Quebec Doubles English University Tuition, Then Steps Back After Controversy

Photo Credit: Canada 2036

DISCLAIMER: Some information regarding Quebec tuition may have changed since the writing of this article.

In October, Quebec’s government announced that university tuition for out-of-province students would almost double, a decision that sparked widespread backlash, including student protests. On Dec. 14, they reduced the minimum to $12,000, but added a French education requirement, according to CBC News. The current minimum yearly tuition for an out-of-province student is $8,992.

The $12,000 is nonetheless a 33 per cent increase, and would make studying in Quebec more expensive than anywhere else in Canada, according to Deep Saini, McGill’s president and vice-chancellor. The new policy states that 80 per cent of graduates from the three English-language universities must reach a level five oral proficiency in French. Level five involves responding to basic questions and having simple conversations. While the tuition increase will apply starting in the fall, the French requirement will not apply until the 2025–2026 academic year.

“The measures that the government released today are devastating. They are far worse than those announced on Oct. 13,” Saini told University Affairs. Saini does not consider the 80 per cent French requirement feasible. “In the light of the damage these measures cause, I can only view this as a targeted attack.”

Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry and Premier François Legault aim to combat a perceived decline in the French language in Quebec by requiring French proficiency among Anglophone students. Both believe that taxpayer money should not go towards universities that bring in out of province students, who they say do not contribute meaningfully to the province. Instead, this extra money will be directed towards Quebec’s French-speaking universities.

“I really hope that we can Francize the students, the students can stay here, can actually work here, and be integrated in Quebec society,” Déry told CBC News.

“The measures announced will allow us to recover money that will be used to preserve, promote and enhance the French language in the university system,” said Francois Roberge, minister of the French language in Quebec.

Graham Carr, the president and vice-chancellor at Concordia University, also claimed that achieving 80 per cent proficiency is unrealistic. The three universities had pitched the government a plan to reach 40 per cent proficiency among graduating students, but were told their offer was not ambitious enough.

When this plan is executed, the tuition will only increase for those starting university in the fall of 2024; the tuition will not change for students already enrolled in school. At certain universities, there are exceptions to the tuition fee.

At Concordia University, French citizens and francophone Belgian citizens enrolled in a thesis-based Masters (research) program or enrolled in a PhD program are exempt from the tuition increase. At McGill the same exemptions apply, as well as an exception for full-time French Master’s students. Bishop’s University, an institution in the Eastern Townships, managed to get an exemption from some of the tuition increases due to its small size.

“The students we welcome to campus from the rest of Canada are not a threat to the French language but rather an essential part of what makes our region unique,” said Bishop’s University principal and vice-chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier in a statement.

Universities are already analyzing how this could impact them in the coming years. Saini shared in a statement released by McGill that, because of the increased tuition, they are expecting a significant decrease in applications from out-of-province students, and are trying to recruit possible students from Quebec or other countries to fill these spots.

Saini said, “our estimates show that in the best-case scenario, we will fill no more than 80 per cent of these spaces, and in the worst-case scenario, we will fill no more than 20 per cent, thereby reducing the number of students coming to McGill.”

Daniel Brandão (12) was halfway through his McGill application when he found out about the tuition increase, and was disappointed by the government’s decision. “I almost applied to McGill as it’s one of the best schools for the program I wanted, but because of the tuition change it wasn’t an option.” 

Saige Adams (12), however, is still interested in applying to McGill, specifically to the Jazz Performance Program. “This has not changed my decision, but I go to music school outside of high school and the majority of my friends that were considering McGill are no longer considering applying,” Adams said.

With many out-of-province students changing their minds about attending university in Quebec, McGill has expressed concerns about their financial stability. There has been a 20 per cent drop in applications from out of province students, which could result in an approximated loss of $42 million to $94 million per year. To combat this loss of revenue, McGill announced a hiring freeze, effective as of Dec. 1, 2023.