Spending scandal at Conestoga College highlights systemic failures in Canada’s international student program

A new report from the federal Auditor General has cast a harsh light on Canada’s international student surge, revealing a "hot mess" of oversight failures and potential fraud. Between 2023 and 2024, officials identified over 150,000 cases where study permit holders potentially violated their requirements, yet only a tiny fraction were ever investigated. While the Ontario Government faces criticism for a 2019 tuition freeze that pushed colleges to aggressively pursue foreign tuition fees, federal officials admit they were simply overwhelmed by the volume of applications.

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