Latest news with #EricDufour
Vancouver Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Tuition hike for out-of-province students at Quebec's English universities overturned by court
Article content MONTREAL — A Quebec Superior Court judge has overturned a university tuition hike for out-of-province students that the government introduced to reduce the number of English-speaking students in the province. Article content Article content The decision, released Thursday, is a partial victory for Montreal's two English-language universities, McGill and Concordia, which have said the Quebec government's recent changes caused a drop in enrolment. Article content Article content Justice Eric Dufour found the government's 2023 decision to increase out-of-province tuition by $3,000 — 33 per cent — was unreasonable and 'not justified by existing and convincing data.' Article content Article content The government had argued the fee increase was necessary to protect the French language in Quebec. Higher Education Minister Pascale Dery had also said the hike was justified because most out-of-province students leave Quebec. Article content But Dufour found the government could provide no statistics about the retention of out-of-province students. 'Increased protection of the French language remains fundamental, especially considering the linguistic context in which Quebec finds itself, a continent populated predominantly by Anglo-Saxons,' he wrote. Article content 'But this vigilant protection does not justify the creation of policies and the making of decisions … based on erroneous or absent data.' Article content He ruled that the fee hike can remain in place for up to nine months until the government revises its tuition plan. Article content Article content A spokesperson for Dery said the minister would not comment on the decision before reviewing it fully. Article content Article content The decision also overturns a new requirement that 80 per cent of out-of-province undergraduate students at English-language universities reach an intermediate level of proficiency in French by the time they graduate. That rule was to come into effect this fall. Article content Dufour found that threshold is unreasonable because of the 'almost certain impossibility' that the universities would be able to meet the target. He noted that the universities had suggested a less ambitious target of 40 per cent. Article content In his decision, the judge also pointed to inconsistencies in the government's logic, suggesting that if the minister believes out-of-province students don't stay in Quebec after graduation, then it doesn't make sense to require them to become proficient in French. Article content However, Dufour upheld the Quebec government's decision to set minimum tuition for international students at around $20,000 and to claw back a large portion of the fees from English institutions to redistribute them to French-language universities.
National Post
25-04-2025
- Business
- National Post
Tuition hike for out-of-province students at Quebec's English universities overturned by court
MONTREAL — A Quebec Superior Court judge has overturned a university tuition hike for out-of-province students that the government introduced to reduce the number of English-speaking students in the province. Article content Article content The decision, released Thursday, is a partial victory for Montreal's two English-language universities, McGill and Concordia, which have said the Quebec government's recent changes caused a drop in enrolment. Article content Article content Justice Eric Dufour found the government's 2023 decision to increase out-of-province tuition by $3,000 — 33 per cent — was unreasonable and 'not justified by existing and convincing data.' Article content Article content The government had argued the fee increase was necessary to protect the French language in Quebec. Higher Education Minister Pascale Dery had also said the hike was justified because most out-of-province students leave Quebec. Article content But Dufour found the government could provide no statistics about the retention of out-of-province students. 'Increased protection of the French language remains fundamental, especially considering the linguistic context in which Quebec finds itself, a continent populated predominantly by Anglo-Saxons,' he wrote. Article content 'But this vigilant protection does not justify the creation of policies and the making of decisions … based on erroneous or absent data.' Article content He ruled that the fee hike can remain in place for up to nine months until the government revises its tuition plan. Article content A spokesperson for Dery said the minister would not comment on the decision before reviewing it fully. Article content Article content The decision also overturns a new requirement that 80 per cent of out-of-province undergraduate students at English-language universities reach an intermediate level of proficiency in French by the time they graduate. That rule was to come into effect this fall. Article content Article content Dufour found that threshold is unreasonable because of the 'almost certain impossibility' that the universities would be able to meet the target. He noted that the universities had suggested a less ambitious target of 40 per cent. Article content In his decision, the judge also pointed to inconsistencies in the government's logic, suggesting that if the minister believes out-of-province students don't stay in Quebec after graduation, then it doesn't make sense to require them to become proficient in French. Article content However, Dufour upheld the Quebec government's decision to set minimum tuition for international students at around $20,000 and to claw back a large portion of the fees from English institutions to redistribute them to French-language universities. Article content McGill and Concordia challenged the changes in court last year, arguing in part that they violated the Canadian and Quebec charters of rights. But the judge decided it wasn't necessary to rule on the constitutional arguments, since the case could be resolved under administrative law.
Global News
24-04-2025
- Business
- Global News
Quebec court overturns out-of-province tuition hike
A Quebec Superior Court judge has invalidated a university tuition hike for out-of-province students meant to reduce the number of English speakers in the province. A ruling out Thursday says the Quebec government's 2023 decision to increase out-of-province tuition by $3,000 — 33 per cent — was unreasonable and based on limited data. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, the fee hike may remain in place for up to nine months until the government revises its tuition plan. The decision also overturns a new requirement that 80 per cent of out-of-province undergraduate students at English-language universities reach an intermediate level of proficiency in French by the time they graduate. Justice Eric Dufour says that requirement is unreasonable because of the 'almost certain impossibility' that the universities will be able to meet the target. McGill and Concordia universities launched a legal challenge of the changes last year, after the Quebec government said they were necessary to protect the French language in the province.
