Colleges and universities face job cuts, deficits amid international student cap

Ontario's colleges and universities say the federal government's cap on international students is taking a toll on the higher education sector as some schools face growing deficits, layoffs and, in at least one case, a temporary campus closure.

Ontario's colleges and universities say the federal government's cap on international students is taking a toll on the higher education sector as some schools face growing deficits, layoffs and, in at least one case, a temporary campus closure.

St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont., said it has eliminated 30 administrative and support positions and warned of further job cuts after its foreign student enrolment dropped by 50 per cent.

President and CEO Glenn Vollebregt said the college is participating in a provincewide efficiency review that is expected to conclude early next year and as that unfolds, "SLC cannot guarantee that there will be no further layoffs."

However, the school will "continue hiring positions of all types" — including a director of Indigenous services — to ensure it can still operate "efficiently," Vollebregt said in a statement.

Mohawk College in Hamilton has also told its staff that layoffs are on the horizon, while Seneca Polytechnic will temporarily shutter one of its campuses north of Toronto by the end of the fall semester.

"Due to recent decisions by the federal government related to international students, we are expecting enrolment at Markham Campus to decline," Seneca said in a statement last month, adding that students displaced by the closure will be moved to two other campuses.

Several universities say they're also staring down cuts amid financial uncertainty.