How the Alberta government is tightening the leash on career colleges

The Alberta government has sanctioned more than 20 private career colleges as part of its increased scrutiny of the institutions.

Along with suspending the licences of two colleges to run select courses, Advanced Education has stopped 15 career colleges from enrolling new students in a total of 64 programs to train for jobs such as medical office assistant, massage therapist, emergency medical responder and digital marketing.

Students attending four career colleges are no longer eligible to apply for student loans after audits found problems at the institutions.

A new public database has been created in response to a rise in complaints about private colleges. The registry, which lists hundreds of programs offered by 214 private institutions across Alberta, indicates whether a program licence is active or suspended, or if enrolment is currently halted.

The database is searchable by location, college name and program name, and lists the cost of tuition, books and supplies for each program.

"You've got people out there who are trying to bamboozle the public, whether they're seniors or newcomers or international students," Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney said in an interview. "Right now, the registry is step one."

CBC News contacted three of the colleges currently under scrutiny by the government. Two didn't respond to messages, and the third would not provide an interview.

Sawhney said she hopes increased enforcement has a "chilling effect" on any organization that uses aggressive and manipulative recruitment tactics to enrol students in expensive programs — and borrow thousands of dollars — that may not be helpful to advance their careers.

She said career colleges are a critical part of the post-secondary education system, but the questionable practices of bad actors couldn't continue.

Sawhney's moves come after the number of Alberta students relying on provincial loans has shot up, sending the province searching for additional loan money.

Last year, Sawhney attributed most of that increase to students attending private career colleges. She asked for investigations into "integrity issues" with some private institutions. In 2024, the ministry doubled the number of full-time career college inspectors to six from three.

There is also now a 10 per cent cap on the increase in the number of students at each institution who can qualify for provincial loans each year.

Citing growth in the number of career colleges and an increase in student complaints and loan applications, Sawhney said the new online registry of private career colleges is designed to help protect potential students from "bad apples."

The number of students enrolled in Alberta career colleges is almost five times larger than it was a decade ago.

Sawhney attributes the enrolment spike to a host of online courses created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those virtual courses were more difficult to monitor and inspect, she said. Then, the number of complaints to the province about colleges began to grow.

"It was a real flag that there's something happening here and we need to take a closer look," she said.

Community organizations pushed for change

Courtney Mo, director of community impact with Calgary anti-poverty charity Momentum, has been advocating for a registry for years after documenting stories of predatory and exploitative behaviour by college recruiters.

She said the tool will make it easier for potential students to check which colleges offer legitimate programs and decide where to attend.

"They're intended to connect people quickly and directly to careers, and we were seeing that a lot of actors in the space were not doing that, and some, intentionally so," Mo said.

People attending career colleges are more likely to be women who are new to Canada, and who have lower incomes, Mo said.

Momentum's research found some students were subjected to high-pressure sales tactics or provided false or misleading information about their employment prospects. Some enrolled to find poor-quality courses that employers wouldn't later recognize.

The colleges left some students saddled with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and limited means to pay back the loans, Mo said.

• Edmonton AM: New registry for private career colleges

Some students reported being signed up for student loans they didn't know they had applied for, or unknowingly registered in courses, Mo said. These cases often arose when the student's English wasn't strong, she said.

Mo said the government increasing the number of inspectors has helped.

Retaining a career college licence in Alberta requires regular reporting to the province, and demonstrating a sustained graduation rate of 70 per cent or higher.

Colleges must also show a post-graduate employment rate in the field of training of 70 per cent or higher.

Momentum has previously recommended raising the licensing standards for owners of Alberta colleges, adding limits on sales and recruitment tactics, setting minimum standards for instructors, and publishing graduation rates.

The registry lacks graduation data for the colleges or programs, and doesn't describe what rules a college has broken, if any.

Sawhney said Advanced Education could opt to post more details in the future.

She said her department has also started reviewing the Private Vocational Training Act, and that updated rules could be coming.

Canadian credentials an immigration challenge

Jun Naraval, director of programs and public policy at Calgary-based Action Dignity, which works to empower cultural organizations, said his group has collected troubling tales from newcomers about their career college experiences.

Many immigrants arrive with employment and education credentials, but many employers here insist on Canadian experience and education, Naraval said.

"They end up with survival jobs and they are scrambling to find ways to enter the labour market," he said. "And the pathway is the private career colleges that provide them credentials."

The registry and increased enforcement are great steps, he said.

But he thinks the province should have broader conversation about the conditions that drive newcomers into these pricey programs. Broader anti-racism education could help dispel some prejudicial beliefs people may have about the knowledge and competence of newcomers, he said.

Aline Bernardi, a former career college student, also welcomes increased scrutiny and regulation of the sector.

In 2023, she was about five months into a business administration diploma at a college in High River when the institution shut its doors without warning.

Bernardi says she and dozens of fellow students — many who had borrowed tens of thousands of dollars — were left in a state of confusion and anxiety.

"That was really tough for many of us, like, stressful, and there were a lot of tears," she said in an interview.

No one could reach the college's owner, she said. After about six months in limbo, the province was able to transfer the remainder of Bernardi's student loan to another private college so she could finish her program.

She thinks private colleges in Alberta should be required to have insurance so they can't abandon students with debt and no credentials.

Association of career colleges welcomes reforms

Tom Ogilvie, board chair of the Alberta Association of Career Colleges, said the organization supports the government's efforts to protect students.

In an email earlier this month, he said the new registry is a good way to build trust and transparency for career colleges. However, he said the information online must be accurate, fair and up to date.

Two of the colleges facing sanctions are members of the association. Ogilvie said the association immediately reached out to them, and they're accepting offers of help. He wasn't sure how it would affect their membership. He said members must adhere to the association's code of conduct.

"This prompt and proactive engagement underscores how seriously our members take these matters and reflects their shared commitment to quality and accountability," he said.