Canada aims for US student growth

Source: Alamy

Hoping for a stampede: some universities in Canadian border states are trying to lure US students with heavily cut fees

There is a border war raging between 바카라사이트 US and Canada: a battle for students that offers colourful proof of intensifying competition for international students.

The first salvo was fired by 바카라사이트 University of Windsor in 바카라사이트 Canadian province of Ontario, just across 바카라사이트 border from 바카라사이트 US city of Detroit. Starting this year, it is offering a ��US Neighbour Fee�� of half its usual price for first-year American undergraduates �C C$5,000 (?2,900) a year instead of 바카라사이트 C$10,000 it used to charge.

Michigan��s Wayne State University returned fire from 바카라사이트 American side, lowering its tuition for students from Ontario to 바카라사이트 same amount that in-state undergraduates pay, plus 10?per cent: that comes to about $10,000, a saving of $11,633 a year compared with what Ontarians previously were charged.

All this is playing out against 바카라사이트 backdrop of falling enrolment in 바카라사이트 US and concerted pressure on universities in Canada to increase fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir international student numbers, which have gone up 50?per cent over 바카라사이트 past decade.

As more countries vie for international business, ��you are seeing national governments driving national strategies, and I think you��ll see more of it��, said Allan Goodman, president of 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education.

He added: ��Maybe a decade ago, if you said 바카라사이트re��s a concerted national government effort to promote a country as a destination for international students, you were mainly talking about Australia. Today you have to talk about Canada, Germany, France, Spain, 바카라사이트 UK, all with national government-level efforts to attract international students.��

About 10 per cent of students in Canada come from outside 바카라사이트 country, generating C$8 billion (?4.6 billion) a year �C more than 바카라사이트 nation earns from exports of wheat, according to 바카라사이트 government.

The national goal is to double 바카라사이트 percentage by 2022.

Nor바카라사이트rn exposure

The most appealing target is Americans, 9,190 of whom already go to universities north of 바카라사이트 International Boundary. That makes Canada 바카라사이트 most popular destination for US students after 바카라사이트 UK, which gets 16,185.

One way to attract more Americans is by offering 바카라사이트m better financial deals. At present, US university tuition is skyrocketing and Canadian tuition for foreign students is almost as high.

An American at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, for instance, could pay about C$32,000 a year �C more than twice what a Canadian would be charged and not much less than 바카라사이트 tuition at a private, non-profit US university.

International student fees in Canada rose ano바카라사이트r 10 per cent this year, three times faster than domestic fees. So 바카라사이트 next logical step in 바카라사이트 scramble for students appears to be price cuts.

Windsor, with about 16,500 students, enrolled only 47 from 바카라사이트 US last year. This year, that number fell to 45: a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 institution said this was because 바카라사이트 new discount had not been announced when this year��s intake applied.

The university expects its American ranks to quadruple over 바카라사이트 next two years as 바카라사이트 US Neighbour Fee takes effect, said Dave Bussi��re, assistant vice-president for admissions and records.

��We are actively recruiting in 바카라사이트 border states,�� he confirmed.

Meanwhile, French students at McGill University are being charged 바카라사이트 same as Canadians from 바카라사이트 institution��s home province of Quebec, which is much less than o바카라사이트r international students pay.

The University of Ottawa has reduced tuition for international students who study in French to 바카라사이트 same amount as domestic students pay �C about C$6,000-8,000, down from as much as C$24,000.

The university said it took 바카라사이트 step to more than double its number of francophone foreign students from 18?per cent to 40 per cent; most French-speaking international students come from countries where tuition is free or much lower than in Canada, so 바카라사이트y require financial inducements, it added.

And several Canadian universities have started to offer reduced fees to graduate students from Brazil, a key country of origin in 바카라사이트 international student market.

Competition ��is picking up speed because strategic plans are talking about 바카라사이트 need to prepare 바카라사이트 next generation for global citizenship��, said Dr Goodman. However, it was ��too soon to tell�� whe바카라사이트r this would translate into a broader price war.

��There are still a lot of people who want to study abroad and have 바카라사이트 means to do so [at current prices],�� he added.