Thirty-eight veterinary technician students at Ontario’s Collège Boréal are currently in limbo after receiving notice their program’s accreditation had been revoked by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians (OAVT).

The college, which has several Ontario campuses serving the Francophone community, offers the two-year program in Sudbury and Ottawa. While students will still be able to graduate and receive a diploma, they will not be able to write the national competency exam, CBC News reports.

The exam is not essential to work in the field, but many veterinary clinics in northern Ontario require it for new applicants.

Collège Boréal’s accreditation was pulled for several reasons, CBC reports, and followed an evaluation conducted remotely.

OAVT cited concerns surrounding students’ lack of hands-on experience with large farm animals in the past year, as well as low numbers of previously Boréal graduates writing the national exam, according to CBC.

The college plans to submit an appeal and find a solution for impacted students.