The Quebec government recently announced new measures that will impact out-of-province students studying at McGill and Concordia universities. The changes include an increase in tuition fees to $12,000 a year and a requirement for students to meet a French-language proficiency standard. The Higher Education Minister, Pascale Déry, stated that these measures are designed to encourage Canadian and foreign graduates to better integrate into Quebec society.
Initially, the government had proposed a tuition hike to approximately $17,000 from the previous $8,992 for out-of-province students. However, the new announcement has reduced that amount from the original proposal. Moreover, the government has introduced a new language requirement stating that 80 percent of out-of-province students in English universities must have an intermediate level of spoken French before they can graduate.
These new French-language standards will be in effect for the 2025-26 academic year, with the tuition raise taking effect in the fall. While the other English-language university in Quebec, Bishop’s, has been spared the tuition hike, it will still need to meet the language requirements.
In addition to these changes, Bishop’s University will be required to meet the new language standards. This shift in requirements and tuition costs has sparked discussion about its potential impact on the education system in Quebec.