A prominent English-language university in Quebec has reported a nearly 30% decline in out-of-province student enrollment. This significant drop follows a controversial decision by the provincial government last year to increase tuition fees.
Graham Carr, President of Concordia University, stated that this decline in new enrollments will have a substantial impact on the institution. He explicitly attributed this to the government’s decision to raise tuition fees by 30% for out-of-province students. “We’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a huge problem for the university in terms of funding.”
Concordia reported a 28% decrease in out-of-province student enrollment this year. Additionally, new international student enrollment decreased by 11%. As a result, the university is facing a loss of approximately $1.5 million in revenue, a significant shortfall compared to what was expected without the enrollment decline. The effects of this decrease are expected to be felt in the coming years, as undergraduate students typically take four years to complete their degrees.
The Quebec government, under the Coalition Avenir Québec, announced a doubling of tuition fees for out-of-province students last October. This increased tuition from $9,000 to $17,000. The government justified this decision by citing the need to protect the French language in Quebec. They believed that the increase in tuition would lead to fewer out-of-province students, resulting in a smaller English-speaking population in downtown Montreal.
Tuition fees were subsequently reduced to $12,000. At the same time, the government announced an increase in tuition fees for international students to $20,000.
Since the pandemic, student enrollment at Concordia has been declining. However, the significant decline in student enrollment from other provinces is clearly linked to the Quebec government’s decision to increase tuition fees for students from the rest of Canada, according to some. They said that prospective students were hesitant about how much more they would have to pay due to the government’s plan.
As a result, applications from outside Quebec to the university decreased by 27%. Overall student enrollment at the university decreased by 4%. Students from other provinces typically make up 9 to 10% of the total student population at the university, while 21 to 24% are international students. Last summer, Concordia University had a budget deficit of $390 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The university will have to reduce its budget by nearly $360 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The university currently has a hiring freeze.
