University enrolment cap rob schools of cultural diversity: USask

The cap on international students affect schools will mean a less culturally rich experience for universities, says a University of Saskatchewan professor.

Patti McDougall is a deputy provost officer and associate psychology professor at the University of Saskatchewan. She said the federal government’s cap on international students will have an adverse effect.

“The decline in the number of international students at the University of Saskatchewan has resulted in a significant reduction in tuition revenue that then creates harm to the financial sustainability of the university,” she said.

CKOM reported last October that Jerome Cranston, the university’s vice provost, said the school saw a decrease in international students of about 11.5 per cent.

He suspects the reason for this drop in students is because of the federal cap.

Read more: 

• Fewer international students adding to university budget challenges
• Sask. post-secondary institutions navigating international student cap

Universities are allowed to accept nearly half of the amount of students per year than in previous years.

McDougall said not only has this affected finances but also other elements that Canada prides itself on.

“The reduced number of international students coming onto our campus, meaning the diversity and cultural richness that international students bring to the University of Saskatchewan is severely reduced,” McDougall said.

Canadian universities are being forced to tighten their financial belts as they struggle with plummeting enrolment from international students who pay higher tuitions. The government’s target for study permits this year is 437,000 nationwide, a 10 per cent reduction over 2024.

McDougall says international students bring with them fresh perspectives.

“Students who come to us from countries around the world bring with them different lived experiences, different cultural practices, different world views and all of those things bring a richness into our classrooms, laboratories (and) student focused activities, be it student groups”

“It creates a narrowing of what that student experience looks like. World class universities are full of international students. That’s what it means to be functioning at that level.”

McDougall said the University of Saskatchewan’s international student body makes up 12 per cent of the total student body. She said enrolment is down from the previous year of 14 per cent, which accounts for a loss of 500 students.

Ottawa first introduced it’s cap on study permits in 2024, which it says contributed to a roughly 40 per cent reduction in international students and “eased” the rental housing market in areas with high student populations.

Tuition for these students varies by school, but international fees are typically four to five times what domestic students pay.

Mary Feltham, chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, said that they’re receiving reports of program cuts and reduced on-campus services.

She said the reduction of international student enrolment is creating a domino effect that extends off campus.

— With files from The Canadian Press and CJME’s Joshua Potter

Read more: 

• Fewer international students adding to university budget challenges
• Sask. post-secondary institutions navigating international student cap