New information is being shared regarding Fanshawe’s allocation of international student visas.

In a note to staff on April 2, Fanshawe president Peter Devlin said the allocation from the Ontario Government was “slightly less than 2023 international student levels,” but did not provide exact numbers. At this time, Devlin said the college is continuing to “evaluate the impact on programs and budgets.”

This comes after an initial email was sent to staff on March 28, announcing that the government had provided the college with its allocation, but which offered no additional information.

Both emails invited staff to attend a virtual town hall, set to be held on April 9 at 10 a.m. In the email sent March 28, Devlin said the town hall will “cover the government update, offer insights into our college finances at a high level, outline a timeline for the coming year and share some important College updates.”

The second email, sent on April 2, offered further details regarding how the government had decided on its allocation, but still did not outline exactly how many international student visas Fanshawe would be receiving.

“The government allocation formula was thoughtful,” Devlin explained in the email sent April 2. “The province recognized institutions that had strong programs tied to labour market needs, robust student supports, balanced domestic and international student populations and institutions that operate in growing regions.”

The note to staff on April 2 stated there was still uncertainty as the educational sector awaits further clarity from the government. In both the email sent on March 28, and the email sent on April 2, Devlin asked that staff “continue to maintain a conservative spending approach.”

At an earlier town hall held on Feb. 15, Devlin told staff he anticipated some programs and sections wouldn’t be offered during the upcoming school year due to lower student demand.

On Jan. 22, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that the federal government will introduce a temporary, two-year cap on new international student permits. A cap of 364,000 approved study permits will be introduced, representing a 35 per cent reduction from 2023. The cap will be allocated by province based on population, meaning some provinces may see more significant decreases than others. The provinces and territories have been working together to determine how the cap will be distributed among the designated learning institutions under their jurisdiction.

Interrobang will continue to cover this story throughout the summer months. Be sure to visit theinterrobang.ca to stay up to date as more information becomes available.