Bishop's University reports drop in enrolment despite exemption from tuition hike

The Quebec Fleur-de-lis provincial flag flies on top of the National Assembly’s main tower, Jan. 18, 2023, in Quebec City. An English-language university that was exempted from Quebec’s controversial tuition hike says it’s still seeing a drop in enrolment of out-of-province students. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

An English-language university that was exempted from Quebec’s controversial tuition hike says it’s still seeing a drop in enrolment of out-of-province students.

Bishop’s University, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, says student registrations from the rest of Canada have dropped 10 per cent.

Principal Sébastien Lebel-Grenier says the Quebec government’s decision to hike tuition for out-of-province students by $3,000 has created a “chilling effect” that is discouraging students from coming to Quebec.

Bishop’s has an exemption from the tuition hike, but Lebel-Grenier says the university is still looking at a $2.6-million deficit, largely due to the drop in enrolment.

He says international student enrolment is down about 40 per cent, which he thinks is because the federal and provincial discourse on temporary immigrants makes them feel they won’t be welcome.

Montreal’s Concordia University said earlier this week that out-of-province enrolment is down nearly 30 per cent and international student registrations are down 11 per cent, which will cost the university $15 million.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.