Suspension of KASP forced some students at GBC to leave while others fought to stay

The start of the fall semester was an unpleasant one for international students from Saudi Arabia.

This is after diplomatic tension led the Middle Eastern nation to suspend government-sponsored scholarships which allowed thousands of students to study in Canada, including at George Brown College (GBC).

There were suggested solutions which would allow the students to remain in Canada and work on a part-time basis to offset the cost of their studies.

However, for some students, it was already too late.

“Overall, there were not many GBC students impacted by this decision, and there were even some students who have been able to stay at GBC for this semester,” said Ashley Sullivan, manager of international student services and support at GBC.

“The International Centre continues to support any student who has been impacted by the withdrawal of the  King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) back in the summer,” Sullivan added.