Overview

• The federal government’s study permit cap has driven steep revenue gaps, prompting Ontario’s 24 public colleges to eliminate almost 10,000 faculty and staff jobs and suspend more than 600 programs.
• Arbitrator William Kaplan found a 48% drop in international student enrolment at 23 colleges between September 2023 and September 2024, a decline that precipitated widespread cuts.
• Study permit issuances were reduced by 35% in 2024 with a further 10% cut in 2025 as Ottawa sought to ease pressures on housing and health services.
• The provincial government has injected over $2 billion in new funding over the past 14 months, but unions contend that these measures fall short of restoring financial stability.
• Critics point to a domestic tuition freeze since 2019 and chronic underfunding as factors that amplified the college sector’s dependence on higher-fee international students.