CEGEP registrations are up after two years of decline

CEGEPs saw a slight increase in enrolment this week, according to preliminary data released by the Fédération des cégeps. The increase is seen as "good news" after two years of declining CEGEP attendance, but challenges remain.

According to the federation, 175,474 students enrolled in the province's 48 CEGEPs between Aug. 1 and 22, an increase of 1.4 per cent over the same period last year.

Of this number, 80,818 students are newly enrolled in CEGEPs, an increase of 3 per cent compared to the fall of 2022. These figures could change, however, as students can cancel their courses until the end of September.

For federation president and CEO Bernard Tremblay, the challenge is ensuring students complete their studies.

"The lure of the job market can mean that young people enroll but decide to drop out along the way," he said in an interview.

Inflation and the rising cost of student housing also represent a "very heavy burden" for CEGEPs, which the loans and bursaries program is unable to compensate for, Tremblay stressed.

He said CEGEP enrolment has not yet "caught up" post-pandemic.

Another worrying fact for Tremblay is that only 70.9 per cent of students go directly from high school to CEGEP, which he believes is still too low.

"We need to listen to young people," he said, adding that CEGEP campuses must be stimulating places where students will want to pursue higher education.

Of those enrolled in CEGEP this fall, 45.7 per cent are in pre-university programs. The most popular programs in this category are in the humanities and natural sciences.

Meanwhile, 48.9 per cent of registrants will study in technical programs, most popularly nursing and computer technology.  

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 26, 2023.