Rethink Education – Part 3 of 5

Rethink Education – Part 3 of 5

The Cost of Education – Who Really Pays?

As September begins and students return to classrooms across British Columbia, it’s time to look more closely at the real cost of our education system. At first glance, it seems simple: Canadian students pay tuition, international students pay much more, and colleges and universities use those funds to keep the doors open. But beneath the surface lies a story of imbalance, inequity, and a system stretched far beyond what it was designed for.

The Price Tag of Being “International”

For a Canadian student at a BC university, tuition can range between $5,000–$10,000 a year. Compare that to international students, who are often charged five to seven times more. At some institutions, fees for international students reach $30,000–$40,000 annually — and that’s just tuition. Add in rent, food, transportation, and other essentials, and the real cost easily doubles.

Families Strained, Promises Broken

In countries like India, China, and Mexico, families often make enormous sacrifices to send their children abroad. They borrow money, sell land, or dip into life savings — all on the promise of a “better life” and future opportunities in Canada. But the reality is often very different. Students arrive to overcrowded classrooms, housing shortages, language barriers, and jobs that pay too little to cover expenses. Many end up working long hours in low-wage sectors just to survive, leaving little time or energy for the education they came for.

Who Benefits?

It’s hard not to notice that post-secondary institutions benefit most from this arrangement. International tuition has become a lifeline, propping up budgets that once relied more on government funding. Meanwhile, Canadian students feel the ripple effects: larger classes, reduced resources, and a system that prioritizes cash flow over community.

Homestay families, private landlords, and immigration consultants also profit — sometimes fairly, sometimes exploitatively. Yet the students and their families often shoulder crushing financial pressure with little safety net if things go wrong.

The Bigger Picture

At its heart, this is not just about money — it’s about fairness, honesty, and sustainability. Should the dreams of young people be treated as a revenue stream? Should education be reduced to a transaction where those who can pay more get priority access, while others fall through the cracks?

As BC continues to recruit international students at record levels, these questions grow more urgent. If we don’t rethink education now, we risk creating a system that exploits rather than educates.

Next in the series:

Part 4 – Housing, Jobs, and Community Tensions. We’ll explore how the international student boom connects to rental markets, low-wage work, and everyday life in BC.