Toronto (Canada): Sikh students’ body Thursday (August 10, 2023) slammed a Canadian college’s decision to revoke and cancel admission offer letter of over 500 International students citing “overwhelming response”.
“These situations are indicative of a bigger problem”, Jaspreet Singh, President of the International Sikh Student Association and a member of the World Sikh Organization, told CBC Toronto.
"The system is exploiting students," he said, adding that situations like these aren't uncommon in Canada.
"The same thing is happening every year ... every semester," he said.
Jaspreet Singh was commenting on the reports that Ontario's Northern College has cancelled the admission of 504 International students, including Indians, even after they fulfilled all the requirements.
The decision has shocked the students some of whom have already arrived in Canada, expending huge sum in the name of travel and other expenses.
Shockingly, the students were informed through emails that their admission has been cancelled.
“Due to overwhelming demand and higher-than-anticipated visa approval rates, we must take the unfortunate step of withdrawing and refunding your offer of admission to the Fall 2023 intake of Northern College programming at Pures College”, the copy of the email shared by CBC Toronto read.
Interestingly, Pures College of Technology, an affiliate of Northern College, said it had prepared itself well in advance to accommodate all international students who had applied for Pures. The ball, however, is now in Northern College’s court.
The institute was “ready, willing and able to accept all international students who received letters of admission”, but that its affiliate, Northern College, decided against doing so, Prures said in an emailed statement to CBC Toronto.
"Our public college partner has decided to withdraw these admissions. Pures had scheduled all the Fall semester students for study before the revocation was made by our partner", it added.
As a private college in partnership with a public college, it doesn't have the authority to make final decisions on the admissions process, Pures said.
Meanwhile, the affected students are shocked and heartbroken following the Northern College’s sudden decision to cancel their admissions.
"It was very heartbreaking for me. It was a huge impact on my lifestyle", Ashley, who had already paid her registration fees and booked her flight from Punjab, India to Toronto, told CBC Toronto.
“I am devastated”, Anureet Hundal who got her acceptance letter from Timmins-based Northern College in December for a two-year general business program at its Toronto campus, told Toronto Star.
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