(Quebec) The Legault government confirms the increase in tuition fees for students from other Canadian provinces and makes part of the funding for McGill and Concordia universities conditional on the francization of 80% of their non-Quebec students.
In a letter sent to the rectors of the three English-speaking universities of Quebec, the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, officially announced that tuition fees for students from other Canadian provinces will increase from $9,000 to $12,000 per year. She had initially proposed that the bill reach $17,000.
It is moving forward as planned with the new pricing for international students. It sets a floor rate of $20,000 for these students, out of which the government will collect $3,000.
The funds raised through these two measures will be used to increase funding for French-speaking universities.
“The demographic and linguistic situation in the Estrie region being distinct from that of the greater Montreal region”, Bishop’s University will be able to continue to welcome a fixed number of students from other provinces at the current rate of $9,000 “for a total of 825 tariff exclusions in the long term”.
From 2024-2025, Quebec wants English-speaking universities to “begin their efforts to develop skills in French and modify their language policies to clearly include their commitment in this regard.”
Quebec is asking them that from 2025-2026, “80% of new non-Quebec enrollees in an English-speaking study program reach level 5 orally according to the Quebec scale of French proficiency levels at the end of their undergraduate degree program.”
The government will “support the achievement of these objectives via the funding policy” of universities. “However, part of the funding for non-Quebec students will be subject to the evaluation and development of French skills by establishments.”
Bishop’s University will also have to Frenchify 80% of its non-Quebec students, but unlike McGill and Concordia, “its funding will not be conditional on achieving this target.”