Education

Conestoga College laid off 181 full-time faculty positions effective March 16, 2026, with the majority of cuts (143 employees) occurring at the Kitchener Doon campus. The layoffs are attributed to financial troubles resulting from a significant drop in international student enrollment, following a 20,000 student decline after federal international student caps were implemented.

Mohawk College is offering voluntary buyout packages to full-time administrative, faculty, and support staff, with applications open until the end of January. This follows massive layoffs of 255 full-time jobs (20% of workforce) that occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, which were driven by a projected $50 million deficit and reduced international student enrollment.

Red River College Polytechnic is laying off 44 staff members at its Centre for Newcomer Integration in spring 2026, consisting of 13 permanent positions and 31 term positions expiring March 31, due to federal funding cuts to language training programs. The layoffs will reduce the centre's annual capacity from 6,700 seats to 1,360 and eliminate stage two language training, affecting approximately 1,400 newcomers.

Concordia University announced it will not renew limited-term contracts for 63 full-time faculty members as of June 2026 due to a 23% drop in international student enrollment and significant budget shortfalls. The cost-cutting measures also include deferring sabbaticals and offering voluntary retirement packages to full-time faculty, driven by federal and provincial immigration policy restrictions that have reduced the university's revenue projections by approximately $84 million.

Mohawk College laid off at least 380 employees and suspended more than a dozen programs in late 2024 and early 2025 to address an expected $50-million deficit caused by federal caps on international student permits. The college's cuts are part of a broader crisis affecting Ontario colleges, which have collectively cut $1.8 billion, suspended over 600 programs, and eliminated more than 8,000 positions due to reduced international student enrollment.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has laid off 124 staff members (58 non-faculty and 66 faculty) since January 2025, with the majority of non-faculty cuts occurring since August. The layoffs are attributed to a roughly 40 percent drop in international student enrollment due to federal immigration policy changes, creating a substantial revenue shortfall.

Selkirk College is closing its Kootenay Studio Arts campus in Nelson at the end of the academic year, resulting in the loss of 10 full-time and part-time positions. The closure is attributed to financial pressures caused by federal cuts to international student study permits, which has reduced a major revenue source for the college.

Collège Nordique Francophone in Yellowknife, N.W.T. announced layoffs of 7 employees (35% of its 20-person staff) following a significant federal funding cut in September 2025. The college's annual federal funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage was reduced from approximately $2.8 million to about $1.35 million due to a new bilateral funding agreement for minority-language education.

Nearly 100 library workers across three New Brunswick school districts received layoff notices on Friday, October 10, 2025, just before the Thanksgiving weekend. This marks the third round of layoffs following a $43 million provincial budget shortfall, after previous court orders had required the workers' reinstatement.

The University of Winnipeg's financial situation has stabilized following 10 months of cutbacks that included a mid-year hiring freeze, discretionary spending limits, and the elimination of the women's soccer team and English Language Program. The university has improved its fiscal position through increased domestic enrolment (190 more new undergraduate students, a 13% increase) and additional provincial funding of $2.5 million plus a $5 million donation from the Mastercard Foundation.

Algoma University is laying off between 50 and 75 employees to manage a $5.5 million to $7 million operating deficit caused by a 60% drop in international student enrolment, which exceeded the 50% decrease projected in April's budget. The university's fall enrolment is anticipated to be approximately 4,482 students, roughly half of the previous year's total of over 9,000 students across all campuses.

Conestoga College suspended multiple programs due to low enrollment numbers, resulting in layoff notices being issued to 11 full-time faculty members and 2 counsellors. The college also reduced its counselling staff from 10 to 7 positions, affecting student mental health services.

Queen's University's Faculty of Arts and Science laid off four Chemistry department staff members in July 2025 due to budget cuts, including positions for a Computer Network Administrator, Technical Support Assistant, Electronics Technician, and Chemical Stores role. Five additional FAS support staff had their positions eliminated but were reassigned to new roles within the faculty, as part of broader cost-reduction efforts.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced plans for up to 45 additional full-time staff layoffs due to a 60% decline in international student enrolment caused by federal government study permit processing delays and increased denial rates. The cuts are necessary to address a projected $5-10 million revenue drop for the 2025-26 budget, with eight business school instructors receiving layoff notices with January 2026 end dates.

The Thames Valley District School Board in London, Ontario has cut approximately 115 staff positions, including around 47 teachers, library and guidance staff, and learning support positions, following the province's takeover in April due to a budget deficit exceeding $30 million. The board is also now allowing unqualified first and second-year education students to join supply teacher lists to address ongoing staffing challenges.

Okanagan College is laying off four faculty/instructors and closing the Modern Languages department due to a projected loss of 600-700 international students. The college previously offered a voluntary early retirement incentive program (ERIP) to mitigate layoffs, but additional difficult staffing decisions are expected in the coming weeks and months.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is cutting 14 jobs through layoff notices to out-of-scope employees and leaving 8 vacant positions unfilled due to a significant decline in international student enrolment caused by federal immigration policy changes. This is the second round of layoffs in 2025, following 27 job cuts in April, as the institution faces a budget shortfall of up to $15 million for the 2025-26 academic year.

Conestoga College eliminated four senior executive positions with a collective annual salary of $1.2 million, including both deans of the School of Interdisciplinary and School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, as well as the senior vice president academic and students. The restructuring also impacted nine other senior positions and comes as the college navigates financial challenges stemming from a 48% decrease in international student enrollment due to federal study permit restrictions.

Fanshawe College is proceeding with a 35% staffing cut in 2025. The layoffs represent a significant reduction in the institution's workforce.

Conestoga College is laying off at least 190 staff and suspending 82 programs due to a 48% drop in international student enrollment caused by the federal international study permit cap. This is part of a broader crisis affecting Ontario's 24 public colleges, with over 10,000 faculty and staff being laid off or projected to lose their jobs across the province.