Low loonie, fewer Canadians at Lake State

Going to college or university isn't cheap.

Even students from low-income families who will benefit from recently-announced "free" tuition initiatives announced by the Ontario government will still have to cough up at least $3,000 a year in off-campus living expenses.

Then, there are those students from Sault, Ontario attending Lake Superior State University (LSSU) in Sault, Michigan, getting walloped by a weak Canadian dollar as they pay for tuition and books in U.S. dollars.

While an exact figure is not available, under 10 percent of LSSU's 2,000 students are Canadian.

Has the weakened loonie led to a decrease in the number of Sault, Ontario students studying at Lake State?

While not providing a specific figure, the answer is 'yes,' said Thomas Pleger, LSSU president, speaking to SooToday.

"I have talked to Canadian students who have mentioned this to me as a significant problem, in that the Canadian-U.S. dollar exchange rate has in effect neutralized their scholarships in some cases," said Matthew Jurvelin, LSSU enrolment services and student affairs vice president.

"Canadian students are concerned about it and have talked to me directly, asking me if there are additional scholarship opportunities for them, because we don't issue state or financial aid to Canadian students," Jurvelin said.

But the weakened loonie is not the only reason for a decline in the number of Canucks studying at Lake State, Pleger said.

"I can say we've seen a decline in recent years in terms of the percentage of Canadian students," Pleger told SooToday.

"Part of that is due to the complexities of crossing into the U.S. (in the ultra-security conscious post 9-11 world) and also more degree options at the two institutions in Sault, Ontario."

"(However) we still see Canadian students in a number of key programs, the fisheries and wildlife area, as well as criminal justice and fire science," Pleger said.

"We have a very strong robotics program, and business, and Canadians are interested in our athletic programs, especially our hockey program," Jurvelin said.

"The degree programs that are very specific to us continue to be the ones that are popular with Canadian students, but it's still a challenge, even though we offer in-state, Michigan tuition, it's still significantly more than Canadian tuition," Pleger said.

While aiming to attract students from Michigan and neighbouring states such as Wisconsin, Lake State hasn't given up on recruiting Canadian students.

While promoting Lake State speciality programs such as fire sciences to Canadians, Pleger added "we've ramped up our relationship with Sault College."

"One way to minimize that increased U.S. dollar expense is to spend your first two years at Sault College, and then transfer to Lake State, and we are interested in growing the number of our transfer students."

"It might even be possible in the not-too-distant future to see some type of Lake State/Sault College partnership where perhaps we could offer degrees on the other side of the river which would make it more convenient for Canadians." 

"We have had great success with students from Sault College transferring to baccalaureate studies here, and we have strong connections between our two faculties and our administration," Pleger said.

Another drawing card is the possibility of full-time work and permanent residency in the U.S. (perhaps in the traditionally sunnier, warmer Southern states) upon graduating from LSSU.

"Some of our degree programs are well-known in the United States, and manufacturers and businesses know a Lake State graduate has an applied experience, and that's particularly true in nursing and engineering," Pleger said.

"It (a Lake State education) does give Canadian students opportunities in the United States."