Like McGill, Concordia University announced on Friday that it will provide financial support of up to $4,000 to new Canadian undergraduate students from other provinces starting next fall.

In a press release issued on Friday, the University of Montreal said it is launching this new scholarship program in response to the $3,000 tuition fee increase imposed by the Quebec government on out-of-province students, which could discourage them from coming to study in Montreal.

Concordia said students' scholarship applications will be automatically considered, and the scholarships will be renewable throughout their undergraduate studies, provided they maintain their academic standing.

However, the value of the scholarship depends on the students' average grades at the time of acceptance to Concordia University. This amount can range from $1,500 for a B- grade to $4,000 for an A+ grade.

The university also announced on Friday the creation of a one-time $2,000 scholarship for undergraduate students leaving a university in another province to study in Montreal.

Concordia's announcement follows a similar offer from McGill, announced on Tuesday. The other English-speaking University of Montreal will also begin next year granting a $3,000 scholarship, in most departments, to undergraduate students from other provinces.

McGill is also concerned about declining enrollments due to the tuition increase imposed by Quebec. The university sent an email to its alumni on Thursday asking for their donations to cover this increase.

A $3,000 Fee Increase...

The government of François Legault announced in October that Canadian students beginning their English-language studies in Quebec in September 2024 will pay what their training costs the government – $17,000 per year – instead of $9,000. Two months later, the Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, reduced this increase from $17,000 to $12,000.

The new $12,000 tuition fee for Canadian students from outside Quebec is expected to take effect in fall 2024, except at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, the only English-speaking Quebec university outside Montreal.

Through these measures, Legault's government wishes to limit the Anglicization of downtown Montreal and correct the imbalance in funding between English- and French-speaking universities. Therefore, the tuition fee increase will be used to increase funding to the French-speaking network.