University of Saskatchewan sees drop in international students

Fewer international students are walking the halls at the University of Saskatchewan this fall.

Despite the drop, the U of S is sitting at 23,583 students for the fall 2024 semester, an increase of 0.9 per cent from last year.

Jerome Cranston, the university’s vice provost, said the school saw a decrease in international students of about 11.5 per cent.

He suspects the reason for this drop in students is because of the federal cap.

‘The federal government’s caps on international students and eligibility for what’s known as the postgraduate work permit have made Canada a less desirable country for new and returning international students,” he said.

Cranston said the drop won’t impact tuition or programs.

“USask is in a healthy financial position,” he said.

The University of Saskatchewan released what’s called a ‘census snapshot.’ It’s a headcount metric that measures the number of students registered in at least one class in the fall term on census day. (University of Saskatchewan/Submitted)

But, Cranston said, what does concern him is Saskatchewan losing out on talented international students.

“We’re very open to wanting to offer what the University of Saskatchewan and what Saskatchewan has to the world,” he said. “Some of the international students make decisions to stay, some come learn and take what they learned back home.”

The U of S is working closely with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to ensure students who want to learn here can.

“We have seen our numbers decline in terms of students awarded study permits,” Cranston said. “We want to work in partnership with both the provincial and the federal government and present the most likely candidates to get study permits.”

Although the number of international students is down, Cranston said domestic numbers are up.

“The University of Saskatchewan is still a magnet,” he said. “We are still drawing in, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, some really talented students.”

He said the data show the university is attracting students from Manitoba and Alberta.