Studying at an English-Speaking University? In Quebec, That May Cost Extra.

When international or Canadian students are considering attending university in Canada, one of the universities they are typically aware of and often apply to is McGill University in Montreal. McGill, along with Concordia University, are the two English language options in Montreal, and get the lion’s share of applications from students wanting to study in English in the province of Quebec. If either of these universities interest you, there are two things you need to know: a) if you’re an out of province Canadian applicant or an international applicant, your tuition fees will be higher starting this year, and b), the reason for these increases has to do with longstanding political issues within the province. In the article, Legault (the current premier of Quebec) is quoted saying “When I look at the number of English-speaking students in Quebec, it threatens the survival of French,” and further, “I am very determined to reverse the trend.” Because of these beliefs, the Quebec government introduced new rules to increase tuition rates for non-Quebec residents coming to these two universities in Quebec, and then transfer this extra money collected to the French speaking universities of the province. To put it mildly, many people are very concerned about this approach, and both universities in question have legal cases underway and are worried about their future with a significant drop in applications from outside the province and country.