Editorial: Reassuring news on foreign student quota

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The lobbying of the federal government by New Brunswick and its universities has paid off, with news Monday from provincial Labour Minister Greg Turner that the province will be able to maintain the number of international students it’s had, rather than suffer a dramatic cut as previously announced.

Minister Turner was generous in his praise of his federal counterpart Marc Miller for listening to provincial concerns and for “openness to supporting New Brunswick with its unique challenges to recruiting students abroad.” The welcome new terms may even allow the number of international students to rise slightly from before.

The numbers and formula used can be confusing, but the basic problem was this: we have an allotted quota of international students we can try to recruit, but also a reduced limit of actual students who can study here. That’s because the number of acceptance letters universities can send out was cut by 35 per cent.

The federal plan assumed 60 per cent of the acceptance letters would be taken up by students who typically apply to several schools to be sure of a spot somewhere. The 60 per cent rate applies in much of Canada, but New Brunswick Universities report a much lower, 40 per cent rate of those offered placements show up.

That would leave our universities severely short of international students compared to other universities. It’s more than just unfair.

International students pay 100 per cent tuition costs, often more than double what subsidized Canadian students pay. And with declining enrolments, inflation and penny-pinching governments, it’s crucial funding to maintain their quality courses of study for all.

Plus, some of these students will remain in the province, becoming newly trained professionals in fields in which we have shortages. And they enhance the experience of university life for all too.

It looks like New Brunswick has dodged a bullet.