The Quebec government has toned down the requirements for English-speaking universities a bit
The tuition increase will not be as drastic as anticipated.
The Quebec government has officially announced the amount that students in English-language programs from other provinces will pay starting in the coming academic year. Such programs are offered in Quebec by three universities that are affected by the change: Bishop's, McGill and Concordia. Instead of the expected increase to CA$ 17,000 per year, students will be charged CA$ 12,000 per year. Previously, non-Quebec students paid just under CA$ 9,000.
Why is the cost being raised in the first place?
The province's new policy on studying in English was announced in October and met with fierce opposition from both students and the universities themselves. The authorities explained the changes by the need to protect the vulnerable position of the French language in the region. Therefore, tuition is being raised only for English-language programs and only for students from other provinces and countries — not for Quebecers.
What are some other updates to the rules?
Tuition fees are going up at three universities — and despite a reduction in the promised price, their administrations are still not happy. McGill University President Deep Saini sees this move by the authorities as a challenge:
"I can only view this as a targeted attack on institutions that have been part of Quebec for hundreds of years."
But the government has found common ground with the Bishop administration by giving the university a break: 825 new students from other provinces (and none more) will be able to study at the old price of CA$ 8,992.
However, these and all other students in Quebec's English-language programs will now have to learn French. The authorities have set a specific target for universities: by the end of their studies (baccalaureate), at least 80% of students from outside Quebec will have to demonstrate a level 5 oral proficiency, which is the ability to hold a conversation fluently. Deep Saini considers this goal unrealistic.
That said, McGill and Concordia universities could lose some state funding if the indicator is not met, but Bishop's budget would not be directly affected.
The fee increase goes into effect for students starting in the 2024-25 academic year, and the French requirement goes into effect for students entering in the 2025-26 academic year.
International students
As promised by the authorities, not much will change for international students. They will have to pay a base payment of CA$ 20,000, from which the government will take CA$ 3,000 as fees. International students already pay more than CA$ 20,000 on most programs.
This weekend Canada switches to winter time
A new era for Canadian athletes
Canada celebrates its National Day and reflec...
Rising inflation in May threatens rate cuts i...
Canada Prepares for a Sharp Increase in the E...
High Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants Spar...
Canadian intelligence raises alarm: China's i...
Canada continues to attract skilled professio...
How the food supply chain in Canada works and...
The mysterious disappearance of a taxidermy g...
The remains of a mysterious ship have been fo...
Saskatchewan raises age limit for tobacco pur...
At least, Bishop principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier is optimistic about this, having found some common ground with the provincial authorities. Representatives of Concordia and especially McGill, much more angered by the innovations, did not comment on the situation with foreign students.
