Commissioner calls for more financial aid for immigrants to learn French

Quebec's French-language commissioner says the language continues to decline with fewer than half of his recommendations implemented properly.

French Language Commissioner Benoît Dubreuil believes that financial assistance should be improved with a loan system to facilitate the francization of immigrants.

To this end, he proposes “the creation of a loan program for participants in full-time French language courses, modeled after the student financial aid program.”

Currently, financial assistance for francization amounts to $230 per week, totalling approximately $10,000 for a full year of study (44 weeks), the commissioner noted in his most recent report, tabled Wednesday in the National Assembly.

“A loan worth $15,000 annually, added to the current financial assistance of $10,000, would allow participants to generate an annual income of $25,000. This amount would be close to the low-income threshold and similar to the income earned by working for 44 weeks at minimum wage,” the report stated.

This enhanced financial assistance “would allow more participants to temporarily withdraw from the labour market in order to engage in intensive French language learning.”

It would be reserved for full-time students, but the commissioner believes that the possibility of offering it to those enrolled in “intensive part-time learning” should be evaluated.

The commissioner’s report notes shortcomings in the current francization system.

“Our results indicate that few participants reach the intermediate levels associated with language proficiency (levels 7 and 8). This is particularly true for part-time participants who begin their program with no prior knowledge of French. This finding is concerning, as this profile matches that of the majority of people enrolled in francization programs,” the report stated.

“If we want the money we invest in French language training to be effective—and not wasted—we must ensure that people learning French reach levels that allow them to do things with the language, and that they are actually in contexts where they can use it,” the commissioner added during a press briefing at the National Assembly.

He also proposes expanding access to financial assistance “to all full-time francization participants, meaning making those born in Canada eligible.”

“It must be acknowledged that a significant segment of non-francophones, even among non-immigrants, currently struggles to find the time needed to learn French,” the commissioner wrote.

Dubreuil noted that the debt burden of students enrolled in French language programs “is not a risk that can be dismissed.”

“So the issue exists, but I think it’s a compromise that can be acceptable,” he added.

It should be noted that Premier Christine Fréchette plans to extend Bill 101 to vocational training and adult education.

When asked about the issue, commissioner Dubreuil stated, “We analyzed the areas where French has been declining the most over the past 20 to 25 years. And the decline is primarily among university graduates. So, among skilled tradespeople, French is doing much better. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a rationale for taking action.”

The Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, has already stated that this measure would transfer 27,000 students from the English-language system to the French-language system. The commissioner declined to speculate on a specific figure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 3, 2026.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press