Quebec university student unions joining forces to fight province's tuition hike
Jessica Issac lives in Etobicoke, Ont., and was planning on sending her daughter to the studio arts program at Concordia even though it was a bit pricier than the other universities.
It may soon be a lot more after the Quebec government announced plans to nearly double tuition for out-of-province students. With the extra cost of housing, suddenly the cost for many is out of reach.
"You’re going from kind of $20-28,000 per year, and for a four-year course. That’s quite a bit and and it’s made of us reconsider even applying to Concordia, which was our top choice last week," Issac said.
The student unions of Concordia and McGill are coming together to denounce the CAQ's tuition hike because of fears that it will price-out many Canadian students and saddle them with more debt.
In a joint statement, student leaders from both universities wrote, "We ask that the province consider the obstacles that this will cause for access to education and the unnecessary financial strains on those who wish to study in our universities."
"It’s really important that education remains accessible and affordable," said Liam Gaither, vice-president of external at the Students' Society of McGill University.
The institution that might be most affected by the hike is Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Que., where 30 per cent of students are from outside the province.
"When we initially found out, we were fearful, and I would even say angry, for the future of the university," said Sophia Stacey, president of the Bishop's University Students Representative Council.
- Listen on CJAD 800: Addressing the shortfalls of Quebec's tuition fee hike
Stacey said they’re asking for a meeting with the government to justify the hike.
"I would say to minister Pascale Déry, who’s the minister of higher education in Quebec, that, as the minister, her mandate is to protect these institutions and the students who put their trust in them," she said.
The government maintains the new school fees will save taxpayers $110 million a year, even though the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal says out-of-province and international students bring in more than half a billion dollars to the local economy.
"The financial reality is that out-of-province students are paying into their education way more than the government is," Stacey said.
Student governments at all three of Quebec's English universities say if the government doesn’t back down, they’re prepared to mobilize.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.