Foreign student cap could actually see P.E.I. numbers climb — but schools remain concerned

The province has released data on how many new international students will be allowed to enrol in Prince Edward Island's post-secondary schools next year under new federal restrictions.

If P.E.I.'s higher education institutions actually get that many students from outside Canada enrolling, however, it would still be an increase from the current year's numbers.

Citing efforts to slow a national housing crisis, the federal government announced its enrolment restrictions on Jan. 22, capping by 35 per cent how many student permits may be issued for the next two years across Canada. Only first-year undergraduate international students must go through this new process. 

Under the cap, provincial Advanced Learning Minister Jenn Redmond said Thursday, P.E.I. has been told it can bring in up to 2,000 new students across all its institutions.

The province distributed the majority of those spots to the University of Prince Edward Island, which will be able to enrol up to 1,185 international students; 710 spots for Holland College; and 105 for the French-language Collège de l'Île.

Both institutions' enrolment figures in the recent past are well below next year's capped numbers. Last year, UPEI was the choice of 675 new international students. A Holland College official told CBC it has about 500 international students coming in each year.

"The allotment distribution … would be somewhat connected to past history numbers," Redmond said. "What it will look like going forward, with this new program, we will have to collect the data going forward."

The new system requires post-secondary institutions to inform the government about each potential international student who has applied to study on the Island. Then the Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population will provide each school with paperwork to pass on to prospective students.

That document, a provincial attestation letter, will be needed when students apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for their study permit.

Once applicants are granted study permits from the federal department, those permits will be valid throughout their time studying at their chosen post-secondary institution.

Concerns remain

But both Holland College and UPEI leaders tell CBC News they remain concerned about how the new process will impact the ability to get new students through the process and on to campus in September.

"For context, both international and Canadian students typically apply and are accepted each year at multiple universities. Last year, UPEI made 3,200 offers to international students, and of those, 675 enrolled. This represents a conversion rate of 21 per cent," interim president of UPEI Dr. Greg Keefe said in an email to CBC News Thursday. 

"What this new allocation means is that UPEI will have to develop a process to ensure that we distribute the 1,185 offers as prudently as possible so that a higher percentage of those students actually choose to come to UPEI, and we can maintain our international enrolment numbers."

CBC News also reached out to Collège de l'Île to inquire about their enrolment numbers, but did not receive a response from the institution.