International students have nearly doubled in the Surrey school district between 2010 and 2017.
The district reports that it had 542 international students in 2010, which rose steadily through to 2017, when it had 1,059.
Revenues collected from those students rose along with the students, from $7 million in 2010 to more than $14 million in 2017.
“We have one of the largest elementary fee-paying programs in B.C. and Canada and it continues to grow,” Surrey school district spokesman Doug Strachan told the Now-Leader.
(Graphic shows year-over-year international student count and resulting revenue increases for the Surrey School District. Photo submitted)
The school district defines international students as those who are not residents.
“Korean students typically come for short term (one year to 18 months) to improve English levels and leverage their overseas study and language to get into prestigious middle schools in Korea,” he said. “Chinese students tend to come for the long term, even pursuing permanent residency with their parents.”
Strachan said the district has worked to diversify secondary enrolment and are seeing increases in European students.
“Germany, Italy and Spain are on the rise,” he noted. “Unlike our Asian students who come with a goal to graduate and pursue post-secondary in B.C. or elsewhere in Canada, European students don’t typically come to graduate, but for a single semester or one-year program with the goal to reintegrate back into their home country to graduate.”
Meantime, the school district has the largest number of international Vietnamese students in the province.
“We have over 100 Vietnamese students… and one of the largest programs, perhaps the largest, in Canada,” Strachan added.
Province-wide, schools are seeing more applications from Iran this year, Strachan elaborated, which “is likely related to the change in U.S. immigration policies, or anticipated changes.”
Strachan revealed that while Guildford (Fraser Heights Secondary, specifically), Cloverdale and South Surrey have always been popular neighbourhood choices for these students, “we now have students requesting Enver Creek, Kwantlen Park and Guildford Park.”
The district surveyed its fee-paying international students in Grade 12 last June and found that 86 per cent felt their experience in Surrey met or exceeded their expectations, 99 per cent indicated they planned to continue with post-secondary studies and 86 per cent were accepted into a university or college.
The Surrey Board of Education approved an increase to international tuition fees from $13,500 a year to $14,500 for September 2019 during a board meeting on Feb. 14.
“This will bring us closer to what other Metro-Van Boards are charging,” Strachan noted.
A survey of Lower Mainland districts revealed even with the increase, Surrey would still be the lowest alongisde Abbotsford, which intends to charge the same.
All other districts surveyed were higher, including Delta ($15,200), Langley ($13,600) and New Westminster ($14,000).
amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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