McGill University announced on Tuesday that it will offer an annual scholarship of $3000 to new undergraduate students from other provinces to compensate for the $3000 increase in tuition fees imposed by the Quebec government.
The Montreal-based English-speaking university says that approximately 80% of Canadian undergraduate students who apply to McGill will be eligible for this scholarship, which will be offered starting in the 2024-2025 academic year. The new “Pan-Canadian Scholarship” of $3000 will be awarded for a maximum of four years of study.
The university is trying to maintain its enrolment in the face of the Quebec government’s plan to increase tuition fees for out-of-province students.
The Quebec government had announced on October 13 that Canadian students starting their English-language studies in Quebec in the fall of 2024 would pay the equivalent of what their education costs the government, which is $17,000 per year, rather than $9000.
The CAQ government aims to curb the anglicization of Montreal and correct the funding imbalance between English-language institutions and French-language universities. The new tuition fees would be reinvested in the French-language university system to accommodate more French-speaking international students.
But on December 14, the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, reduced the increase imposed on out-of-province students studying in English in Quebec from $17,000 to $12,000.
The minister will also require McGill and Concordia universities, as of 2025, to ensure that 80% of new enrollees in an English-language study program reach “level 5” on the Quebec Scale of Proficiency in French orally by the end of their undergraduate studies.
McGill’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Deep Saini, explained in a statement on Tuesday that the success of the Montreal university depends on its ability to attract talent from Quebec, Canada, and around the world. He stated that this scholarship will allow McGill to remain “one of the greatest universities in the world”.
Mr. Saini stated that the Pan-Canadian Scholarship will require the university to make certain financial sacrifices, but he added that welcoming students from across Canada is part of McGill’s DNA.
The scholarship will be awarded to Canadian students in arts, agriculture and environmental sciences, music, education sciences, architecture, nursing, and most science programs.
“We are doing everything in our power to make McGill degrees and Montreal accessible to students from all over Canada,” said Fabrice Labeau, Associate Vice-Principal (Teaching and Learning) at McGill.
At Minister Déry’s office, the spokesperson stated on Tuesday that McGill was “free to award scholarships to its students from its own funds”.
“That being said, the minister hopes to be able to count on their collaboration in implementing the announced measures,” wrote Valérie Chamula, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Higher Education.
