Centennial College is now the latest Ontario post-secondary school to make significant changes amid Ottawa’s cap on international students.
That cap, combined with provincial funding shortfalls, has been forcing colleges and universities to review their finances and implement changes.
Centennial, which is based in Toronto, announced on its website it is suspending enrolment to 49 full-time programs that were slated to accept new students in the 2025 summer and fall semesters, as well as the 2026 semesters.
Students currently enrolled in the impacted programs, like financial planning, technology foundations, journalism and community development work, will continue to be supported to graduation, said Craig Stephenson, Centennial’s president and CEO.
“We are doing what we must to position the college for long-term sustainability, so that we can keep producing job-ready graduates aligned with labour market needs and continue to serve our communities,” Stephenson said in a statement.
“However, it doesn’t diminish the profound and regrettable impact program suspensions will have on our community as faculty and staff reductions will be unavoidable. We are proceeding with care as we work through what this means for our people.”
Stephenson added that 128 full-time programs will continue to admit new students, and that the suspension of the 49 programs leaves open the possibility of reintroducing them in the future.
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Almost a year after the number of international students coming to Canada was capped, several colleges have announced massive changes and suspended programs, blaming the moves on the reduction in those students they relied heavily upon for funding.
The cap has resulted in a drop of almost 50 per cent in admissions for Ontario colleges and a $752-million drop in operating spending across various campuses.
Earlier this month, Algonquin College informed its employees and students in Perth, located between Kingston and Ottawa, that by the end of August 2026, it will shutter its campus there.
Judy Brown, the mayor of the town of roughly 6,500 people, said Perth “will deeply feel the loss” of Algonquin College, adding “education opportunities in rural communities are essential.”
Sheridan College, one of the largest post-secondary education institutions in the province, suspended 40 programs in November 2024. Seneca College, another major player, is temporarily closing its Markham, Ont., campus altogether because of an enrolment “decline.” At Mohawk College, 20 per cent of the administrative staff were let go and 16 programs were suspended for 2025.
Despite this, a spokesperson for Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn told Global News last month that the province remains confident in public colleges — and their role in training graduates.
“We are currently focused on making sure that post-secondary programs get Ontario students into rewarding careers that address the province’s current and future labour market needs,” they said.
“Our post-secondary sector is going through a rebalancing right now and some difficult decisions are being made by our institutions to ensure they’re able to continue delivering a world-class education here for students.”
— with files from Isaac Callan and Colin D’Mello
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
