Three years prior, Daniel Miksha exchanged his Calgary roots for a student life at McGill University, a choice that continues to bring him fulfillment. Now a 21-year-old neuroscience student, Daniel attributes his satisfaction to the converging forces of Montreal’s French-laden culture and the exemplary education offered by his institution.
However, dreams of pursuing such an enriching student experience have been dashed for his younger sister, Helen Miksha. Currently completing her twelfth grade at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary, Helen aimed to attend McGill University, buoyed by her high grades. Yet, the announcement of a significant increase in tuition fees for out-of-province students — nearly doubling to $17,000 — has upended her aspirations.
The Quebec government explained their road to this decision as an attempt to balance the language demographic in Montreal, while simultaneously increasing funds for French universities. However, the Miksha siblings and many other students find these explanations unconvincing, arguing that language preference should not dictate access to education.
Helen Miksha, though disappointed and forced to contemplate alternative universities like the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, vocalizes her disillusionment with the decision. She has been resolute in her dream to attend McGill and now finds those dreams disrupted by financial constraints imposed by the tuition hike.
The financial implications of this regulation extend beyond prospective students. The Miksha parents, who were previously able to support their elder son through his McGill journey thanks to the availability of bursaries, express doubt over their ability to bear the burden of the steeper tuition on top of living expenses.
The Miksha family feels disheartened, sharing the sentiment that they undertook all the appropriate steps as Canadians, only to face exclusion. Helen voices her concern over this, saying, “It’s really disappointing to see Quebec making moves like this, the government deciding that they’re going to shut out other Canadians. And it makes it feel like we are secondary to the Quebec citizens.”
As for Daniel Miksha, who fortunately does not bear the brunt of the tuition hike, being currently enrolled at McGill, he objects to the policy that he deems nonsensical. In discussions with CTV News, he conveyed his perception of the measure as a means to obstruct middle-class Canadians from accessing high-quality education.
