Engineering students at Polytechnique Montréal picketed in front of the university over the phasing out of grants that offset tuition fees. The student union, L‘Association étudiante de Polytechnique (AEP), which represents over 7,000 students, says that without the grants, fees paid by students to complete mandatory internships nearly double. The pressure tactic, in which students blocked entrances on campus, started at 6 a.m. Friday. In a news release, the AEP says all students must complete an internship. It also says more than 20 per cent of undergraduate students at the university rely on financial aid. According to the union, students residing in Quebec would have to pay $1,380 to complete their mandatory internship (compared to $670 currently), and a Canadian or international student with an agreement (including French or French-speaking Belgian students) would have to pay $3,300 (compared to $1,300 currently). “Imposing an internship and then trying to extract more revenue from it, when internships already bring in a lot of money for the institution, is a direct attack on accessibility to education and equity, as well as being a predatory measure,” says the AEP. The Association says it is willing to engage in dialogue with the administration, but adds that “unilateral decisions that penalize students cannot go unanswered.” The university said it would phase out the grants, which it has offered since the 2013-2014 academic year, by winter 2027. Pierre Langlois, Polytechnique’s director of academic affairs, told CTV News the grants were a major expense the university couldn’t afford anymore. He said the administration tried to negotiate with the student union and “put a lot of water in [their] wine,” making several concessions. But he says the union pushed back and made “no movement.” Langlois stresses that, unlike students in health care or education, engineering internships are paid. He said the average pay is $24 per hour, and some students have made up to $20,000 in a single semester. “The tuition fees for engineering Quebec is about $17,500 so one internship pays all the scholarship. Of course, not the living fees during the studies,” he said. “We’re hoping they’ll understand the value of their degree and the luck they have ... I’m hoping for a safe and peaceful end to this.” Internship grants will still be offered past winter 2027 for international students outside France and Belgium, and for some students in specialized co-op programs, as well as those approved for optional internships. Bursaries are still available for non-mandatory internships. Students can do up to three internships in their degree.
