Canadian universities report a strong increase in the number of candidates in the US: What is the reason?
Due to the discounts operated by Donald Trump in the federal financing of universities and the cancellation of foreign study visas, more and more students living in the United States apply to Canadian universities or express their interest in the north of the border, reports Reuters.
Toronto university
The representatives of the Vancouver campus of British Columbia University reported that, from March 1, the number of requests from American citizens for study programs starting in the 2025 academic has increased by 27% compared to the whole year 2024.
In response to the increasing demand for higher education, UBC Vancouver has briefly resumed the admission of US citizens to several higher education programs this week and promises to speed up the application for US students who hope to start in September.
The University of Toronto, the largest Canadian university according to the number of students enrolled, also reported an increase in the number of requests in the US, and a Waterloo University spokesman reported an increase in the number of American visitors on campus and an increase in the Internet from the United States.
Explanation of universities
Universities in Toronto and Waterloo did not provide reasons for this increase in interest, while the UBC Vancouver campus has attributed the number of applicants to Trump administration policies.
The US administration has frozen hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal funding of numerous universities because they would not have been able to fight anti -Semitism on campuses. Trump has begun the deportation procedures against detailed foreign students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and canceled the visas of hundreds of other students. These actions have generated concerns about freedom of expression and academic freedom in the United States.
At the same time, for the second consecutive year, Canada limited the number of foreign students who are allowed to enter the country, which means there could be fewer places for American students and other countries.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada said that educational institutions should only accept the number of students they can support, including in terms of accommodation. Provinces and territories are responsible for the allocation of places.
This conflict takes place against the backdrop of a broader confrontation between the Trump administration and a number of important universities in the country, such as Colombia and Penn State, which have also undergone funds. During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly declared his intention to punish the universities he considers involved in “illegal protests”.
Universities in Toronto and Waterloo did not provide reasons for this increase in interest, while the Vancouver UBC campus has attributed the number of candidates to the Trump administration policies.
