has suspended intakes for several programs, primarily those heavily reliant on international students and not funded by provincial dollars.

Programs such as Baking Foundations, Accounting with Co-op, and Finance with Co-op have been shelved, while January intakes for Culinary Arts and Office Skills have been cut, alongside a reduction in Business Administration seats.

“The cancellations to date have largely been intakes of programs or reductions of seats in programs, not full programs themselves,” she said. “These programs will continue to run in September.”

The drop in international enrolment, she added, will impact Brandon’s local economy and businesses that cater to international students.

McNabb said the college collaborates closely with local and provincial employers to align its programming with labour market demands, adding international students typically achieve strong outcomes post-graduation, with 92 per cent of last year’s international graduates securing employment within nine months and 96 per cent choosing to remain in Manitoba.

“The reduction in international students will cut into the number of graduates ready to step into these jobs,” she noted.

BU is also feeling the pinch with international enrolment, particularly among first-year students, experiencing a decline.

Communications director Grant Hamilton acknowledged the financial implications but did not disclose the exact loss.

“The international student enrolment drop does come with a financial impact, but we have so far been able to manage that in our existing budget and budget estimates, without any cuts to staff, services, or offerings,” he said in an email. “You can find international students at BU in every faculty and department, the impact is not overly concentrated in any one particular area.”

Hamilton said program cuts are not on the university’s table, adding the institution would continue to invest in student recruitment.

“We’re proud to be Canada’s Finest Regional University and to have drawn so many students from Westman and southeastern Saskatchewan,” he added. “We’re especially proud of recent growth in Indigenous student population at BU and despite the challenges of recent federal decisions, we’re not slowing down our international recruitment either.”

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