Ontario universities see increased interest from U.S. students amid Trump’s funding cuts

Some Americans pursuing higher education are turning their gaze north. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk explains why Canadian universities have become an attractive option

More students living in the United States are expressing interest in pursuing their post-secondary studies at Canadian universities.

Both the universities of Waterloo and Guelph tell CTV News they’ve seen a rise in visitors and applicants coming from south of the border.

According to a University of Guelph spokesperson, the school has seen a 31.5 per cent increase in U.S. applicants for fall 2025 compared to the previous year. Broken down, it’s a 22.6 per cent rise in undergraduate applications and a 100 per cent boost for graduate studies.

While the University of Waterloo hasn’t seen an overall increase in student applications from the U.S., the school has had a jump in U.S. visitors.

“We don’t jokingly call ourselves MIT of the North for no reason,” said Nichols Pfeifle, president of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA). “It’s not a bad thing to attract U.S. talent.”

Waterloo and Guelph universities didn’t explain why they are experiencing the sudden increase, but other Canadian schools attributed the interest to the Trump administration’s policies.

The administration froze federal funding for numerous universities, pressing them to make policy changes and citing what it called a failure to fight antisemitism on campus. It also began deportation proceedings against some detained foreign students, while visas for hundreds of other students have been cancelled.

At the same time, Canada has capped the number of international students allowed to enter the country for the second year in a row, meaning there may be fewer spots for American and other international students.

‘This is not the time to travel into the U.S.’

As American students look north, Canadian professors are being asked to avoid travelling south.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) issued a travel advisory, cautioning of extra scrutiny on transgender individuals, those who have been critical of Trump, as well as academics who have ties to countries at odds with the U.S.

“This is not the time to travel into the U.S. unless that travel is essential,” said CAUT vice-president Robin Whitaker.

“This is clearly a very dangerous time for academics in the U.S.,” she added. “We look with concern at what’s happening south of the border, but it’s affecting all of us.”

At the University of Waterloo, students say despite the uncertainty, American academics are always welcome.

“We’re very comfortable with U.S. students,” Pfeifle said. “And we think that they can contribute a lot to our academic environment as well as the economy of Canada.”

However, for that to happen, WUSA representatives believe the federal and provincial governments must step in.

“We in Canada and Ontario, need to now adjust and prep, so we can actually take that talent,” said WUSA vice-president Arya Razmjoo. “So we need to fund our universities and change our admission policies to ensure we can actually get those folks admitted coming to Ontario, so they can help our economy and help our country.”

- With files from Reuters