Quebec universities fear losing most of their revenues
Concordia expects a sharp decline in the flow of students from other provinces and abroad.
Officials at the University of Concordia in Montreal said they expect "devastating financial implications" if Quebec authorities do not come to their senses. The university is referring to a new provincial policy aimed at protecting the French language and a related increase in tuition rates at English-language institutions for non-Quebec students.
Reducing the flow of applicants from other provinces
During a speech to the university community this week, Concordia president Graham Carr said that doubling tuition (the cost of a year of study will reach CA$ 17,000 for Canadian students from other provinces) will make the university one of the most expensive in the country. The implications are clear — the university will be squeezed out of the domestic market. Carr expects a 90% reduction in the flow of non-Quebec applicants.
This will result in a huge hit to the university's budget. The Concordia administration projects an CA$ 8 million shortfall in the first year of the program, the academic year 2024-2025. However, each year the situation will worsen because students paying the old rates will graduate and new students will refuse to enroll because of the new prices. After four years, the annual loss of revenue could reach CA$ 32 million, Carr believes.
Reduction in the flow of foreign applicants
The situation is no better for students from other countries. Quebec's plan to charge universities CA$ 20,000 for each international student could deal a further blow to university finances. Concordia has estimated the expected loss at CA$ 30 million over four years.
Overall, the Quebec government's actions will result in a total annual loss of about CA$ 62 million. For Concordia, this represents 9-10% of the current budget.
Reactions from other universities and officials
Quebec's other English-speaking universities, McGill and Bishop's, expect similar consequences. Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, rector of Bishop's University, expects student enrollment to drop by a third and revenue to drop by nearly a quarter of current levels. And McGill University has already gone into austerity mode and frozen its French language development program.
Students from all three English-language universities came out on Monday to protest in solidarity with prospective applicants. However, no clear response from officials has yet been received. The provincial higher education department has so far declined to comment.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault supported the ministry's initiative, saying that the percentage of English-language educational institutions in the province is 25, which is "a bit too much". Legault hopes the measure will help slow the growth of Quebec's English-speaking population. The premier expects understanding from the universities and constructive dialog.
