International study permit data an ‘earthquake’ for Canadian university finances
A dramatic decline in international study permits issued last year is quickly becoming an existential threat to the finances of Canadian postsecondary schools, say organizations representing the institutions.
“The drop in international students is like an earthquake hitting an education system that’s already structurally weakened by years of underinvestment,” said Gabriel Miller, president and CEO of Universities Canada.
Background, Foreign Student Scam Origin – Canada’s International Student Boom Was A $148M Government Campaign
Canada’s international student boom went from success to liability over just a few years. Policymakers that promoted the growth are now suddenly passing blame, presenting it as an overwhelming surprise. It turns out the growth was the intended outcome of a $148 million plan, including a new brand jointly owned and operated by the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments. Policymakers are now presenting new limits as a response to public outcry, coincidentally in the same year the strategy ended. What timing!
As Canadians grapple with astronomical grocery prices, troublingly high numbers of people are flocking to food banks to feed their families. Last March alone, two million Canadians visited food banks—a staggering 90 per cent increase from 2019—and the most recent figures estimate that 12,000 new users access them every month. Food banks aren’t just frequented by unhoused and precariously employed folks anymore, either: now, one in five users has 
