With today’s ridiculously low prices, the truth is that a Canadian student will come to study in the hands of Quebecers. This windfall costs the Quebec Treasury $100 million annually to train Canadian students.
That the Quebec government wants to review the fee schedule for Canadian and foreign students for all universities, both French-speaking and English-speaking, is therefore normal.
For example, why is McGill University outraged at the idea of charging $17,000 to Canadian students to come and study on its campus? At $17,000 for a one-year bachelor’s degree at McGill, Canadian students can still benefit greatly from a high-quality education at a reduced fee compared to a foreign student who has to pay between $19,505 and $55,621 every year depending on the study program to study at McGill.
Paying this amount is normal
That Quebec chose to maintain low tuition fees for its population to offset a historic delay in graduation is one thing. It is a collective choice that we finance with our taxes. If Quebec chooses to open its doors to Canadians or to foreigners and if the latter pay what it costs us to train them, that’s the bottom line.
A question of public finance
It is therefore surprising to hear the leaders of English-speaking universities scandalized by the fact that the Quebec government now wants to charge the fair cost of studies at Quebec universities for people who have not contributed through of their taxes to fund a quality university network. and cheap. Has Quebec become so rich that it has the means to fund students from other provinces at a discount? To ask is to answer it.
Above all, beyond the cost to the public treasury of Quebec, it is also Montreal that suffers in terms of its language. Remember that 82% of Canadian students choose to study in English. This tide of English-speaking students gathering at the gates of McGill and Concordia has real and documented effects on the face of the French-speaking metropolis. The English speaking lobby is strong, we hope the CAQ can resist it.
