University Students Go On Strike and Protest Tuition Hikes

On March 13, 2024, students, faculty and staff from Concordia University gathered outside of the Hall building to protest the proposed tuition hikes by the Coalition Avenir Quebec government. Those tuition hikes would see international and out-of-province tuition nearly double.

The protest was one of many. From March 11 to 15, various student associations initiated the strike. More than 20 student associations voted to join the strike, amounting to over 20,000 students participating in the walkout and picketing.

Students and faculty marched from the Sir George Williams campus to Roddick Gates, in front of McGill University, to meet with student protesters from McGill University. Once at the Roddick Gates, Montrealers moved the protest to the front of the Conseil exécutif office of François Legault, the current premier of Quebec.

According to the Montreal Gazette, McGill and Concordia say the tuition hike could cost them tens of millions of dollars in revenue per year.

Both schools have already seen a decline in applications from the previous year—22% for out-of-province students applying to McGill and a decline of 27% to Concordia.

International student applications have also dropped—by 7% at McGill and 10% at Concordia. 

Quebec has given Sherbrooke’s Bishop’s University a partial exemption, allowing up to 825 students to pay the old rate. François Legault says this is because “French is not in peril in Sherbrooke.”

The decline in revenue for English universities has already affected curriculum and university services. Fewer classes are being offered and fewer professors are being hired.

Concordia University is saying they aim to cut costs by 7.8%.