Nova ScotiaAccording to a preliminary study released this week by the Association of Atlantic Universities, the number of full-time visa undergrads at CBU has dropped nearly 60 per cent this year to about 2,200 students from about 5,500. Enrolment drop has led to the cancellation of university programs and job lossesErin Pottie · CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2025 9:42 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoThere are just over 4,900 people studying at Cape Breton University. International students make up 55 per cent of the student population. (Matthew Moore/CBC)Cape Breton University has had far fewer international students enrolling in its programs this school year than what was expected.According to a preliminary study released this week by the Association of Atlantic Universities, the number of full-time visa undergraduate students at CBU dropped nearly 60 per cent this year to about 2,200 from about 5,500.Currently, there are just over 4,900 people studying at CBU, with international students making up 55 per cent of the student population.CBU officials say the sharp decline can be attributed to a number of policy changes brought on by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada including its cap on student study visas.”The changing policies, the erratic implementation of them, sent messages around the world that Canada wasn’t welcoming international students at the time and just created a lot of uncertainty,” said Becky Chisholm, associate vice-president of enrolment management and student experience, in an interview with CBC Radio’s Information Morning Cape Breton.A couple of years ago, CBU’s enrolment peaked at 9,100 students, with that high number attributed mainly to a double cohort of students arriving on the Island following the COVID-19 pandemic.Low numbers weren’t expected for this school yearThe university expected a drop in enrolment numbers because of the federal cap, but it did not expect such low numbers for the current school year. Gordon MacInnis, CBU’s vice-president of finance, said more international students could be studying in Nova Scotia if they wished, as last year the province only handed out roughly 33 per cent of its quota, and that figure is expected to be similar for 2025-26.While tuition and student fees are predominant sources of revenue for CBU, MacInnis said the loss of students will also bring impacts to the local economy and the labour market.“All of that is at risk here, so I think the implications for CBU is one thing, but the implications for the community is something that cannot be overlooked,” said MacInnis.CBU eliminated about 100 positions, about half of which were term jobs that were not renewed. The university also cancelled post-baccalaureate business programs in supply chain management, health-care management, business management and occupational health and safety.School officials now plan to review their three-year enrolment projections and are considering what cost-saving changes must be made in the coming years.No extra funding for universitiesBrendan Maguire, Nova Scotia’s minister of advanced education, said Thursday his department is working with officials from universities and the federal government to find ways to encourage more students on visas to look at Nova Scotia as a place to continue their studies.“We’re willing to do whatever we can to ensure that these universities are viable and if it means increasing international students, we’ll do everything in our power to make sure that they get them,” he said.However, Maguire said there would not be any more funding from the provincial government for universities to help cover any shortfalls.MORE TOP STORIESABOUT THE AUTHORErin Pottie is a CBC reporter based in Sydney. She has been covering local news in Cape Breton for more than 20 years. Story ideas welcome at erin.pottie@cbc.ca.with files from Michael Gorman
Steep decline in international student numbers at Cape Breton University
