Nikita Emelinov moved to Canada last year from Russia to pursue his education at the International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC). However, two weeks after returning for his second year and starting Gr. 11, he was shocked to find out by email that the school had filed for bankruptcy and would be closing immediately. Now, the 17-year-old and his family are out almost $20,000 in tuition and without a path forward for his education.“My feeling was so sad. And actually, I don’t know what it will be tomorrow, what I’m doing. I need to go to another school,” Emelinov tells CityNews.ILAC, an international private school which has multiple campuses across Canada, closed suddenly on Sept. 18, leaving students and families with lots of unanswered questions. The school said financial challenges over the past three years led to the closure, as it doesn’t have the resources to keep operating.Emelinov didn’t speak English at all when he first arrived in Canada and said ILAC allowed him to level up his language skills. He hoped to finish school here in Canada and attend college to become a car mechanic.“It was really good because they’re doing everything for international students what they will be comfortable, what they feel comfortable in Canada.”Without a refund, Emelinov’s family cannot afford to send him to another private school and without a visa or permanent residency, he isn’t able to enroll in a public school. His sister Anna is the only member of his family here in Canada and says their parents worked hard and sacrificed a lot to pay the tuition.“But when you look at the salaries back in Russia, you would understand that that is probably 10 years of work there,” she said.Anna took English classes at ILAC when she first moved to Canada and says she now feels betrayed by the school.“We had so much trust to it. I was studying there I know a lot of friends and teachers who were also connected to that school but now they just left us with nothing,” said Anna. “What they were doing for international students was a great opportunity for everybody. It’s just really sad.”Anna is now helping her brother out financially until they can figure out his next steps.“I wish they could just help us to find a new school, either private or public, enroll him there and give him an opportunity to study because right now when the school is closed, he’s just losing his time,” said Anna. “He could spend time studying, learning English better, supporting his future career.” “We’re trying to get as much help from immigration agents or from just people who face the same problems in the past,” she said, adding the school is not communicating with them at all.In a statement to CityNews, ILAC’s chief executive officer says, in part, “Limits on international students means fewer people can access the education and opportunities we were built to provide … We are working closely with regulators to ensure students receive the support they need during this transition.”According to the Government of Canada’s website, the 2026-28 Immigration Levels Plan is meant to reduce the number of students and temporary workers coming to Canada in order to help ease pressures on housing, infrastructure, and services.In 2024, almost 300,000 study permits were issued. That number went down to just under 115,000 in 2025 and is on track to drop even further this year.KPMG Canada has been appointed the trustee in bankruptcy for ILAC. They have provided an email for those with outstanding funds to contact them.CityNews reached out to the provincial government for a statement, but has yet to receive a response.