Quebec university students strike over out-of-province tuition hike

Some students and teachers in Quebec were faced with picket lines and denied access to class Monday morning in some Concordia University buildings.

Student groups representing more than 20,000 voted in favour of a week-long strike in protest of the government’s tuition overhaul for out-of-province students.

Growing in number, this is the third and longest demonstration effort by student groups.

“I have siblings. I have friends who would like to study in Quebec or would have liked to transfer here beforehand but now won’t be able to because of the price increase. It’s completely ridiculous,” Concordia student Joseph Zeidler-Berner said.

Set to be implemented at the start of the 2024-25 academic year, the measure would bring tuition to $17,000, which is among the highest rates in the country for undergraduates. Fears have been raised that the tuition hike will slash enrollment and revenue at the province’s three English-language universities, which accept more non-Quebec students than their French counterparts.

Last month, McGill and Concordia University filed separate lawsuits against the government.

Both universities have said they’ve recorded a significant drop in applications since last fall and have warned it could trigger a steep drop in enrollment and devastate their finances.

McGill claims it has seen a 20 per cent decrease in applications from Canadian students outside of Quebec compared with the previous year.

While not all student groups will be participating in the strike, demonstrations are set to take place throughout the week with a large protest planned for Wednesday afternoon outside Concordia’s Hall building.

– with files from The Canadian Press