Capilano University heavily relies on international students’ tuition – its sudden absence will bring changes.
Yasmine Modaresi (she/her) // Crew Writer
Cassandra VP (she/her) // Illustrator
Over the past few years, heated discussion brewed over the number of international students allowed in Canada. The debate was propelled by the desire to see the nation wide housing crisis solved, which was exacerbated by a steadily increasing stream of immigration, and Canada’s lack of infrastructure to support the influx of students, who predominantly reside in metropolitan areas. The lack of Canada’s resources became especially obvious throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, when it was not uncommon to hear horror stories about international students being conned by private, for-profit colleges, which offered few programs that are actually considered reputable by employers. Promises failed to be met by a plethora of private fraudulent institutions, commonly referred to as “diploma mills.”
The conversation culminated back in January of this year when the federal government’s decision to place a year “cap” on student visas, reducing the total of international students allowed to study in Canada. This policy aims to stabilize growth and address systemic issues related to the international student program, but for smaller institutions like Capilano University—which rely heavily on the revenue generated by international tuition fees—the federal cap raises important questions about the social and financial relations within the institution.
While the federal cap on student visas has ultimately been an attempt to mitigate fraud, control the mass settlement of international students, and make the entry level and low-wage job markets less competitive; there will also inevitably be consequences to the on-campus ecosystem. With 12,700 students enrolled annually, approximately 20% of Capilano U’s student body is composed of international students. International students who have already secured enrolment in a program are not at risk of being affected by this cap, and should be able to carry out their studies until the completion of their program of choice. However, the Capilano student body can expect to continue observing a decrease in enrolment of new international students, since the cap specifically targets new applicants.
With a decrease in international students enrolling at Capilano University, domestic fees will increase to compensate for the net revenue losses in the absence of international tuition fees. As a small and relatively young academic institution, it is unclear the extent these losses will impact CapU’s ability to grow as both an accredited academic and research institution. International fees often subsidize various programs and operational costs—especially following the reduction in domestic fees in many provinces—and the loss of revenue will likely result in some friction between higher education institutions in general with the Canadian government.
Aside from increasing domestic tuition fees, Capilano University, much like its neighbor Simon Fraser University, may also reduce the frequency at which courses are offered as well as program offering. Being a smaller institution,Capilano U has had a longstanding issue of limited course selection (i.e. certain courses only being offered as one section once per year), and this issue could potentially become more prominent with the decrease in revenue triggered by the cap. Additionally, entire programs with overall lower enrolment numbers and/or are less profitable to the institution may be eradicated entirely.
Not all is lost: Capilano U may still have success in alternative methods of generating funding outside of tuition, such as lobbying for increased government funding. Either way, this is a long-term endeavor that seeks to reevaluate public funding priorities, and could ultimately lead to significant change in how higher education is funded at both the provincial and national levels depending on professional involvement and community activism.