Canadian language school files for bankruptcy, leaves students stranded

Canadian language school files for bankruptcy, leaving students stranded

Canada's largest language school cancelled classes abruptly Friday, leaving 1,300 students in limbo

Canada's largest private language school filed for bankruptcy on Friday, leaving current and incoming students in limbo.

A notice posted to the International Language Academy of Canada's (ILAC) website says it has ceased operations effective immediately, noting it "no longer has the financial resources necessary to continue operating."

ILAC operated in Vancouver and Toronto, offering a variety of programs including short-term English-language courses, a high school program, and college programs lasting up to two years.

"I’m just really confused and lost," said incoming student José Carlos Chavez, speaking from Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday.

Chavez, who works in Mexico as a professional photographer, was supposed to be starting a two-year-long marketing program at ILAC in mid-October.

His flight to Vancouver is booked for next week.

Chavez says he found out the news from social media. Despite reaching out to the school, he says he has not yet heard back from ILAC directly.

According to receipts Chavez provided to CBC News, he has paid the school almost $14,000 in tuition fees.

He will also have to pay a penalty if he cancels his Vancouver apartment lease now — which will cost him around $1,800.

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"Stressed, confused, I don’t know what’s going to happen," said Chavez.

Chavez worries he may have to go into debt and won’t be able to afford studying elsewhere if he doesn’t receive a refund.

"I just hope that the school can ... help me in any possible way," he said.

The school's notice says it has faced financial challenges over the past three years due to "significant regulatory changes affecting the sector."

Languages Canada, the national language education association that represents and accredits language programs, said the school has 1,362 students.

"The sudden and disorderly closure of Canada’s largest language school is a shock to everyone," said a Saturday statement from the organization’s executive director Gonzalo Peralta.

The statement said Languages Canada will work over the weekend to place current students in alternate equivalent programs.

Incoming students face the unknown

Beatriz Gil runs Truly Canadian Education, a company based in Metro Vancouver that connects international students to Canadian schooling.

She has dozens of clients currently enrolled in ILAC programs in Vancouver and Toronto. For both students and staff, she says Friday was a confusing and upsetting day.

"We were in shock," Gil said, noting she got a call from an ILAC staff member in tears.

Gil said those who were studying at the ILAC high school in Vancouver were asked to take their items and leave the building on Friday.

"They were outside the school with all their belongings asking what’s going on?" she said.

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She said their team is working with Languages Canada to transfer current students to other institutions in Vancouver and Toronto.

But for incoming students like Chavez, Gil says she does not know what will happen.

Gil said she is working with one incoming student who had just made her tuition payment to the institution on Thursday — the day before it declared bankruptcy.

"It ’s very, very sad for all of them," she said.

ILAC's closure comes just five days after the closure of EC English, a major international English-language school that had operations in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.

"Indeed, there have been closures of many language programs around the world in the last few years," said Language Canada's statement on the ILAC closure.

Michelle Gomez is a writer and reporter at CBC Vancouver. You can contact her at michelle.gomez@cbc.ca.