Quebec may backtrack on university tuition hikes, increase by 33% instead: report

Quebec seems ready to back down from its plan to double tuition prices for university students outside of the province in exchange for more ambitious francization programs at English-speaking universities.

Quebec seems ready to back down from its plan to double tuition prices for university students outside of the province in exchange for more ambitious francization programs at English-speaking universities.

La Presse is reporting that the Legault government will increase tuition by 33 per cent, meaning tuition would go from around $9,000 to $12,000 for students from the rest of Canada. 

The government still plans to maintain pricing for foreign students. The report also said Bishops University could be exempt. The government is expected to make an official announcement on the fees next week.

Higher Education Minister Pascale Dery said the measures had two objectives: financial and linguistic.

She would not confirm the report of a reduced increase to CTV News, but said she is committed to balancing the imbalance between English and French universities.

"We are correcting that with the measures we announced," said Dery, who said the goal was for students, both international and Canadians outside Quebec, to speak French. 

She said they received the plan from universities in the province and the government is assessing it. Quebec’s English universities have pitched new French-language courses, but Dery said they "don't go far enough," without specifying in what way.