Category: Tuition fees

  • Three-quarters of global study decisions determined by cost

    Three-quarters of global study decisions determined by cost

    International students are increasingly looking for affordable destinations and alternative programs rather than give up on study abroad due to increasing costs, a new ApplyBoard survey has shown.  

    While 77% of surveyed students ranked affordable tuition fees as the most important factor shaping study decisions, only 9% said they planned to defer their studies based on these concerns, according to a recent student survey from ApplyBoard edtech firm.  

    “Students weren’t planning to wait for things to change,” said ApplyBoard senior communications manager Brooke Kelly: “They’re considering new destinations, adjusting which programs they apply to, and accepting that they have to balance work with study, but they’re still planning to study abroad,” she maintained.  

    Just over one in four students said they were considering different study destinations than originally planned, with Denmark, Finland, Nigeria and Italy the most popular emerging destinations.  

    Additionally, 55% of students said they would have to work part-time to afford their study abroad program.  

    After affordability, came employability (57%), career readiness (49%), high-quality teaching (47%), and program reputation (45%), as factors shaping student decision-making.  

    With students increasingly thinking about work opportunities, software and civil engineering topped students’ career choices, with nursing as the second most popular field. Tech fields including IT, cybersecurity, and data analysis also showed strong interest. 

    What’s more, interest in PhD programs saw a 4% rise on the previous year, while over half of students were considering master’s degrees, indicating that students are increasingly prioritising credentials and post-study work opportunities.  

    [Students are] considering new destinations, adjusting which programs they apply to, and accepting that they have to balance work with study, but they’re still planning to study abroad

    Brooke Kelly, ApplyBoard

    The study surveyed over 3,500 students from 84 countries, with the most represented countries being Nigeria, Ghana, Canada, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.  

    Given its share of international students, it should be noted that China is absent from the top 10 most represented countries.  

    As students’ priorities shift and currencies fluctuate, “diversity will be key to mitigate against increased volatility and to ensure campuses remain vibrant with students from all around the world,” said Kelly.  

    Meanwhile, institutions should increase communication about scholarships and financial aid, offer more hybrid learning experiences and highlight programs on different timelines such as accelerated degrees, she advised.  

    While alternative markets are on the rise, 65% of respondents said they were only interested in studying in one of the six major destinations, with Canada followed by the US, UK, Australia, Germany and Ireland, in order of popularity.  

    Despite Canada’s international student caps, the largest proportion of students said they were ‘extremely’, ‘very’ or ‘moderately’ interested in the study destination, highlighting its enduring appeal among young people.  

    While stricter controls on post study work were implemented in Canada last year, in a rare easing of policies, the IRCC recently said that all college graduates would once again be eligible for post study work.  

    This change, combined with the fact that international students can still be accompanied by their dependants while studying in Canada, is likely to have contributed to it maintaining its attractiveness, according to Kelly.  

    Source link

  • Study permit caps not to blame for Ontario college funding crisis

    Study permit caps not to blame for Ontario college funding crisis

    Educators in Ontario are setting the record straight about the cause of the province’s college funding crisis – the blame for which, they say, falls squarely on the Ontario provincial government.  

    “We currently see a wave of Ontario college program closures/suspensions sweeping across all of Ontario’s 24 colleges… This is just the tip of the iceberg and there will be many more to follow,” school educator and former college administrator David Deveau wrote in a letter to government officials.  

    “This letter aims to correct the media’s false assertion that these program suspensions are a direct result of the federal government’s restrictions on international student visa approvals and identify the actual reason for this alarming trend across the Ontario college system,” he continued.  

    The letter, which has been widely shared by sector stakeholders, lays the blame for Ontario’s college crisis on decades of underfunding from the provincial government, exacerbated by a 10% tuition fee reduction and freeze in 2019.  

    “Ontario’s higher education sector is in crisis due to chronic underfunding, tuition freezes, and a reliance on international student tuition as a financial lifeline,” said Chris Busch, senior international officer at the University of Windsor.  

    In 2001/02, Ontario’s colleges received 52.5% of their revenue from public funding, the second lowest of any province, according to Canada’s statistics agency.  

    By 2019/20, this figure had dropped to 32%, by far the lowest proportion across Canada’s provinces and territories, which, on average, provided 69% of college funding that year.   

    “Colleges and universities have had to attract talent from abroad, increasingly enrolling international student to help fill the funding gap,” said Vinitha Gengatharan, assistant VP of global engagement at York University.  

    This is particularly evident at the college level, where institutions have seen international student enrolment of 30-60%, compared to universities where it ranges from 10-20%, added Gengatharan.

    Educators across Ontario’s college and university sector have spoken out in support of Deveau’s letter, calling for a long-term commitment to stable and adequate funding from the provincial government.  

    In recent weeks, Ontario’s 24 public colleges have made the headlines for sweeping budget cuts, course closures and staff layoffs.  

    Stakeholders have raised additional concerns about increased class sizes and deferred maintenance and tech upgrades eroding the quality of education and the student experience for all learners, including Ontarians, Busch maintained.  

    This week, Algonquin College announced the closure of its campus in Perth, Ontario, alongside the cancellation of 10 programs and the suspension of 31, citing “unprecedented financial challenges”.  

    It follows Sheridan and St. Lawrence colleges announcing course suspensions with associated layoffs, and Mohawk College cutting 20% of admin jobs.  

    The ability of Ontario’s universities to fulfil their mission – providing high-quality education, driving research, and fuelling the economy with talent – is at significant risk under current conditions
    Chris Busch, University of Windsor

    “What is currently happening within our colleges is a downward spiral that will hurt Ontarians, the labour market, and our economies in the end,” wrote Deveau, adding that it was especially important to be strong in the face of externally imposed tariffs from the Trump administration.  

    In the letter, Deveau said the tuition freeze – which continues to this day – is akin to a “chokehold suffocating the life out of the college system” that is eliminating vital programs, restricting career choices of Ontarians and “jeopardising the province’s economic future”. 

    He raised attention to the “domino effect” of program closures impacting students’ career prospects, faculty layoffs and damaging local economies.  

    “The ability of Ontario’s universities to fulfil their mission – providing high-quality education, driving research, and fuelling the economy with talent – is at significant risk under current conditions,” said Busch.  

    In March 2023, the Ontario government itself published a Blue-Ribbon Report recognising the need to increase direct provincial support for colleges and universities, “providing for both more money per student and more students” and raising tuition fees.

    Last year, the Ontario government injected $1.3 billion into colleges and universities over three years to stabilise the sector’s finances, though critics are demanding systemic funding changes rather than “stop-gap” and “gimmicky” proposals, said Deveau.  

    Nationwide, Canada’s colleges were dealt another blow when the IRCC announced its new PGWP eligibility criteria, which stakeholders warned risked “decimating” Canada’s college sector.

    It is feared that more Ontario colleges will face cuts before the province’s 2025 budget, expected in April.  

    The PIE News reached out to the Ontario government but is yet to hear back.

    Source link