Assiniboine College in Brandon closes 5 programs and records a 78% drop in international applications

The number of international student applications fell by about 78 per cent at Assiniboine College in Brandon due to the federal cap on study permits, forcing the cancellation of some programs, the program manager said international students of the school.

“For the winter and spring 2025 terms, we have already had to cancel or reduce registrations in courses such as Office Automation, Pastry Basics, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Accounting and finance,” said Sandeep Rane.

It is among several Manitoba colleges facing declining international student enrollment due to the federal government’s cap on undergraduate permits.

Rane said Assiniboine has received almost 1,000 applications from international students per year so far, and the sharp decline forced them to close five of their programs.

This has also led to a decrease in the number of places for domestic students, as these programs are delivered without government funds and having a high international enrollment rate helps create new places for domestic students, a- he declared.

When there is an enrollment deficit domestically, international students come to support the program, he said.

In September, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced he would reduce the cap on study permits by another 10 percent. Canada plans a limit of 437,000 study permits in 2025 and 2026. In 2024, the target was 485,000 permits.

The changes follow scrutiny of the international student program, with experts warning that strong population growth was putting pressure on an already tight housing market.

Rane says when international students move to provinces like Manitoba, they contribute to their economy and job market.

“Businesses in our communities will also be impacted, as international students also bring an important source of human resources, particularly in rural Manitoba.”

Rane says the Manitoba Labor Market Outlook (2022-26) highlights a reported labor shortage in the retail trade, food services and office workers sectors.

“Our mandate is to prepare students to acquire the skills required in our job markets. Therefore, these program suspensions, coupled with our inability to supply the industry with qualified graduates, further limit the opportunities for local businesses to succeed and grow in the province.

He says 92 per cent of Assiniboine College graduates are gainfully employed within nine months of graduating, and 96 per cent stay in Manitoba and contribute to the province.

No international students at Herzing

Robin Day, national director of studies at Herzing College, said private colleges like Herzing had not received any places for study permits under the new rules.

As of Dec. 11, Herzing had five international students enrolled in Winnipeg, all of whom enrolled before the new announcement, and they will not receive more, Day said.

“Unfortunately, we simply have not been able to enroll any international students as we have not received any study permit places.”

A career college like Herzing is essentially assigned a quota based on the number of international students it has hosted in previous years, Day said. Herzing typically receives international students as transfers from other institutions and does not have direct applicants, so no quota is given to them, she said.

International students are also a source of revenue for Herzing, which will eventually put them in difficulty, she said.

Uncertainty among international students

Cheryl Prokopanko, executive director of the Manitoba Council for International Education, says the new federal policy is creating a lot of uncertainty among international students and the result is a dramatic drop in enrollment.

Talented, high-quality students are now looking to study elsewhere, she said.

“They contribute not only to the economy, but also to the research done in our research laboratories, like those at the University of Manitoba or Winnipeg, etc. “, she said.

“There are a lot of negative educational consequences for institutions, for instructors, and for the students who participate, whether they are domestic or international.”