Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Success! Now Check Your Email

To complete Subscribe, click the confirmation link in your inbox. If it doesn’t arrive within 3 minutes, check your spam folder.

Ok, Thanks

Concordia University in Montreal reports a significant decline in enrolment after raising fees

"We've never seen anything like it," Carr said in an interview, linking the drop directly to the government's decision to increase tuition for out-of-province students by 30 percent.

Ayushi Singh profile image
by Ayushi Singh
Concordia University in Montreal reports a significant decline in enrolment after raising fees
Montreal's Concordia University is reporting a nearly 30-per-cent drop in new registrations of out-of-province students following a tuition hike announced last year by the Quebec government. Concordia University is seen in Montreal on Feb. 23. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL – Concordia University, one of Quebec's three English-language universities, is experiencing a nearly 30 percent drop in enrolment from out-of-province students, a decline attributed to a controversial tuition hike implemented by the provincial government last year.

Graham Carr, president of Concordia University, expressed concern on Wednesday over the significant decrease in new registrations, stating that it will have a substantial impact on the institution.

"We've never seen anything like it," Carr said in an interview, linking the drop directly to the government's decision to increase tuition for out-of-province students by 30 percent.

"Obviously for the university, it's very problematic in terms of its impact on our financing."

This year, Concordia has seen a 28 percent reduction in out-of-province enrolment, along with an 11 percent decrease in new international student registrations.

According to Carr, this shortfall will result in an estimated $15 million loss in revenue that the university had anticipated. The financial impact will be felt for several years, as undergraduate students typically spend four years completing their degrees.

The tuition hike was part of a broader plan announced by Quebec’s Coalition Avenir Québec government last October, which aimed to nearly double tuition fees for out-of-province students from $9,000 to $17,000, citing the need to protect the French language in the province.

The government expected that higher tuition would lead to fewer enrolments and, consequently, fewer English speakers in downtown Montreal.

Although the increase was later adjusted to $12,000, with international student tuition set at a minimum of $20,000, the effects have been stark.

Concordia has noted declines in enrolment since the pandemic, but Carr emphasized that this year's sharp decrease in out-of-province students is "clearly uniquely related to the government of Quebec increasing tuition for rest-of-Canada students."

He added that prospective students were confused about the cost due to the government’s shifting plans.

The university had already reported a 27 percent drop in applications from Canadian students outside Quebec last fall.

Overall, Concordia's enrolment is down four percent this year. Out-of-province students typically constitute nine to ten percent of the student body, while international students make up 21 to 24 percent.

Last spring, Concordia University reported a $30.9-million deficit for the 2023-24 fiscal year and indicated that it would need to reduce costs by nearly $36 million in 2024-25.

The university has already implemented a hiring freeze. "But clearly the added burden of trying to make up a $15-million loss is significant, and it's not something that you can address overnight," President Graham Carr stated.

As a result, students may face fewer available sections for certain courses and stricter requirements for the minimum number of students needed for a course to proceed.

To address the enrolment decline, Concordia is exploring strategies to boost future enrolment, including recruiting international students from francophone countries, who are eligible to pay lower tuition fees than other international students in Quebec.

Both Concordia and McGill University, Quebec’s two largest English-language institutions, have opposed the tuition hike since its announcement.

Bishop's University, located in the Eastern Townships, has been exempted from the increase.

The two Montreal universities are currently suing the Quebec government over the new tuition policy, arguing that it constitutes discrimination under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Carr mentioned that Concordia's court hearing is scheduled for December.

A spokesperson for McGill noted that the university's final enrolment numbers won't be available until October, but the institution reported a 20 percent drop in out-of-province applications last December.

Quebec's Higher Education Minister, Pascale Déry, acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions but maintained that they were necessary.

"These were decisions that we took. They were difficult decisions, but they were necessary," she told reporters in Quebec City on Wednesday.

Given that the matter is now before the courts, she added, "I'll avoid further comment."

Ayushi Singh profile image
by Ayushi Singh

Subscribe to New Posts

Lorem ultrices malesuada sapien amet pulvinar quis. Feugiat etiam ullamcorper pharetra vitae nibh enim vel.

Success! Now Check Your Email

To complete Subscribe, click the confirmation link in your inbox. If it doesn’t arrive within 3 minutes, check your spam folder.

Ok, Thanks

Read More