Budget cuts in the mid-1990s prompted Canadian colleges to widen their search for revenue, while deregulation of tuition rates allowed them to offer cheaper packages to foreign students. They want to make a Canadian student's experience broader. The University of Guelph in Ontario received media attention in the United States for the humorous brochure it sent 50,000 U.S. students. The big winner in the chase for U.S. students might be McGill, which now enrolls 1,400, up 60 percent since 1996, said admissions officer Danielle Bennett. So far, U.S. colleges are not sweating the small numbers they lose to Canada.
Some Canadian students have doubts about the recruitment efforts.
Michael Conlon, a student at University of Victoria in British Columbia and chairman of the Canadian Federation of Students, praised the effort to bring a global flavor to campuses but questioned the motives. But Silver, of the University of Toronto, said colleges don't profit from foreign students. McGill, Washington area students rhapsodized about the European flair of Montreal and the excitement of crossing the border. The Canadian dollar is trading for about 65 cents U.S. Parents, meanwhile, perceive a more wholesome atmosphere. Educational consultants note that Canada's colleges are generally bigger and demand that students pick a major early.