Hundreds of international students who paid more than $ 15,000 to study at Scarborough College say their enrollment was unilaterally suspended, putting their study permits in jeopardy.
Harmanpreet Kaur recently completed its first semester at Alpha College of Business and Technology, a subsidiary of St. Lawrence College, when he received an email on May 17 informing her that her enrollment had been suspended during the spring semester.
Kaur is among dozens of students protesting day and night in front of Alpha College on Kennedy Road.
The lives of international students are “completely incomplete without the enrollment letter,” she said, as it is “the main proof that we have been declared students in Canada.”
Harmanpriit Kaur is one of dozens of students protesting day and night in front of Alpha College in Scarborough. (CBC)
Fellow student Ekam Nur says some Alpha students who are still in India have received a letter of offer and paid fees just to be told they will not receive a letter of enrollment.
“Students who are still in India who have not yet come here, the college gives them a letter with an offer and they take their fees. They paid about $ 16,000 for two semesters and then told them they couldn’t come to Canada because they didn’t give them a letter to sign up, “Nur said.
“This is a problem for them because they have lost their fees and cannot come here to complete this study.”
Ekam Noor wants Alpha College to guarantee in writing that he and the other students will be able to graduate on schedule. (CBC)
Students want the college to guarantee in writing that they will be able to graduate on schedule. However, Alpha President Vivian Liu said the break semester is a typical part of the school year and should not affect students’ ability to apply for a post-graduate work permit.
“All students who meet the enrollment requirements remain active students,” she told CBC News in a statement published by St. Lawrence College, which does not address students’ problems with the study permit.
Liu said the school had offered “alternative enrollment options” as a result of increased requirements for the winter and spring semesters.
“It really destroys my mental health.”
Harmanprit Kaur says the events of the past week have affected the mental health of the students.
“We come from our country here with many dreams, with many hopes,” she said. “Our family, our relatives are not there to support us. It really destroys my mental health.”
Ramanprit Kaur says everything went smoothly during her first semester, after which she received the shocking news.
“I contacted the college [and] they said, “we’re not recording you,” she said.
“I was in shock. Suddenly what happened? It was all right. I was so depressed.”
Ramanprit Kaur says everything went smoothly during her first semester at Alpha College, after which she received the shocking news that she will not be enrolled for the spring of 2022 (CBC)
The Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities is aware of the situation, a spokesman told CBC News.
Rashi Jain says the ministry is in contact with St. Lawrence College and understands that the college and its affiliate are working to find solutions for the students concerned.
“The ministry understands that all students affected for the spring semester of 2022 have been accommodated,” Jane wrote in an email.
Study permits for international students are a federal responsibility, Jain said, but federal guidelines state that holders of study permits can take authorized leave of up to 150 days and still be considered actively pursuing their studies.
We can’t believe their commitments because they keep telling us different things every day and we just can’t believe them. – Ekam Noor, student, Alpha College of Business Technology
But Nur, one of the discharged students, said trust had been breached, adding that students received mixed messages from the college.
“The only thing we want from this college is to give us written proof that they will finish our graduation here and then allow us to finish our graduation and that they will not do something like that again in the future,” Nur said.
“We can’t believe their commitments because they keep telling us different things every day and we just can’t believe them.
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