Quebec strikes French-language deal with English universities after years of tension

MONTREAL – The Quebec government says it has reached a new partnership with the province’s English-language universities aimed at increasing the percentage of out-of-province students who graduate with a functional knowledge of French.

Announced Tuesday, the eight-year deal will provide a total of up to $20 million in provincial financing to Quebec’s three English universities — McGill and Concordia in Montreal and Bishop’s in Sherbrooke, Que.

In return, 60 per cent of out-of-province undergraduate students who start their first year in the fall of 2026 are expected to graduate with a Level 4 in Quebec’s scale of French proficiency — being able to communicate in French in everyday situations using functional vocabulary.

The deal follows years of tensions between the Quebec government and its English universities during which the province hiked tuition for out-of-province students as a way to protect the French language by reducing the number of English-speakers in Montreal. As well, Quebec had wanted 80 per cent of out-of-province students in English universities to have an intermediate level of spoken French before they could graduate.

McGill and Concordia had reacted sharply to plan when it was announced in 2023. At the time, McGill principal Deep Saini called the measures “devastating” and a “targeted attack on institutions that have been part of Quebec and have contributed to Quebec for hundreds of years.”

The English universities won a ruling last April after the Superior Court overturned the hike of about $3,000, finding that it was unreasonable. But the province formally entrenched the tuition increase in a revised framework published in January, saying the government wanted to ensure Quebec taxpayers weren’t subsidizing the education of out-of-province students.

Asked on Tuesday whether the tuition issue remained a significant financial burden for the universities, Saini sidestepped the question.

“Today we are discussing our commitment to helping enrich the French language in this province and tuition is a separate issue that is not connected to today’s announcement.”

For her part, Quebec Higher Education Minister Martine Biron described the agreement as “a new partnership” between the government and English universities.

“We want to put French forward and we want to protect our language,” Biron told reporters.

The funding will support additional French-language courses, immersion activities and other initiatives aimed at helping students learn the language and engage with Quebec culture.

Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, principal and vice-chancellor of Bishop’s University, said many students already choose to study in Quebec because they are interested in its language and culture.

“Our university is convinced that learning another language is an enrichment that lasts a lifetime,” he said.

Biron said universities will have four years to work toward the 60 per cent target. After that, institutions that fail to meet it could lose up to $1,500 in funding for each student who falls short of the objective, though she did not explain exactly how the penalty would be applied.

University leaders, however, stressed that participation in French-language programming will remain voluntary for students.

Saini told the news conference that he viewed the French-language target as an incentive rather than a punishment. “I don’t see it as a penalty,” Saini said. 

Concordia president and vice-chancellor Graham Carr described the 60 per cent goal as ambitious but achievable.

“We wanted to be part of the solution in terms of protecting the French language in Quebec,” Carr said, adding that the English-language universities had approached the Quebec government several years ago seeking to collaborate on the issue.

Asked whether the institutions are already close to the 60 per cent target, Carr acknowledged Concordia is not there yet. Leaders at Bishop’s and McGill said the schools are only beginning to collect detailed data on students’ French-language proficiency, making it difficult to establish a precise baseline.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.