More support sought for international students already attending UPEI

Better supportfor international students already enrolled at UPEI is one of the main goals of the university's International Student Association.

Ottawa and the P.E.I. government recently announced $1.5 million to help UPEI and Holland College expand its international recruitment and retention efforts.

The bulk of the fundingwill come from ACOA'sbusiness development program and the province will add a further $176,625, but none of the money will support international students already living in the province.

Concern current international students will be 'forgotten'

In a written statement to CBC, the student association said its happy to see the province try tobring in more international students, but that there needs to be greater assistance for the international students already here.

"We are concerned that the responsibilities the university has to its current international student population may end up forgotten in the midst of increased recruitment efforts," the association wrote.

Those concerns echo that of the Canadian Alliance ofStudent Associations, which hascalled for better financial support for international studentsin the country. Those studentstypically pay substantially more in tuition fees and are often disqualified from grants or student loans.

'The reality of the situation'

UPEIhas doubled its number of international students over the last five yearsto more than 1,200.

OmairImtiaz,whomoved fromDubai to attend UPEI in 2009, said he experienced financial difficulty as a student.He worked two jobsto pay for tuition, rent and other expenses while attending school full time.

Eventually, his grades suffered and he was suspended from the university for a year.

"I see it as really unfortunate that international students have to take on so much and I still don't understand the concept of why an international student has to pay so much,"Imtiazsaid.

"Unfortunately, it's expected. If anybody talks about going toCanada, they just have to be either super rich and be able to afford four years of supporting themselves or they can't consider coming here. That's just the reality of the situation."

Higher tuition fees, no grants or loans

Charlottetown MP Sean Casey, who helped announce last week's funding, said that the money will be for recruiting and retention only.

"This is money that is going into the educational institutions in order to enrich their experience both on campus and in the community in terms of job prospects, placements,co-opsand internships," he said.

But the association said it hoped at least part of the$932,068 going to the university would go toward supporting the existing population.

"The grant will be going to boost an already successful recruitment system thatshouldn'tbe the university's No. 1 priority."

UPEIdid not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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