Higher fees, smaller futures
Quebec’s decision to maintain steep tuition hikes for out-of-province and international students is more than a financial policy; it risks reshaping who can access higher education in the province.
For students at Concordia University and other English-language universities, the consequences are already visible: rising financial stress, declining enrolment from outside Quebec and the erosion of services that rely on stable tuition revenue.
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government has justified the increase as a way to reduce subsidies from Quebec taxpayers and strengthen the French language.
The Quebec government says protecting French is a central priority. Yet, the cuts to francisation classes in 2024, which aided many newcomers to the province, have left many with fewer opportunities to learn the very language the policy claims to defend.
It’s difficult to ignore the contradiction.
The policy’s practical effect has been to disproportionately target anglophone institutions while offering lower rates to those studying in French-language programs. This structure raises serious concerns about fairness and equity.
When a funding framework effectively penalizes students based on the language of instruction at their chosen university, it risks crossing the line from language policy into economic exclusion.
Students have not been silent about these concerns.
The 2024 campus strikes strikes opposing tuition changes demonstrated that a new generation of students is willing to organize when affordability is threatened. Quebec is no stranger to wide-scale student strikes against tuition hikes.
In 2012, the “Maple Spring” strikes, which focused on proposed tuition hikes for Quebec residents, ultimately led to the increases being cancelled following the next election, while current protests primarily respond to hikes affecting out-of-province and international students.
While the situation today may differ, the underlying message remains the same. Education policy cannot be built without the voices of the students it affects.
Universities themselves have also warned that the hikes are already causing harm, including declining out-of-province applications, tightening budgets and reductions in teaching positions.
When tuition policy pushes institutions toward austerity, students pay twice. First, they pay through higher fees and then, through fewer resources in classrooms and student services.
This moment should also prompt reflection within university administrations. While Concordia and other affected institutions have opposed the policy in court and through public statements, the situation now calls for sustained advocacy that places student interests at the centre.
Students and universities share a common stake in reversing measures that weaken accessibility and institutional stability.
A more unified approach is needed, one that includes transparent communication and stronger collaboration with student associations. Continued political pressure would further signal that universities are prepared to stand firmly alongside the communities they serve.
The CAQ government, facing mounting political pressure and rapidly declining public support, still has time to reconsider a policy that will damage Quebec’s reputation as an accessible global education destination. Re-evaluating the tuition framework would not mean abandoning language protection goals; it would mean pursuing them in ways that do not disproportionately burden students or destabilize universities.
Higher education thrives when it remains open, accessible and yes, even competitive. Policies that narrow access based primarily on geography or language undermine that principle.
Whether it’s this government or the next, Quebec should pull back these tuition hikes and work with universities to design funding solutions that strengthen both affordability and the province’s long-term educational future.
