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CTV News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Concordia University ‘astonished' after Quebec vows to maintain tuition hikes for out-of-province students
Concordia University said it was shocked by comments from Quebec's higher education minister, who is promising to go ahead with tuition hikes for out-of-province students despite a court ruling that struck down the measure in its current form. 'We were astonished by the comments made today by the Ministry,' a university spokesperson said in an email to CTV News. 'We had hoped that the decision by the Superior Court in April could mark a reset of our relationship with the government. The comments, made one day after the end of the appeal period, make it clear that this is not the case.' In 2023, the provincial government announced a tuition hike of 33 per cent for non-Quebec students, a measure that had a direct impact on Quebec's largest English-language universities, McGill and Concordia. The government also imposed a new requirement that 80 per cent of out-of-province students at those universities would have to reach an intermediate level of French proficiency before graduating. However, in a ruling handed down last April, Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour declared the tuition hike 'unreasonable and invalid.' He also noted in the decision that the tuition hikes were unreasonable 'since they are not based on objective data or rational considerations.' Dufour also struck down the French-language requirement for out-of-province students, writing in his 82-page judgment that the threshold was 'almost certain to be impossible to achieve.' He gave the government nine months from April to revise its tuition plan. The Ministry of Education confirmed in an email that it will not appeal the decision. On Monday, the last day remaining to file an appeal of the April decision, Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said on social media that there was 'misinformation' circulating online about the judgment and that the province is 'sticking to our decision.' 'First, regarding the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, I want to be clear: the court did not cancel the increase, and we are sticking to our decision. We firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers,' the minister wrote on her X account. She went on to say the ruling supports the goal of correcting the 'financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities' and recognized the government's objective of protecting the French language in Quebec. Discussions will be happening with English-language universities 'over the coming weeks' regarding French-language proficiency requirements, according to Déry. 'The judgment is clear,' says McGill A Concordia spokesperson said Monday the university was 'troubled' by the minister's comments that 'seem to indicate that the government simply plans to come back with a new set of arguments to justify an increase of tuition fees for out-of-province students,' which the university says goes against Justice Dufour's judgment. The university says it hopes to meet the minister soon but that no meeting has yet been scheduled. Meanwhile, in a brief statement on Tuesday, McGill said in an email that the Superior Court judgment 'is quite clear.' 'We will abide by it, as we hope others will. We remain committed to maintaining a constructive and respectful relationship with the Quebec Government,' the statement reads. More to come.
CBC
11-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec says it will impose out-of-province tuition hike despite court ruling
Social Sharing Despite a court ruling striking down its tuition hikes for out-of-province Canadian students, the Quebec government will not appeal the decision. Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry said the court found fault with the rationale for the increases — not the increases themselves — and says the government intends to stay the course. In a social media post on Tuesday, Déry said the court had not overturned the government's move to increase tuition by 33 per cent for out-of-province Canadian students. "We are standing by the decision. We firmly believe it is not the Quebec government's role to ensure financial accessibility to education for non-Quebecers," she said, noting that she wanted to "set the record straight" about the ruling after claiming it was misreported by Montreal news outlets. In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour said the government lacked data to support its claims that out-of-province students weren't integrating into Quebec society. "The evidence shows that the ministry has absolutely no data on this subject, or only fragile information to back it up," he wrote in his ruling. Dufour gave the government a nine-month timeline to revise the fee structure, but maintained the tuition increase for that time frame. He also threw out the province's requirement to have 80 per cent of out-of-province undergraduate students at English-language universities reach an intermediate level of proficiency in French by graduation, calling the expectation "unreasonable given the near-certain impossibility of achievement." WATCH | What does the ruling mean? Quebec court strikes down tuition hike for out-of-province students 2 months ago Duration 1:43 The heads of Quebec's English universities criticized the move, saying the increase in tuition fees made their programs unappealing to students across the country. Last month, Concordia reported it anticipates a deficit of nearly $32 million for the 2025–26 academic year, while McGill has already put in place measures to cut $45 million from its 2025-26 budget to eliminate operating deficits over the next three years. Vannina Maestracci, a spokesperson for Concordia, said in an email on Tuesday that the university was "astonished" by the higher education minister's comments, which suggest the government will return to court with new arguments to justify the tuition increase. "We had hoped that the decision by the Superior Court in April could mark a reset of our relationship with the government," Maestracci wrote. "The comments, made one day after the end of the appeal period, make it clear that this is not the case." No plans to appeal Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Déry, said the province will not try to fight the judge's orders. Over the next few months, the province will try to rework the rules and find another rationale for the hike. But he pointed out that the ruling recognizes the government's right to take steps to protect French. "The ruling not only supports the measure aimed at correcting the financial imbalance between English-language and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec," Savignac said. Savignac said the government still believes "it is not the responsibility of the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to education for non-Quebecers." He added that the government "will continue discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks" about out-of-province students' knowledge of French.
Toronto Sun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Despite court ruling, Quebec plans to maintain 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
'It's not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers,' the Education Ministry says. Published Jun 10, 2025 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 3 minute read Concordia and McGill universities. Montreal Gazette Amid legal pushback, Quebec says it remains committed to its contentious tuition reform targeting Concordia and McGill universities, vowing to maintain a steep fee increase for out-of-province students. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled that parts of the overhaul were 'unreasonable' and ordered key sections struck down. The Coalition Avenir Québec government did not appeal the ruling by Monday's deadline. Dufour told the province to immediately scrap French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants and gave the government nine months to come up with a new fee structure for out-of-province Canadian students. The government's plan had called for a 33-per-cent tuition hike for these students. In his ruling, Dufour criticized Déry's arguments, echoing the universities' contention that the plan was put forward without sufficient evidence. 'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision,' Dufour wrote. 'At the very least, what she had on hand in no way substantiates the reasonableness of the outcome.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Tuesday, Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, indicated that the government stands by its original plan. 'The ruling not only supports the measure to correct the financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec,' he told The Gazette. 'With regard to the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, we firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers.' He said the government is 'staying the course' on the tuition hike. The government's interpretation of the ruling is that the judge did not rule that the 33-per-cent hike was unreasonable, but rather 'the path we've taken and the reasons invoked for the increase.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Savignac said it's too early to say how the government will proceed. Regarding French proficiency, he said Déry 'will be pursuing discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks regarding the terms and conditions surrounding knowledge of French for students from outside Quebec.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill said Quebec's reforms violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. McGill also asserted that the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Like the Quebec government, Concordia and McGill did not appeal the ruling. When his government announced the changes in 2023, Premier François Legault said they were part of a plan to 'reduce the number of anglophone students' in Quebec. He said English-speaking students from other provinces 'threaten the survival of French.' Jeffery Vacante, a Western University history professor who has written extensively about Quebec's tuition shakeup, said the government is attempting to frame the issue as 'one of accessibility to non-Quebec students.' Instead, he said, it should be framed as the Quebec government 'attacking Quebec institutions (McGill and Concordia) because these institutions are being portrayed as not real Quebec institutions because they are supposedly threatening the French language in Montreal.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said what Déry 'is in a sense suggesting is that in order to keep out-of-province students out of Quebec, the government must weaken its own institutions to make them less appealing to those out-of-province students.' Vacante said the government is depending on Quebecers supporting the policy because the general population 'might agree that it is not necessary to 'subsidize' out-of-province students. In other words, people might think this sounds reasonable. 'But this public is largely unaware of the fact that Quebec students do not pay much more in tuition when they study at universities in Ontario or elsewhere.' The tuition hike, which made headlines across Canada and around the world, led to a drop in applications from the rest of the country, with the universities compelled to offer scholarships to lure out-of-province students. Concordia and McGill have partially blamed the tuition changes for deep budget cuts. McGill laid off 60 workers in March as it grappled with a large deficit that it partly blamed on CAQ government policies. Last month, Concordia said it may also lay off employees as it works to slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget. This report will be updated. NHL Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists NHL
Montreal Gazette
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Libman: Court's rebuke of tuition hikes a wider indictment of divisive CAQ tactics
'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision.' 'The evidence shows that the minister had no data on the matter, beyond tenuous information.' Two very telling extracts from last week's Quebec Superior Court judgment rendered by Justice Éric Dufour, in overturning the Coalition Avenir Québec government decision to sharply increase university tuition for out‑of‑province students attending McGill and Concordia. The judge criticized Higher Education Minister Pascale Dery's contentions regarding the retention rate of students from outside Quebec and their ability of integrating into Quebec society, posing threats to the survival of French. This is not just a slap-down of the minister, but a wider indictment exposing how the CAQ often seems to be improvising, particularly on matters of identity and language. Whether by design or incompetence, instead of working from hard data and facts, this government has adopted legislation and implemented important measures — with significant impact on Quebec society — based on anecdotes, hearsay and questionable perceptions. Bill 94 is another recent example. Prompted by a few alleged incidents in 17 (out of Quebec's 3,000) public schools, Education Minister Bernard Drainville is expanding the ban on wearing religious symbols in schools to now include almost all workers, including janitors. When it comes to language measures, forget hard data. Everything seems driven by the accepted orthodoxy that French is in serious 'decline' — thus the need to protect the language at all costs. If someone dares question just the means or the methodology, it's invariably seen as an attack on Quebec and unleashes relentless intimidation. When federal Liberal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos cautiously asked at a language-committee hearing for more information or proof of the supposed decline, she was attacked from all sides, and subsequently quickly retreated. Measures to promote and protect French and maintaining Quebec's uniqueness are important. But flimsy evidence or fearmongering about the intensity of a decline, to justify measures that unnecessarily go too far, rightfully deserve to be challenged. The court's scolding on tuition is a welcome reminder that governments should be basing major decisions on facts, not exaggeration or phantom menaces. The French language is deeply rooted throughout Quebec as the dominant language at all levels of government and in public health care institutions and all professional corporations. According to the Office québécois de la langue française, even in neighbourhoods most heavily concentrated with anglophones, customers in businesses can be served in French 94 per cent of the time. According to Statistics Canada, never in the history of Quebec have so many non-francophones and newcomers been able to speak French. It's not the French language itself in decline, therefore, but the percentage of native-born mother-tongue francophones. That misleading statistic is often used to justify tougher French language measures, many of which go too far (Allez Canadiens Allez? Really?) Provisions of language Bill 96 — such as search and seizure, snitching and others — do little to protect French, yet clearly violate charter rights. Otherwise, the government wouldn't have used the notwithstanding clause pre-emptively to pass it. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet recently called Canada an 'artificial country.' In Monday's federal election, his party was reduced to only about half the number of seats won in Quebec by the Liberals led by Mark Carney. Blanchet, in a display of exaggerated self-importance, offered collaboration but warned it was conditional on Carney not opposing Quebec's use of the notwithstanding clause when Bill 96 reaches the Supreme Court. Hopefully when the time comes, Carney will show leadership and prove that Canada is a very real country that values rights — and, as judge Dufour did, expose the distinction between laws buttressed by reality as opposed to 'artificial' arguments and tired notions that divide and weaken our society.
CTV News
29-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Higher education minister may appeal tuition fees for students outside Quebec
Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry has not ruled out appealing the Quebec Superior Court decision, which annulled the increase in tuition fees for students from other Canadian provinces. 'We're currently evaluating all the options. There is still a 30-day deadline for both parties to appeal,' the minister said at a news briefing on Tuesday at the National Assembly. Last week's ruling was a partial victory for Montreal's two English-language universities, McGill and Concordia, which had claimed that the Quebec government's recent changes had led to a drop in enrolments. Judge Éric Dufour said the government's 2023 decision to increase tuition fees for Canadian students outside Quebec by $3,000 (33 per cent) was unreasonable and 'not justified by existing and convincing data.' 'We have to ask ourselves the question: should Quebec taxpayers be paying a high price for the education of Canadian students outside Quebec?' the minister said. The ruling states that the government has nine months to comply. The ruling also overturns a new requirement that 80 per cent of undergraduate students outside Quebec enrolled in English-language universities achieve an intermediate level of proficiency in French by the time they graduate. This rule was due to come into force this autumn. 'However, the judge ruled in our favour, especially when it came to French. We are told that it is the minister's responsibility to protect the French language. So that objective will be maintained. For me, it's very important that the students we bring to Quebec are able to master French,' said Déry. Dufour did, however, confirm the Quebec government's decision to set minimum tuition fees for international students at around $20,000 and to recover a large part of the money from English-language institutions and redistribute it to French-language universities. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 29, 2025.
