“Questionable” recruitment practices for students in India: Three Canadian colleges shut down

By A Staff Reporter

CANADA Feb 19: The High Commission of India has advised Indian students seeking higher education in Canada to make thorough checks of credentials and standing of the institution where they are seeking admission before making any payments to such institutions.

In an official notice, the Indian High Commission said it has been approached by several students from India who were enrolled in the three institutions run by Rising Phoenix International Inc, namely, M College in Montreal, CED College in Sherbrooke, and CCSQ College in Longuell, located in the province of Quebec, Canada, who have been affected by the closures of these institutions.

Please see our advisory for students from India affected by the closure of three colleges in Quebec, Canada.@IndiainToronto@meaMADAD @MEAIndia @EduMinOfIndia @Quebec_India pic.twitter.com/S9kwlPwqGx

— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) February 18, 2022

“Should they require any immediate assistance, students from India, currently in Canada affected by the closures of these colleges may approach the Education Wing of the High Commission of India in Ottawa by addressing an email to inf.ottawa@mea.gov.in or the Consulate General of India in Toronto by addressing an email to com.toronto@mea.gov.in,” the Commission said in a notice.

To provide support to such students, the Commission has been in close contact with the federal government of Canada, it said.

The Commission has asked students to get a certificate of recognition from the Canadian or provincial government from the institutions and to ensure that the chosen institution is on the list of designated learning institutions published on the Government of Canada website.

Students should not make any payments or reveal their personal information to any unverified person or institution offering student visas on payment, it advised.

The provincial government of Canada has advised the affected students to directly contact their institution for reimbursement and transfer of fees and, in case of any difficulty, file a complaint with the Ministry of Higher Education, Quebec.

The High Commission further said that it has been told by the Quebec government that affected students will get a grace period to seek a change in their institute of learning and seek admission to alternative institutions.

Canada’s CBC News reported that all three colleges — run by the same recruiting firm, Rising Phoenix International (RPI) Inc. — have filed for bankruptcy. The request for creditor protection comes a little over a year after Quebec began to investigate several private colleges, including M College and CDE College, for “questionable” recruitment practices for students in India.

The abrupt school closures prompted scores of panicking international students from India to flock to the Indian High Commission in Ottawa for assistance, as many of them had been forced to come up with thousands of dollars in fees without warning, only to have their education halted.