By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) and English-language institutions across Quebec are celebrating a major legal victory after Quebec Superior Court ruled against key elements of the provincial government’s 2023 tuition policy changes.
In a decision rendered by Justice Éric Dufour on April 24, 2025, the court struck down the requirement for out-of-province undergraduate students to achieve an intermediate level of French before graduation, declaring it “unreasonable and invalid.” It also ruled that the sharp tuition hike for out-of-province students was unjustified, giving the government nine months to modify its regulations.
“This is an important ruling on a crucial issue,” said QCGN President Eva Ludvig in an interview Friday. “It confirms our belief that the government acted rashly last fall in first blaming out-of-province students for the decline in French it perceives, and in imposing a discriminatory tuition burden on these students who contribute mightily to Montreal and Quebec, as well as the English-language institutions that are at the heart of our English-speaking community.”
The tuition policy, originally proposing to raise fees for out-of-province undergraduates to $18,000 before lowering the figure to $12,000, faced immediate backlash. “The increase came out of the blue,” Ludvig said, noting that the previous tuition level was comparable to what other provinces charge Quebec students.
Adding to the controversy, Ludvig said the decision to increase tuition was made even before a government-appointed committee had completed its review. “The committee itself said it wasn’t justified,” she said. “There never was any data really presented, and that’s one of the important points the judgment highlights.”
The impact on English-language universities like McGill, Concordia, and Bishop’s was immediate, she explained. “It created a chill in terms of outside students coming to Quebec. It came very close to the time when students and parents are making decisions, and it negatively affected enrollment.”
