To accommodate the growing student body, CBU continues to invest in programs, services, and infrastructure, including a new on-campus residence building, renovations to the MacDonald Residence, and ongoing efforts to advance the proposed Tartan Down’s Housing Development, while exploring additional housing options.
Canada’s Cape Breton University is on the cusp of welcoming its largest-ever graduating class as it grapples with a surge in enrollment.
Recent data from the Atlantic Association of Universities highlighted CBU’s growth in enrollment numbers.
“We are thrilled that students continue to recognize the true value of Cape Breton University’s educational experience,” CBU President David Dingwall said in a statement.
“We continue to invest in our campus and work with our student representatives, community and external partners to create an ideal learning and living environment for all students, no matter where they are from,” he added.
Dingwall said that CBU is focused on creating an ideal learning environment for all students while implementing its first-ever Strategic Enrollment Management Plan to manage growth effectively.
CBU’s enrollment has spiked due to various factors, including students deferring acceptances during the pandemic and visa processing delays. The surge in enrollment has been particularly prominent in January and May.
As of Fall, CBU has around 9,100 students, with the majority being returning students. Around 3,300 students are attending in-person classes, close to 1,000 are studying fully online, and over 4,500 are participating in a mix of in-person and online courses. Approximately 2,500 of these students are expected to graduate in May.
CBU has also seen an eight percent increase in domestic enrollment, aligning with its goal of achieving a 40 percent increase in domestic enrollment by 2027.
Last year, Cape Breton University faced criticism for its rapidly growing student population, which exceeded 7,000, impacting local housing and job availability.
Becky Chisholm, associate vice-president of Enrollment Management and Student Experience, said that enrollment numbers are expected to stabilize at around 7,000 by May, coinciding with the largest graduating class in CBU’s history.
The university’s proactive enrollment management practices, including application caps and new admission policies, have resulted in a managed decline in new international student numbers, new post-baccalaureate business students, and a 40 percent drop in overall applications for January 2024 compared to January 2023.
To accommodate the growing student body, CBU continues to invest in programs, services, and infrastructure, including a new on-campus residence building, renovations to the MacDonald Residence, and ongoing efforts to advance the proposed Tartan Down’s Housing Development while exploring additional housing options.
A surge in international students coming to Canada is driving up housing costs, and this isn’t solely due to the rising number of permanent residents.
In a report by the National Post, Steve Pomeroy, a policy research consultant and senior research fellow at Carleton University’s Centre for Urban Research, pointed out that those seeking temporary residence, such as international students and temporary foreign workers, are also contributing to higher rental prices.
Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada revealed that by the end of 2022, there were 807,750 international students with valid visas studying at Canadian post-secondary institutions, a 30 percent increase from 2021 and the highest level ever.
Pomeroy attributed this surge to universities, which he said are actively recruiting international students for the higher tuition fees they can charge.
“In Ontario, university tuition fees are frozen, grants are frozen, but the only variable that universities have to generate new revenues is international students, so they naturally go and chase those,” he told the Post.
He added that the influx of visiting students is creating significant demand in the already tight low-income rental market, affecting low-income workers, fixed-income seniors, and individuals reliant on social assistance.
Government’s response
The Canadian Government earlier said they were considering measures to tackle the housing crisis caused by a surge in international students.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser suggested the possibility of capping the issuance of study permits to alleviate the housing pressure, as reported by MSM Reporter.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada are also reviewing the international student program to better support students during their Canadian studies and address accommodation challenges.
The department is exploring various approaches to address the housing crisis, working closely with provinces, territories, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to find effective solutions.
