Stagnant funding, tuition freezes, and over-reliance on worldwide pupil charges are pushing establishments towards program cuts and layoffs and, probably, impacting innovation, in line with a Brock College professor.
“One of the best ways to have innovation is to really have totally different faculties and totally different universities working parallel applications in order that they will study from each other,” stated Louis Volante, an academic research professor at Brock College.
The federal authorities has been cracking down on the variety of worldwide college students getting into the nation. In January 2024, they introduced a 35-per-cent lower to check permits issued and new restrictions for worldwide college students. One other 10-per-cent lower got here in September.
Some faculties are already feeling the impression. Hamilton’s Mohawk School projected a $50 million deficit in November for the 2025-2026 faculty yr. The faculty already lower 20 per cent of their administrative jobs in December, with extra cuts to be introduced later this month.
The cuts have additionally led to many applications being suspended, together with Broadcasting, Human Assets Administration, and Tourism.
In Toronto, Seneca Polytechnic stated in October it could quickly shut one in every of its campuses, citing the drop in worldwide college students.
WATCH | Brock College professor explains the dangers of slicing faculty and college applications primarily based on enrolment
Brock professor explains the dangers of slicing faculty and college applications primarily based on enrolment
Brock College professor Louis Volante says stagnant funding, tuition freezes, and an over-reliance on worldwide pupil charges are pushing Ontario faculties and universities towards program cuts and layoffs and, probably, impacting innovation.
“It’s totally tough to be modern if you happen to’re the one particular person on the block,” stated Volante.
Alex Usher, president of Larger Training Technique Associates, stated Canada has “been in a position to faux we have got a world-class college system for the final 15 years.”
“It has been the worldwide college students which have saved all of it afloat,” he informed Ontario Chronicle final yr.
Usher stated with fewer worldwide college students, universities should both ask Canadian college students and their dad and mom to pay extra, or inform governments it is time to improve “contributions to universities and faculties.”
Tuitions in Ontario have been frozen since 2019 and Training Minister Jill Dunlop stated final yr they are going to proceed to be till no less than 2026-2027.
Universities additionally in danger
Universities, whereas not being as affected by worldwide pupil cuts, are nonetheless in danger.
Ten Ontario universities reported over $300 million in loses within the 2023-24 faculty yr, and projected $600 million in 2024-25, in line with Steve Orsini, president of the Council of Ontario Universities.
Volante stated within the final 20 years, there’s been a “blurring of strains” between faculties and universities and what they do.
“In truth, universities at the moment are being requested to type of use metrics which have lengthy been utilized by group faculties to evaluate the effectiveness of applications,” he stated, resulting in low-performing college applications additionally being lower.
Volante stated the primary applications to go are those with “barely decrease demand” that may not translate into high-paying positions for college students after commencement.
Nevertheless, he stated it is “very tough to say with any certainty,” that one kind of program results in sure financial returns, “as a result of college students change applications on a regular basis.”
“They develop expertise in a wide range of totally different programs that they take. So it is a very harmful path to take once you begin privileging some applications over others, underneath the idea that 100 per cent that is going to generate higher returns by way of earnings,” stated Volante.
Ontario ranks final in post-secondary funding
Volante stated, when taking inflation into consideration, these post-secondary establishments get much less cash now than they did 10 years in the past.
In response to the Canadian Affiliation of College Academics and the Council of Ontario Universities, Ontario has ranked final throughout the provinces for no less than the previous 20 years with regards to per-student funding, regardless of being house to 40 per cent of the Canadian college system.
Volante stated these numbers return no less than 50 years.
He stated establishments might begin to focus solely on applications they’re finest identified for, with universities leaning in direction of STEM fields and faculties going again to specializing in the trades and “different applications that readily lend themselves to post-graduation employment.
Innovation won’t be the one sufferer of those cuts, Volante stated, as fewer applications and bigger class sizes might translate into much less help for particular person college students.
“Ultimately … it will have an effect on the standard of a educating and studying surroundings,” he stated.
“Cuts to high schools, finally, are cuts to college students.”
