BCFS calls on province to invest in post-secondary education
Restrictions on international student enrolment can lead to cuts in programs and services

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The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS) is calling on the provincial government to take action on post-secondary funding issues in light of reduced international student enrolment.
Last January, the federal government announced a 35-per-cent decrease in international student enrolment, citing increasing intakes by institutions to drive revenues as well as mounting pressures on housing and health care.
In September, the Liberal government reported it will decrease international student enrolment by an additional 10 per cent this year and next.
Cole Reinbold, secretary-treasurer of the BCFS, says colleges and universities are facing massive financial deficits.
Camosun and Langara Colleges are among the schools with anticipated layoffs and budget shortfalls due to the reduction in international students. Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has also frozen hiring. As a result, these measures are leading to reduced or cut programs and services.
For years, student advocates have warned the provincial government about the vulnerability of post-secondary institutions in B.C. due to their reliance on international students, Reinbold says.
“We’re not just warning the provincial government anymore because the system isn’t on the brink of collapse — it is actively collapsing right now, before our very eyes .… It’s make or break right now.”
The BCFS estimates the province would need to invest $500 million into post-secondary institutions to make up for the shortfall.
Following the federal government’s announcement of reduced international student enrolment, the BCFS sent an open letter to Premier David Eby — written on behalf of more than 40 organizations representing over 864,100 British Columbians — that called for the completion of a funding review for the province’s post-secondary institutions.
The federation hopes to see its recommendations included in the mandate letter of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills for the newly elected provincial government.
“In the ‘80s, [provincial] funding was a little bit over 80 per cent of total institutional revenue,” Reinbold says.
“Now we’re at 41.1 per cent of all operating revenue for institutions coming from the province — that means that these public institutions are actually being funded by citizens. So yes, they’re public, but how public are they really?”
Reinbold says the provincial government is aware of the letter and calls for action, and is in communication with the federation.
In an email statement to The Runner, a Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills spokesperson wrote that operating grants for colleges and universities have increased every year since 2016-17. These grants have gone up by more than $1 billion between the 2016-17 and 2024-25 academic years.
“We remain committed to working with public post-secondary institutions and engaging with the federal government as our public institutions navigate these financially challenging times,” the spokesperson wrote.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, which saw international students make up 40 per cent of its total student enrolment during the 2022-23 academic year, is also facing a budget deficit due to restrictions.
KPU President Alan Davis wrote that the university has communicated to the federal government that these cuts harm not only international but also domestic students who might face limited program choices and fewer services due to the lost revenue.
He added that international student enrolment was down by 24 per cent in fall 2024 when compared to fall 2023.
“We are working through the budget implications of the reduction in enrolment. Mitigation measures taken to date include prudent budgeting, providing alternative workload assignments to some faculty, and offering retirement incentives to eligible employees,” Davis wrote. “If further measures are needed, they will be shared with the university community first.”