A Calgary student’s perspective on the international enrolment cap
Posted Jan 24, 2024 1:58 pm.
Armaandip Singh Maan is an 18-year-old international student studying in Calgary. It’s the first time he’s been away from his home country of India.
The experience of studying abroad in Canada is familar for him and his friends, and the federal government cap on international students means fewer international students will be getting a Canadian education.
But, he sees the cap from both sides.
“It was good for the government and plus for the students too because the government will take only the students who are capable of doing something,” he said.
Part of the reason cited for the cap was the pressure on housing and other services in Canada.
Singh Maan says for friends in other cities, housing has been more expensive than in Calgary, but he has faced other barriers.
“It’s been two months — I’m looking for a part-time job — but, it’s kind of difficult to find it,” he said.
Post-secondary institutions in Calgary are waiting for details to see how the projected cap will play out in Alberta.
“We are concerned that the cap per province is going to add stress on an already stressed system and until more information is provided as to how each province will be rolling out this new program, it is diffiult to comment on its effect on Canada’s universities,” Universities Canada told CityNews, in part.
“We believe in an inclusive educational environment and we hope the government considers the far-reaching impact of this action on students and institutions alike,” the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University added.
The bottom line is changes like this might have international students like Singh Maan looking to other countries.
“If there is one way that is closed, there is another way that you can go and you can do wonders in that,” he said. “Don’t lose hope, Canada is not the only country in the whole world which is accepting the students, there are many other countries too.”
