A new Quebec program aimed at increasing donations to CEGEP foundations is causing concern. The National Federation of Teachers of Quebec (FNEEQ) fears that it will open the door to private funding of the college network and engage CEGEPs in a “race for donations”.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
The union federation criticizes Quebec for “putting pressure” on the foundations of CEGEPs with its program Cegep placementsset up discreetly at the start of the school year.
The measure has two main components: for every dollar raised by foundations on average over the past five years, Quebec will pay them $0.50 to $1, depending on the size of the establishments.
The sums invested will also allow the foundations to equip themselves with an administrative structure to “intensify their solicitation activities”, indicates the budgetary and financial regime for CEGEPs 2022-2023.
An envelope of 5 million is planned for the deployment of the program in 2022-2023. A total of 45 million will be injected into it by 2026-2027.
The objective of the measure: increase individual and corporate donations in order to “support the perseverance and success of CEGEP students”.
However, “it is not through charity that we should do this,” believes Yves de Repentigny, vice-president of the CEGEP group of the National Federation of Teachers of Quebec (FNEEQ).
In a way, we are privatizing the funding of a primary mission of CEGEPs [qu’est le soutien à la réussite scolaire].
Yves de Repentigny, vice-president of the FNEEQ CEGEP group
Mr. de Repentigny fears that the measure, which is inspired by a similar program put in place for universities, opens the door to the “commodification” of the college network and engages CEGEPs in a “race for donations”.
The Federation is not “against foundations”, underlines its president, but this program “perverts their mission”. According to him, the government is “removing responsibility for its mission of ensuring adequate funding for colleges”.
A positive program, says the Fédération des cégeps
This program was a long-standing request from the Fédération des cégeps, which sees “only positive” in it, argues its president, Bernard Tremblay.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
Bernard Tremblay, President of the Federation of Cegeps
These investments are “complementary to public funding, not a substitute”, he says.
College foundations “are there essentially to support the needs of students”: in addition to funding projects or initiatives, they award scholarships, underlines Mr. Tremblay.
We strongly believe in the idea that CEGEPs should have the ability to make choices that correspond to their needs.
Bernard Tremblay, President of the Federation of Cegeps
For its part, the Quebec Collegiate Student Federation (FECQ) raises certain concerns about the program.
“Why are we at a stage where we need these foundations to provide adequate conditions for students? asks Maya Labrosse, president of the FECQ.
An increase in public funding for CEGEPs would be more equitable, she judges.
No inequity, assures Quebec
To avoid inequities, Quebec plans to pay more money to the foundations of small CEGEPs per dollar raised than to those of large CEGEPs.
For example, the Fondation du Cégep Édouard-Montpetit reported revenues (donations and government funding) of over $1,150,000 in 2021, according to the Canada Revenue Agency’s Charities Registry. In comparison, the Fondation du Cégep à L’Assomption reported revenues of $244,000 the same year.
Quebec has ensured “that the amounts granted to the establishments are distributed fairly”, indicates the spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education, Bryan St-Louis.
The Department also takes into account the five-year average of donations to allocate the available budget envelope.
Bryan St-Louis, spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education
CEGEPs will also have to communicate to the Ministry the number of students who have received financial support and the total amount allocated by the foundation.
In addition, the Regroupement des fondations collégiales, which has 40 members, was created in order to coordinate their actions and avoid competition, adds Bernard Tremblay.
The divided parties
“The role of the Foundations is not to replace State funding. We are talking about a measure that supports the mission of the foundations of the college network and helps them,” insisted the press officer for the Coalition avenir Québec Nadia Talbot.
Among the Liberals, Dominique Anglade does not say that he is opposed to the principle of a matching program for donations made to college foundations to attract more donations, provided that “this does not in any way give a pretext for a withdrawal from the State towards the financing of our collegial institutions”.
The PQ members are concerned about the measure. “As for universities, the intention is good, but the impact is that it disadvantages French-speaking establishments and those in the regions, since they do not have the same ability to seek donations,” observes the candidate in Jean-Talon, Gabriel Coulombe.
The outgoing solidarity deputy for Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Alexandre Leduc, also says he “shares the concerns of teachers”.
The last thing we should hope for is that our CEGEPs become like American universities that rely on donations to provide their services.
Alexandre Leduc, outgoing member of Québec solidaire
“If our CEGEPs need funding, they shouldn’t have to beg from the private sector, they should be supported,” he continues.
The Conservative Party of Quebec did not answer our questions.
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- The Fédération des cégeps has 48 members.