Government of Quebec confirms increases to tuition fees

Dear Concordians,

I write to you again concerning tuition fees for out-of-province and international students. Today, the minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, sent us a letter communicating changes to some of the proposed measures the Government of Quebec put forward in October.

Unfortunately, the message I convey is beyond disappointing. The government now plans to set tuition fees for out-of-province students at a minimum of $12,000 for all undergraduate programs as opposed to the $17,000 originally proposed on October 13. However, concerning international students, the government is sticking to its initial proposal. These students will now be regulated at a minimum fee of $20,000, with the government clawing back $17,000 of tuition for undergraduates and non-research master’s students while providing a smaller government grant to universities. Finally, although we have repeatedly asked that any changes to the tuition structure be delayed until 2025 — because we are already deep into our recruitment cycle — the government is insisting that they will come into effect in fall 2024.

In parallel, the government has accepted elements of the historic plan to protect and promote French made by the three anglophone universities, which will begin in fall 2025. However, the government is now asking the universities to ensure 80 per cent of non-francophone undergraduate students achieve intermediate proficiency in French, as opposed to the 40 per cent we had proposed, and that funding for new French-language initiatives would be dependent upon attaining this objective. We had made our proposal in a spirit of true partnership, but the new target is unrealistic and unattainable.

Although we are committed to promoting French among our students, the government’s target does not consider the investments, planning and development of tailored programs that will be required to succeed or how the financial impact of their decisions on tuition limit our capacity to make new investments in language training. We have already expressed these concerns to the minister, and we are insisting a meaningful process of consultation be put in place before these measures are implemented.

Our preference was always to see no increase in tuition fees for any students. The $12,000 rate for rest-of-Canada students represents a 30 per cent increase for the vast majority of our programs — programs where tuition in Quebec already exceeds the national average. As we have warned all along, the implications of this, together with the clawback on international tuition, will be financially significant and harmful for Concordia.

On top of this, the negative message that has been sent to the rest of Canada and to international students since mid-October cannot be undone. We are already seeing a drop in applications from these two groups, and we know there will be a decline in enrolment in both cases. In addition to the financial impact, this will have unfortunate consequences for our identity as a diverse, global university.

After more than two months of uncertainty, it is urgent that we look to the future, beginning by communicating strongly with and providing as much support as possible to prospective students. Since it is very late in the recruitment cycle, we will maintain the fees for international students that have been approved for 2024-25, rather than passing on the impact of any government-mandated clawbacks to those students.

As a reminder, I would like to reiterate that the government’s changes to tuition do not apply to students already enrolled at Concordia and will not apply to new students who will be enrolled in a thesis-based master’s (research) or a PhD program.

I have stated repeatedly that these increased tuition fees will be detrimental to Quebec’s economy, society and external image, including how we are viewed internationally. But the decision has been taken and now we must focus on maintaining Concordia’s stature as a welcoming university that equips Quebec, Canadian and international students to be adaptable, innovative and successful in the globalized world of the present and future.

In closing, I can only express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone — inside the university and out — who has voiced support for Concordia and the other anglophone universities as we made our case. Thank you, in particular, to the faculty members and department chairs who have done what you do best by making cogent arguments based on facts, logic and data in the media and among colleagues. Thank you as well to students, staff and alumni who spoke up for our cause with the government as well as with friends of the university and influencers beyond campus. Your collective belief in our value to Quebec spoke to a fundamental truth about the power of higher education and the desire to share and advance knowledge for the betterment of society.

We must hold firm to those values and ambitions while continuing to fight for their importance to our future, the future of anglophone institutions and the reputation of Quebec and Canada on the world stage.

Graham Carr
President and Vice-Chancellor