More than double the number of international students are enrolled at Providence University College during the winter semester compared to the start of the fall semester in September. 

Heath Holden is the Vice- President of Student Services and Registrar and he says the fall semester saw 43 international students enrolled and once winter semester numbers came in, that number rose to 102 international students. 

Holden adds there has also been an overall student enrollment increase of 7.7% from the first semester, that's on top of the 8% increase seen in the fall. Part of the dramatic increase he attributes to the opening of the Buller School of Business and the science programs now being offered. He says this is their highest enrollment since 2009.

"In 2003, that was our highest enrollment we've ever experienced. If we go back to the beginning of Providence, we had a significant increase from the '70's all the way up until 2003. After 2003 we started to see a decrease every year, just a slow decrease, until 2009, then we started to level off and slowly increase again."

Holden notes there is demographic data showing a decrease in student population for Canadian universities which could show up in the next number of years. He says they would want to augment the decrease and one source to find additional students is creating more space for international students.

Holden says though growth comes with its challenges, it's also exciting.