Holland College projects $4M loss amid big decline in international student enrolment

Holland College says it expects a nearly 50 per cent drop in international students compared to last year due to federal immigration changes, leading to millions in lost tuition revenue for the Prince Edward Island post-secondary institution.

In a news release Thursday, the college said its 2025 enrolment numbers, presented to the board of governors last week, show the number of international students will fall from a high of 848 in 2024 to 446 this year — a 47 per cent decrease.

It projects an additional loss of about 300 international students for the 2026-27 academic year.

“We remain concerned about the federal immigration policies which continue to have an outsized impact on our region,” Holland College president and CEO Sandy MacDonald was quoted as saying in the release.

Over the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years combined, the college expects to lose about 700 international students. That’s about 83 per cent of its total international student population, according to the release.

The college estimates it will lose more than $4 million in tuition revenue this fiscal year, a trend it expects to continue.

The figures noted in the release reflect the fall 2025 intake and do not include any changes resulting from winter enrolment, the college said.

Holland College is not alone. Many post-secondary institutions across Canada are seeing similar declines in international enrolment.

Permits for international students have dropped sharply across the country this year after the federal government introduced a cap on new study permits in early 2024.

But the college points to one specific policy change as having a major effect: the tightening of eligibility rules for the post-graduate work permit (PGWP). Those permits allow international students who graduate from eligible Canadian post-secondary institutions to work in the country for up to three years.

Under the revised rules, students in non-degree programs must now complete studies in fields linked to labour shortages — such as health care, education and the trades — to qualify for the PGWP.

The college said this change has significantly reduced the number of its students eligible for the permit.

“Our significant drop in international student enrolment can be attributed directly to the federal government’s decision to restrict college students’ eligibility for a post-graduate work permit,” MacDonald said in the release.

“Fewer enrolled students mean fewer skilled professionals entering the workforce at a critical time for the growth of the Canadian economy.”