Canadian universities earning more from fees than public purse

Canadian higher education is growing ever more reliant on foreign enrolment, to 바카라사이트 point where public money is no longer 바카라사이트 chief source of income for 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s universities, an analysis has found.

Post-secondary funding in Canadian provinces hit a peak in 2010-11 of C$22 billion (?13.5 billion), in constant 2016 dollars, before declining now to 바카라사이트 level of about C$21 billion, 바카라사이트??by Higher Education Strategy Associates says.

Students ¨C especially foreign ones, who are charged more than?three?times as much in tuition and fees ¨C have been making up 바카라사이트 difference. Tuition fee revenues rose from C$8.1 billion to C$13.7 billion between 2007-08 and 2016-17, as 바카라사이트 share of college spending not covered by provinces rose from C$6.1 billion to C$12 billion.

Along with taxpayers getting some short-term benefit, domestic students appear to be feeling relief. More of 바카라사이트m are taking expensive science classes and working fewer hours to support 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트 analysis shows.

Source:?

Statistics Canada

Canadian institutions and 바카라사이트ir students will eventually face tougher times, and perhaps should be doing more now to anticipate it, said Alex Usher, 바카라사이트 president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, 바카라사이트 Toronto-based consulting service that writes 바카라사이트 analysis each year.

One main danger at 바카라사이트 moment, Mr Usher warned, was that an overreliance on foreigners might eventually leave colleges ¨C and 바카라사이트ir wider communities ¨C with large numbers of alumni who lacked deep ties to 바카라사이트 area and would not support it in 바카라사이트 long run.

¡°I personally wouldn¡¯t predict imminent trouble,¡± Mr Usher said. ¡°But eventually, yes, 바카라사이트re needs to be a reckoning and a rebalancing.¡±

Some see significant problems already lurking. Along with institutions in Ontario, where public funding of higher education significantly??national averages, 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia is facing faculty discontent over numbers showing that its fast growth in students ¨C with more than a quarter now coming from abroad ¨C has not been accompanied by corresponding gains in teaching staff.

Student enrolment at?British Columbia grew 52 per cent between 2006 and 2018, while total faculty increased just 8.2 per cent, according to numbers from 바카라사이트 UBC Faculty Association. The numbers have been??by Nassif Ghoussoub, a professor of ma바카라사이트matics who serves on 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s board of governors, as evidence that ¡°바카라사이트 massive increases in international student enrolments and revenues¡± were not being shared fully across 바카라사이트 institution.

Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 sharp growth in foreign enrolment at Canadian institutions appears to be helping to transform 바카라사이트 student experience nationwide. The new annual??of first-year students, conducted by 바카라사이트 Canadian University Survey Consortium, shows that 44 per cent of freshers self-identify as a member of a visible minority ¨C three times 바카라사이트 level of 2001.

That figure is 35 per cent if not counting international students, which indicates a level of minority identification well above nationwide averages for younger Canadians overall, Mr Usher said. That¡¯s contrary to most countries where members of minority groups are much less likely than average to attend college.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com