December 18th 2023, Ottawa - Today, CASA is pleased to publicly release Value Beyond Dollars, a comprehensive, detailed look at international students in Canada’s post-secondary education system. The publication examines international students from a number of different lenses, including:
- The value that International students add to both the campus experience of all students and to the quality of post-secondary education in Canada
- The value that International students contribute to the Canadian economy and to Canada’s diversity and culture as a whole.
- The supports that should be available to ensure that qualified international students from diverse economic backgrounds can study in Canada;
- The need for consistency, accessibility, and simplicity with regards to the procedures, paperwork and forms required to study in Canada
- The role that post-secondary institutions and governments in Canada play in ensuring that the skills and experiences these potential permanent residents and citizens bring to Canada, and gain while studying in Canada are fully valued
“This journey has provided me with a new perspective on the invaluable contributions immigrants, particularly international students, bring to Canada. Many of these individuals are highly skilled, hardworking, and respectful, arriving with dreams of contributing to both society and the economy. Whether pursuing programs in healthcare, information technology, business, social work, the trades, or engaging in graduate studies, international students are driven by a desire to benefit the society they aspire to call home. A significant number of them go on to establish businesses that propel the Canadian economy forward. However, the challenges international students face in Canada cannot be ignored.” - Excerpt from Value Beyond Dollars foreword by Nelson Chukwuma, President of Conestoga Students Incorporated
Value Beyond Dollars comes as a bookend to a year full of advocacy on behalf of international students by CASA. In the wake of recent measures put in place to protect and benefit Canada’s international students, CASA hopes to see continued support for this vital sector of the post-secondary education landscape.
-30-
About CASA
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 25 student associations across the country. Through our partnership with the Quebec Student Union/Union étudiante du Québec, CASA represents 365,000 post-secondary students across Canada.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Max Greer
Communications and Creative Content Officer
(289)-214-8608
