Conestoga College Sees 97% Drop in International Student Permits

The number of new international study permits issued for students wishing to attend Conestoga College has plummeted by an astonishing 97 percent. Between January and June 2024, only 540 new permits were approved by the Canadian federal government, a stark contrast to the 17,600 permits granted during the same period in 2023. The significant reduction comes as the government seeks to alleviate pressure on housing and other essential services.

Conestoga College, located in Kitchener, Ontario, was previously recognized as a leader in recruiting foreign students, particularly between 2022 and 2024. By the summer of 2024, international students accounted for nearly 90 percent of the college’s enrolment, with many paying tuition fees that are two to four times higher than those charged to Canadian students.

Leopold Koff, president of the union representing faculty, librarians, and counsellors at the college, expressed concern over the government’s decision. “It shows you where they bet on the wrong horse,” Koff stated. “They didn’t really think it through and really look at it from a long-term strategic viewpoint.” He emphasized that the lessons in strategic planning taught at the college seem to have been overlooked by its executive team.

In response to the decline in international enrolment, Conestoga’s administration has begun implementing measures to address the financial impact. A recent head count revealed a reduction of approximately 1,800 faculty and staff compared to the previous year. This includes the layoff of 191 support staff positions in April 2024. Labour unrest has followed, with unionized support staff joining 23 other Ontario community colleges in a strike this month. Their demands include a three-year freeze on campus closures and staff reductions.

While the college has welcomed an increase of 754 Canadian students—a 27 percent rise during the spring semester that ended last month—this has not sufficiently offset the loss of 14,049 international students, which represents a 62 percent decrease.

The federal government has extended permits for 3,990 foreign students already attending Conestoga for the first half of 2025. Although their continued presence assists the college financially, the number of permit extensions has also declined, dropping by 18 percent from the previous year as students graduate or leave without new enrolments to take their place.

Starting in January 2025, Conestoga intends to charge international students full foreign tuition for courses they fail or miss. This change ends a previously established program where the college offered reduced Canadian rates for foreign students repeating courses.

President John Tibbits has warned that the college is facing an operating deficit for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. This marks a significant shift, as the institution had achieved successive surpluses totaling $558 million over the previous four years, adjusted for inflation.

Conestoga College is now navigating a challenging landscape as it adjusts to these dramatic changes in its international student pipeline, a situation that may have lasting implications for its operational strategy and financial health.