TORONTO — Considered one of Ontario’s largest schools is suspending dozens of applications within the newest spherical of cuts at post-secondary establishments because the federal authorities reduces the variety of worldwide college students in Canada.
Toronto’s Centennial School stated 49 full-time applications won’t settle for new college students within the 2025-26 tutorial 12 months, together with 16 applications in its enterprise college, 14 applications in its media college and 7 applications in its engineering college.
It stated the adjustments won’t affect college students who’re at the moment enrolled in these applications and they’re going to be capable to graduate.
School president and CEO Craig Stephenson stated the establishment is adapting to adjustments within the federal authorities’s immigration coverage that led to an enormous drop in worldwide pupil enrolments, which considerably impacted the college’s monetary standing.
The faculty anticipates new worldwide enrolments will decline by 43 per cent within the present tutorial 12 months, leading to a lack of almost 5,000 worldwide college students in comparison with the 2023-24 tutorial 12 months.
“We’re adapting to federal immigration coverage adjustments which have had vital implications for our enrolments and funds inside the present provincial funding and coverage context,” Stephenson stated in a press release.
“As we proceed to coach college students for profession success on this new actuality, we’re adjusting our full-time tutorial program choices following a complete, evidence-based assessment.”
Stephenson stated job cuts are “unavoidable” amid this system suspensions however the school is making these adjustments to make sure its long-term sustainability.
Centennial School’s announcement comes as schools and universities throughout the nation face program and staffing cuts after Ottawa’s choice early final 12 months to slash the variety of worldwide pupil permits, with Ontario seeing its allotment lower in half.
The federal authorities introduced final September that it will additional cut back the cap for this 12 months to 437,000 permits, down from the 2024 goal of 485,000. Ottawa’s plan means some 300,000 fewer worldwide research permits shall be issued over the subsequent few years.
Ontario schools which have introduced program cuts in latest months embrace Algonquin School, which stated it was planning to shut its campus in Perth, Ont., by the tip of August 2026 as a result of “unprecedented” monetary challenges.
Algonquin School president and CEO Claude Brulé stated in a message to the college neighborhood on Jan. 9 the establishment is projecting a $32 million loss in income within the 2024-25 fiscal 12 months and it is anticipating a deficit of $60 million for 2025-26 and $96 million for 2026-27 if no measures have been taken to mitigate the finances crunch.
“That is an especially tough choice that isn’t taken calmly and is a direct results of the monetary challenges we face,” he stated.
Brulé stated the school can be conducting a full assessment of its applications, administrative and help providers to focus sources on its core operations.
“These are probably the most difficult fiscal occasions within the school’s historical past. I perceive how morale is being negatively impacted and workers and learners could also be feeling involved and anxious as they await updates,” he stated.
Sheridan School stated in November it was suspending 40 applications together with some in utilized science and expertise, enterprise and animation, however that present college students would nonetheless be capable to graduate. Seneca Polytechnic has quickly shuttered its Markham, Ont., campus north of Toronto due to an anticipated decline in pupil inhabitants.
The president of Centennial School stated the college will proceed to supply 128 full-time applications and admit new college students, with the opportunity of reintroducing the suspended applications “sooner or later.”
Ontario’s post-secondary establishments, particularly schools, turned more and more to worldwide college students after the provincial authorities lower home tuition by 10 per cent in 2019 and froze it there. The province stated final 12 months it will preserve these tuition charges frozen however introduced an extra $1.3 billion in funding for post-secondary establishments over three years.
Many Ontario schools and universities stated they have been working deficits and the province’s top-up is about half of what they wanted.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 22, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
