Winnipeg School Division sees spike in international students, including some who planned to study in U.S.
Number of students in international program has more than doubled in recent years
A family of three stands together, they are welcoming an international student with a sign that reads ‘welcome Benja’
The number of students in the Winnipeg School Division’s international student program, which began in 2017, has gone from around 70 in recent years to over 180 students for the upcoming school year.
The Winnipeg School Division says it’s getting ready to welcome a record number of students to be part of its international education program in September, driven by what the city has to offer — but also in part because of concerns about the current political culture in the U.S.
The division’s program is one of many in Manitoba that allows students from other countries, from kindergarten to Grade 12, to study in Canada for a semester or a full school year.
Aaron Benarroch, the director of recruitment and international education for the division, says the number of students for the upcoming year in the program, which began in 2017, has more than doubled in recent years.
“Over the last three years we’ve probably gone from about 70-ish students to just over 180 students now,” he told CBC.
Aaron Benarroch, the head of recruitment for the Winnipeg School Division’s international study program, says the division was worried it would not be able to find hosts for an influx of students in the upcoming school year.
The students this year are coming from 24 countries, including Spain, Italy, Brazil, Germany, China and Vietnam, said Benarroch.
The incoming students pay a tuition fee, ranging from just over $6,000 to $12,500. While some stay with relatives, most live with local host families.
International students once pumped millions into B.C. schools, but revenue has collapsed during pandemic
With the growth in the program, there was some concern the division did not have enough families to host the influx of international students, said Benarroch, so it had to work quickly to boost the numbers.
The division — the largest in Manitoba, with over 33,000 students across 78 schools — put out advertisements and sent emails to families in search of hosts.
Since May, many have come forward with offers to host, and the division now has about 90 families taking part in the program, said Benarroch.
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