Further to my February message regarding the federal government’s significant changes to Canada’s international student program, including caps on international study permits, the provincial Ministry of Colleges and Universities has announced its formula for distributing the reduced number of permits allocated to colleges and universities in Ontario.
For the year ahead, 96% of Ontario’s international study permit applications will be allocated to public institutions with 80% earmarked for public colleges.
I am grateful that the Ministry has devised a formula that recognizes the important role of Ontario’s public colleges, the value that international students and graduates bring to our communities, and the importance of addressing key labour shortages across Ontario.
While it will take time to fully assess the short and long-term impacts of the allocation formula, we are well-positioned to adapt to these changes given our history of strong financial management including being debt-free, important recent investments in our brand and our team via record hiring, and our entrepreneurial spirit. Given encouraging trends that we are seeing in domestic demand, and with the right strategies to address changes in international enrolments, I am confident that we can maintain the momentum we’ve created in recent years, with continued strong enrolments at our Niagara-based campuses.
In addition to caps on study permits, the federal immigration department also implemented changes in eligibility for post-graduate work permits. Under the new policy, students at a public college private partnership (PPP), including Niagara College Toronto, will no longer be eligible for post-graduate work permits. We know that this will impact international demand and reduce enrolments for the Niagara College programs that we deliver through this partnership with the Toronto School of Management. We are working with our partner to assess the impact of these new policies and our long-term approach for Niagara College Toronto.
From a revenue perspective, it’s important to note that when we launched Niagara College Toronto, we made the strategic decision to keep partnership revenue separate from our operational budget. Instead, these revenues have contributed to budget surpluses that will support strategic investments in new facilities at our Niagara campuses, as outlined in our Master Plan.
I am grateful for our outstanding advocacy work with the help of employers and other external stakeholders. These important efforts to articulate the significant positive impact of our college and its students – here in Niagara and beyond – is clearly reflected in the province’s allocation formula.
I will share additional information as we continue to assess the full impact of these changes, and in the meantime, we will continue to dream big, and harness our trailblazing and collaborative organizational culture.
