The Québec government has initiated plans for a substantial increase in tuition fees for international and out-of-province students enrolled at English-language universities. The initiative is a strategic measure, aimed at preserving the predominance of the French language in the province.
This move forms a part of the detailed plan of action proposed by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government, designed to halt the gradual downturn of French language usage in Québec. Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry is set to make a public declaration to this effect on Friday morning in Montreal.
Jean-François Roberge, the Québec Minister for French Language, elucidated this proposed plan in an interview with La Presse, stating, “We’re fed up with managing the decline, protecting the language, curbing the erosion of the language; these are all defensive terms. It’s time to regain some ground.”
This tuition fee hike proposition gains momentum in light of a recent political disappointment, where CAQ lost a seat to the Parti Québécois in the Jean-Talon byelection.
The task group appointed to implement this strategy also plans to enforce measures compelling online streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify to prominently feature Québec content. Their proposal would impact the tuition structure of the three English-language universities in the province: McGill, Concordia, and Bishop’s.
According to Roberge, approximately 32,000 students outside of Québec avail education at these English universities and use English extensively, which needs to be addressed.
At Bishop’s University, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier asserts this as primarily a Montreal concern, viewing his university as an unintended casualty. He states that his institution holds no threat to the French language in Québec.
Rising tuition could prove detrimental to Bishop’s University. It’s student body is around 30% out-of-province and nearly 15% international. Currently, out-of-province students pay between $8,000 and $9,000 in tuition per year, whereas international students pay upwards of $25,000.
Lebel-Grenier raises concerns that an increased fee could drive prospective students elsewhere, impacting both the diversity at Bishop’s along with its financial health. He also emphasizes that many out-of-province students seek to master French, viewing Bishop’s as a learning opportunity, and eventually securing employment in French-speaking workplaces.
He underscores the need for dialogue with the Minister of Higher Education, to ensure the plans implemented by the government do not disrupt the equilibrium at Bishop’s University. A spokesperson for McGill University has refrained from commenting until the formal announcement is made.
