Selkirk College has reported encouraging growth in domestic student enrolment, though it does not offset the impact of declining international student numbers.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the college said it saw an eight per cent increase in domestic applications, resulting in about 170 additional full-time equivalent domestic students compared with 2024-25.
This increase translates to a two per cent growth rate in domestic enrolment, which the college said signals that more students in the region are choosing to study closer to home.
“We’re encouraged by the growth in domestic enrolment,” said Brier Albano, associate vice-president, student success.
“Students across our region are recognizing that our programs and transfer pathways lead to the kinds of careers they want. They don’t have to leave. They can get high-quality, affordable education without the costs and pressures of big-city life.”
The college said the upward trend is driven by factors such as a high youth unemployment rate, growing awareness of the value of starting post-secondary studies in college and rising interest in retraining to adapt to technological change.
International enrolment
While domestic student enrolment is on the rise, international student enrolment has dropped sharply.
Selkirk said the decline is due to recent changes made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which include a reduction in international study permits and new restrictions on post-graduate work permit eligibility.
At Selkirk College, the changes have resulted in a 32 per cent drop in new international full-time equivalents, or FTEs, and roughly 190 fewer students enrolled compared with last year.
Programs most affected focus on regional and community needs, such as hospitality and business, as these are no longer eligible for post-graduate work permits.
In response to the loss of tuition revenue, the college has implemented targeted efficiency strategies, including adjustments to spending, hiring and space use, while trying to minimize negative impacts on students.
It’s also suspended intakes for some programs and will close the Victoria Street campus in Nelson at the end of this academic year in an effort to cut costs.
“People know if they choose Selkirk College, they’ve chosen well,” said Albano.
“Over 90 per cent of our students told us in last year’s engagement survey that they would choose us again if they were starting over.”
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