P.E.I. international student population increasing

Two P.E.I. post-secondary institutions have been successful in attractinginternational students.

TheUniversity of Prince Edward Island and Holland College are welcoming students to their campuses this week.

UPEI hosted an international student orientation day to helpnewcomerslearn more about the schooland city they live in.

International student advisor Erica Stanley said the orientation gives the students the support they need.

"A lot of the students who are coming from other countries don't have friends here already. They haven't had a chance to speak to an advisor in person," said Stanley.

"They don't know the campus or the city yet. So there's a lot of extra information and support that we want to help them with."

Last year, 700 of the 4,400 students attending UPEI were non-Canadians. That number was up by 100 from theyear before.

Holland College's international student population has increased 23 per cent from last year.

Skypehelps recruitment

Skyping with interested students is a new strategy being used by UPEI for recruitment.

UPEI's International Relations associate director Jerry Wang says having peoplefrom other countriesin the classrooms is enriching.

"Canadian students, they don't have to travel to other countries. We bring international students here and the international perspectives are right in their classrooms with them," said Wang.

Williams Akwaboah, a student from Ghana, says where he's from many studentsareshy to get closer to their peers.

"From looking at the students at UPEI, they are very friendly, even the teachers, the staff, the workers. They are freely and open to everyone so it's quite cool being in PEI," saidAkwaboah.

Foreign students pay about double what Canadian students pay to attend school in Canada.

They also spend money on rent and groceries which benefits the local economy.

UPEI is now focusing its externalrecruitment efforts in Mexico while it continues to drawstudents from the northeastern United States and Caribbean countries.