BCFS Reacts to Provincial Announcement on International Education

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Feb 01, 2024 4 min read
The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS) commends the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills for unveiling a plan with several measures aimed at curbing exploitive practices seen in the recruitment of international students, including a new requirement to provide fee transparency. “We know that international students need more protection when they come to Canada and that international education requires further oversight to address the unregulated growth and lack of appropriate student supports across the country,” said Melissa Chirino, Chairperson of the BCFS. “This a good first step and an acknowledgment of what we have been saying over the years. But more needs to be done.”
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BC Federation of Students Reacts to Federal Government’s Cap on International Study Permits

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Jan 24, 2024 3 min read
On January 22, the federal government announced its plan to cap international study permits being issued, for two years, beginning in September 2024. The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS) applauds the federal government for taking action to stop the exploitation faced by international students at post-secondary institutions. However, the BCFS is concerned about the lack of coordination between the federal and provincial governments.
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Temporary Relief for International Students Welcomed as the Federal Government Extends Off-Campus Work Hour Waiver

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Dec 08, 2023 6 min read
International students studying in Canada have been kept anxiously waiting for news regarding the number of hours they will be able to work in 2024, until yesterday. Initially set to expire on December 31, 2023, the federal government announced an extension to its temporary policy that allows international students to work off-campus for more than 20 hours per week until the spring of 2024. The Federation applauds Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, for listening to thousands of students and advocates from across the country.
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BCFS Calls for the Extension to the Temporary Lifting of the 20-hour Off-campus Work Limit for International Students

Jessie Niikoi
Jessie Niikoi
Nov 06, 2023 2 min read
This October marked a full year since the Federal Government announced the temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap placed on international students for off-campus work. For years, international students were limited in their ability to seek safe, appropriate, and well-paying jobs to provide for themselves while studying. The announcement of the temporary lifting of the off-campus work limit was welcome news for international students across BC. However, this policy is expiring on December 31, 2023. That is why, the BC Federation of Students is calling for an indefinite extension to the temporary lifting of the work-week cap for international students.
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BCFS Advocacy Week: Students Lobby for Investments in Post-Secondary as the Need for Funding becomes more Urgent

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Oct 10, 2023 5 min read
This week, student representatives from across BC travelled to Victoria to meet with government decision makers to discuss issues facing students, including the urgent need for investments in the province’s post-secondary sector, and to push for meaningful change. The Federation, joined by representatives from the British Columbia Institute of Technology Student Association and the Student Union Society of the University of Fraser Valley, held its annual Advocacy Week from October 3 to 5.
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BC Federation of Students Reissues Warning on Precarious Funding Model and Over-reliance on International Student Tuition Fees

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Sep 21, 2023 4 min read
The BC Federation of Students (BCFS) is reissuing an urgent warning about the precarity and vulnerability created by the overreliance on international student tuition fees to fund the province’s public post-secondary education system. The BCFS has published a new research document, International Education in British Columbia: Keeping the Post-secondary System Afloat, highlighting systemic underfunding and a lack of regulation of international tuition fee increases, which have led institutions to lean on international student tuition fees to make up for budget and funding shortfalls.
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Statement of Support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. The BC Federation of Students Denounces Anti-Trans Hate Across Canada.

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Sep 20, 2023 < 1 min read
As the BC Federation of Students, we stand firmly against all forms of hate, discrimination, and prejudice. We are deeply saddened by the rise in hate-fueled anti-2SLGBTQIA+ rhetoric and denounce the rallies taking place in Canada. It is crucial that we all speak out loudly and take action to oppose any action that threatens the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ community members.
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Post-Secondary Students Start a New Academic Year Amidst a Growing Affordability Crisis

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Sep 05, 2023 2 min read
Welcome to the Fall Semester! Across British Columbia, post-secondary campuses are abuzz with fresh faces and returning students, eager to begin their studies and join in on the welcome week events students’ unions and institutions have planned. However, the back-to-school enthusiasm is mixed with concerns about the growing affordability crisis facing students in BC and across Canada.
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Letter of Support for Teaching Support Staff Union

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Jul 06, 2023 2 min read
On behalf of the 170,000 members, the British Columbia Federation of Students, I am writing this letter to express our full support for the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) during their ongoing strike at Simon Fraser University (SFU).
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Students see an $814 million investment from the Federal Government

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Mar 28, 2023 1 min read
OTTAWA—Budget 2023 contains an investment of $814 million into the Canada Student Grant Program, allowing eligible students up to $4,200 in non-repayable student aid starting August 1. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students received up to $3,000 in non-repayable student aid.
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Budget 2023: more investments in post-secondary funding needed

BC Federation of Students
BC Federation of Students
Feb 28, 2023 2 min read
VICTORIA— The BC government’s 2023 Budget includes provisions to increase student financial assistance, but without significant and sustained funding increases to post-secondary institutions, post-secondary education will remain out of reach for BC students and their families. In Budget 2023, the provincial operating grant is increasing 5%, which is less than this year’s inflation and ultimately a reduction in funding to institutions.
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