British Columbia’s post-secondary institutions are walking the tight rope; recently the federal government has made the stunning move of cutting 45 percent of international student visas. The cuts came due to concerns over student exploitation and pressure on local rental housing markets resulting in drastic falls in international student enrollment along with corresponding revenue.

Foreign students pay, on average, four or five times more than Canadian students to attend B.C. colleges, making them a huge source of revenue for most institutions. With enrolment plummeting sharply, B.C. colleges are in serious financial jeopardy – and some are already having to cut services and jobs. Some colleges have reported falls of over 50 per cent in international student numbers, a sudden and substantial loss of revenue already contributing to programme and job cuts.

Langara College in Vancouver, for example, has shed more than 100 positions already, and other schools, including Camosun College on Vancouver Island, are bracing for a similar impact. The college had anticipated having that number of international students; now it is looking at a $5-million deficit because of 400 fewer international students than what was originally projected. The college will lay off and eliminate vacant positions across all employee groups as part of its preparations.

The president of the Camosun College Faculty Association, Lynelle Yutani, brought home the human element of such cuts. “These decisions cut into people’s lives, their livelihoods and the quality of education that students receive,” she said, pointing out that most of the instructors that will be laid off are long-term faculty members.

The crisis reiterates a broader issue of underfunding in B.C.’s post-secondary sector that has increasingly relied on international student tuition to fill budget gaps. As the province waits for developments, B.C. colleges are calling on Premier David Eby’s government to support urgently as they face a shortfall in finances.