CNC's international student enrolment up 15 per cent

There are 15 per cent more students from outside Canada attending the College of New Caledonia (CNC) than there were last year, the college's board of governors was told Friday.

CNC welcomed 247 international students for the 2011 fall semester, which is 32 students more than the 2010 fall semester and 72 students more than fall 2009, said CNC president John Bowman during the board's monthly meeting.

He credited the hike to work done by community and international dean Barb Old and changes in policy in India have made it much easier for their students to study in Canada.

Thirty students from India are attending CNC, up from 12 during the fall semester last year, representing the second-largest group.

The largest group of students is from China, with 140 students or 56 per cent of all international students for the fall semester 2011.

Third highest are students from Saudi Arabia, who amount to 25, down from 35 last year. And fourth highest are students from Nigeria at 18, the same number as last year. There are also students from Japan, South Korea, Burundi, Kenya, Mexico, Lichtenstein, Nicaragua, Taiwan, Tanzania, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

CNC's international education department is run on a cost-recovery basis, which means much of the revenue generated is re-invested in the department for further recruitment and travel.

"It is not the cash cow that many people perceive it to be," Bowman said. "It's important to note that the cultural benefits to the college and the community that international students provide far outweigh the economic impact."

Bowman pointed out that host families and residents of Prince George are also ambassadors, whose interactions impact international students' experiences

and thus their recommendations to others.

International students pay approximately three to five times the tuition of Canadian students. Most of CNC's international students are enrolled in university fransfer courses (119), English language training (78), human resources (22) and business (18).

According to the B.C. Council for International Education, international students spend about $24 million annually in northern B.C. on tuition, housing, goods and services. The spending creates about 250 jobs for the region.