Canadian colleges and universities mainly have 3 income sources: the government, the student fees, and donations in a general sense. Postsecondary public education is valued at $60 billion, with earnings of $30 billion expected each year.

As one of the most well-funded education systems, Canada’s post-secondary educational sector gets the majority of the funding from the government, which mainly covers operating costs and fuels research programs. Meanwhile, revenue from student fees has grown since there is an increase of enrollments of international students and the amount of tuition also has increased.

The population size of international students within a university can greatly affect the amount of income generated. In 2017, there were only 494,525 international students at all levels. A year later, that number increased to 721,205 and supported around 170,000 middle-class jobs. Because of this significance, future policies are created. 

These policies will find a balance between relying on the fees of international students and on government funds for revenue. One strategy by the Canadian government is the “International Education Strategy”. This aims to extend the direct stream of students to other countries, modernize immigration procedures and forms, and strengthen scholarships. 

The Canadian government also encourages internship programs. An example of this is the “Student Work Placement Program”. This offers a paid work experience to post-secondary students in relation to their respective field of study.