Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry has formally announced the changes that the Quebec government will implement with respect to tuition fees for non-Quebec resident students. She has also announced that Bishop's University will benefit from special measures.
December 14's announcement confirms that Bishop's will receive an allotment of exemptions, which will allow the Sherbrooke institution to continue welcoming students from the rest of Canada at the current tuition of roughly $9,000 per year (subject to normal annual indexation). In other words, there will be no increase in tuition for students coming to Bishop's from the rest of Canada.
"This positive outcome for Bishop's would not have been possible without the unwavering support of leaders of the Eastern Townships community," expressed Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier. "I want to express particular appreciation to the Francophone leaders who have come out unequivocally in support of Bishop's. They were able to convince the Quebec government that we and the students we welcome to campus from the rest of Canada are not a threat to the French language but rather an essential part of what makes our region unique."
For international students, the new policy provides for a minimum tuition of roughly $20,000 per year with a significant amount being clawed back for redistribution to French-language universities. As is the case for most Quebec universities, this will not directly affect the level of fees paid by international students at Bishop's University as their current tuition is already above this amount. Nonetheless, it is anticipated that the claw back will translate into a loss of revenue of $1.8M for the University.
"We will be going forward with the francization plan that we have communicated. Our genuine commitment to this effort should be understood as recognition of our historic and continuing role as an institution holding a vital place within the wider Quebec community, and not as a deferral to an externally mandated requirement," commented Dr. Lebel-Grenier.
