British Columbia·NewLike other post-secondary institutions, Coast Mountain College in northwest B.C. is facing major budget shortfalls as international student enrolment drops precipitously.College seeking budget cuts of $4 million as international student numbers drop by 90%Andrew Kurjata · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2025 9:09 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes agoCoast Mountain College in northwest B.C. is closing its Hazelton campus, pictured here, in 2026. (Leah Marshall/Coast Mountain College/Facebook)Coast Mountain College, which serves students in northwest B.C., is planning to cut staff by about 20 per cent and close one of its campuses as it seeks to offset nearly $4 million in annual losses due to a drop in international student enrolment.Layoff notices are already being sent out, the college says, and management positions are also being eliminated.”The goal of these [changes] is not just to cut away at line items, but really to create a foundation that we can move forward with,” said Heather Bastin, the college’s executive director of external relations, in an interview with CBC News. “So initially these are going to feel pretty hard, these changes, but I do see it as setting us up successfully for the future.”WATCH | B.C. universities cut budgets amid international student drop:B.C. post-secondary schools cutting more jobs amid declining international student revenueMore faculty positions are being cut at post-secondary schools across B.C., like Langara College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, as a result of new government policies that reduce the number of international students. As Kier Junos reports, several schools say it’s due to the drop in international enrolment.The cuts are just the latest at post-secondary institutions across the country as schools seek to restructure in the face of international student caps imposed by the the provincial and federal governments.In B.C., the number of international students allowed at post-secondary institutions has been limited to 30 per cent of total enrolment, while the federal government has placed new limits on international student visas.As a result, the number of students coming to Canada from other countries has plummeted, with institutions forced to restructure as a result, resulting in closures, program cuts and job losses.Last week, Selkirk College in B.C.’s Kootenay region announced the closure of its fine arts campus in Nelson, also to make up for a projected $4 million shortfall.In addition to closing its campus in Hazelton, B.C., Coast Mountain College is selling buildings in Houston and Kitimat which are currently being leased out for other purposes. It will continue to operate campuses in Terrace, Prince Rupert, Smithers and on Haida Gwaii.Bastin says the Hazelton campus was targeted for closure because it has seen declining numbers in recent years, but the college hopes to continue offering programming in and around the area.90% drop in international studentsCoast Mountain College says the number of international students enrolled has dropped by more than 90 per cent compared to the 2023 fall semester, before any changes were announced. While the institution did not provide exact numbers, in January of this year, there were around 400 international students and a total of 1,600 students at the college.Bastin said while domestic student enrolment is increasing, it’s not enough to offset the losses.However, she said another area the school is cutting is international recruitment efforts — to instead focus “100 per cent on our local population.”The goal of the cuts, she said, is to have as little impact on students as possible.”This is our 50th anniversary, and I expect we’ll be here for 50 more years,” she said. “But it can be really painful, at times. This week is a tough week for us.”CorrectionsThis story has been updated to clarify that Selkirk College is closing its fine arts campus in Nelson while still maintaining its primary campus in the city.Oct 20, 2025 9:34 PM EDTWith files from Hanna Petersen
Northwest B.C. college closing campus as international student numbers plummet
