Although Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie anticipates a significant drop in international enrolment, university officials say there has been a “significant increase” in confirmed domestic student enrolment for the coming year.
In a report to the board of governors, interim president and vice-chancellor Donna Rogers said the university has so far confirmed 323 new domestic students for the upcoming academic year — more than double the 142 confirmations at this time last year.
Rogers wrote that the social work program has brought in the bulk of the new domestic enrolments, accounting for 164 of the confirmed students, with recent open house events drawing a “record-breaking” 100 prospective students to the Brampton campus and 140 prospective students to the Sault Ste. Marie campus.
SooToday asked to speak with Rogers to learn more about the growth in domestic students. Instead, a spokesperson sent a written statement on the matter.
"In the 2024-25 academic year, we saw a 10 per cent increase in our domestic intake, resulting in 7.3 per cent overall domestic enrolment growth,” the statement read.
“Notably, 6.4 per cent of this growth occurred at our Sault Ste. Marie campus. We are confident that this upward trend will continue when the final Ontario Universities' Application Centre confirmation data is published later this summer."
Despite the rising numbers, data from OUAC states that applications from Ontario secondary schools have fallen 9.3 per cent year-over-year, from 891 as on April 10, 2024, to 808 as of April 9, 2025.
University officials, however, say the much more important figure is confirmed enrolments, with those final figures typically available in June.
"Students in their final year of high school often apply to multiple institutions before making a final decision on where they will attend," said communications manager Mohamed Kahlout in a statement to SooToday.
"For Algoma U — and all post-secondary institutions — the more meaningful metric is the number of confirmed students: those who have formally accepted an offer of admission for the upcoming academic year."
In her report to the board of governors last month, Rogers wrote that the university is in a “tough spot” as it expects a 50-per-cent drop in international student enrolment — at a university that had thousands of international students enroled in 2023.
Universities have been feeling the squeeze of international student caps announced by the federal government last year, as international students typically pay far higher tuition rates than their domestic counterparts.
As part of the subsequent cost-cutting measures at Algoma University, this led to the announcement of a temporary voluntary exit incentive program last month, which provides financial incentives for employees to resign or retire from their positions in 2025.
When asked about its budget for the coming year, university officials said a report will be released in the coming days and provided a written statement from Rogers — which said the theme of this year’s budget is protecting the university’s “sustainability and long-term future.”
“Algoma University’s 2025-26 operating budget differs significantly from those of the past,” Rogers wrote.
“We have benefited for years from healthy surpluses, but ongoing provincial underfunding, tuition freezes, rising operational costs, and recent federal changes to international student permits are placing unprecedented pressure on the institution’s finances.”
Rogers wrote that the upcoming budget projects a total revenue of $123.6 million against $122.5 million in expenses – good for a $1 million surplus — which will “ensure we continue to empower our community — students, faculty, and staff, so that Algoma University not only thrives today, but for generations to come.”
“This budget will not automatically cause layoffs to be initiated nor programs to be cut,” she wrote.
“Nevertheless, significantly declining revenues will require the university to make prudent decisions and look at all possible cost-saving measures to safeguard Algoma U’s sustainability.”
