Ottawa (Canada): Just a few months before the new term started in Canada, Northern College's Scarborough campus revoked the admission offers, plunging students, particularly from Punjab, into a state of disarray, KhalsaVox reported.
Students, who are preparing for months to months to go into college, received a sudden blow and caused a wave of disappointment and uncertainty.
The official explained that this disruptive move was due to the overwhelming surge in applications received by the institution.
Sunil, a specialist in Canada student visa cases at Pyramid e-Services, an immigration agency located in Jalandhar, revealed that the college was inundated with an unprecedented flood of responses.
“The college extended more offer letters than available positions, assuming that not all students would successfully obtain embassy clearance and visas. However, the rejection rate proved to be unexpectedly low on this occasion, forcing the college’s hand in retracting admissions,” he explained.
In an attempt to cool down the agitated and disappointed students, the institution said that they will fully reimburse students’ fees. Furthermore, they extended the option to students to secure offer letters from alternative educational institutions, with the potential to transfer the corresponding fees to their chosen alternative, according to KhalsaVox.
Harmanjot Singh, a hopeful student from Kapurthala who had applied for a two-year business diploma at Northern College, expressed his dismay. Having already invested substantial resources, including the purchase of a non-refundable ticket valued at Rs 1.12 lakh for an August 29 departure, he and his peers were left astounded by the college’s 11th-hour verdict. The communication came in the form of an email, revealing the unfortunate lack of available seats at the college.
Beyond its immediate impact on students, the abrupt withdrawal of admissions has sparked widespread concern within Canada’s Sikh community. Various advocacy groups, including the World Sikh Organisation of Canada, have united their voices in protest against the college’s actions, urging a reconsideration of the decision. Parents of the affected students have also voiced their grievances, highlighting the logistical and financial predicaments precipitated by this sudden change of plans.
With a mere month before the anticipated September term, the college’s last-minute admission cancellation has left students in a state of limbo. These young minds had already committed significant funds toward accommodations and airfare, poised for their upcoming Canadian voyage, reported KhalsaVox. —ANI
