Drastically cut tuition for local foreign students puts Montreal at a disadvantage: Plante

Mayor Valérie Plante on Tuesday joined with university officials and the city's chamber of commerce to criticize Quebec's decision to cut tuition fees for foreign students attending tertiary education in remote areas of Quebec.

Labor Minister Jeanbourre said in May that he announced an $80 million announced a four-year program. Capital Area.

A foreign college student eligible for this program will pay the standard tuition fees paid by Quebecers (approximately $3,000 a year) instead of her $24,000 normally charged. Major institutions such as the Université de Sherbrooke and Laval University are included in the new program. According to a French-speaking university in Montreal, it could deprive hundreds of international students.

"It's a good aim to bring foreign students to the region, but it shouldn't hurt Montreal. Report on the economic impact of the university.

"While setting regional goals, why not increase Montreal's goals? Be very cautious when it comes to French-speaking universities. It's a big city. It's an asset, but we need this to continue. Measures like the one proposed by the Quebec government should not be allowed to be undermined," she told Montreal's French University.

University of Montreal's Daniel Jutra made a similar point, stating that efforts to increase enrollment in Quebec's universities should not be against Montreal. He also called on the government to better support basic research and close an estimated $2 billion funding shortfall for universities.

Quebec's decision on tuition fees "is discouraging people from coming to Montreal," said Chamber of Commerce president Michel Leblanc. “The concern is that the number of international students will decline, which will have a negative impact on university finances. That is why I am asking the government to look into what it has announced.”

Concordia University President Graham Carr said funding alone would sustain the international student base. said no.

"International students bring brains, know-how and diversity contributions, which is very important," Carr said. “There are academic and research programs that require international students for their expertise and competence.”

Nearly 32,000 international students enrolled in colleges, a 35% increase from 2014-15.

This document builds on 2016 research and highlights the important role universities play in the economy. The data is for the 2019-20 academic year.

International students make up about 18% of Montreal's university population, compared to an average of 17% for Canada as a whole. Nearly half of the city's doctoral students come from abroad.

Quebec had about 49,000 international students in 2019-2020.

Given the state's acute labor shortage, "it is imperative that we continue to take effective measures and coordinate our efforts to attract and retain the best international students. It's essential to," said McGill. Louis Arcenaut said. About a third of McGill's 40,000 students are from abroad.

Without foreign students, admissions to Montreal's universities would have declined in his five years. "This demonstrates the need to continue to attract international students," the report said.

Montreal's universities have a total of about 173,000 students, nearly three-quarters of Quebec's student population.

The college graduate contributed $28.9 billion to Greater Montreal's Gross Domestic Product in 2019-2020, according to Chamber of Commerce data. This equates to about 13% of the region's GDP.

From 2006 to 2021, the fastest employment growth of 108% was among those with at least a master's degree from university, the study says. During this period, he saw a 7% drop in the number of jobs requiring only a high school diploma.

"Young people need to understand that post-secondary education is essential in finding a job," LeBlanc said. "If you don't have a diploma, you may find a job, but it will be much harder to find."

15 colleges Greater He offers classes in the Montreal area . Besides McGill, Concordia, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal, HEC Montréal and Ecole nationale d'administration publique provide management and administration training, and École Polytechnique, École de technologie supérieure, Institut national de recherche scientifique. Emphasis on engineering and science. research. Six of his other Quebec universities also have campuses here, including the Université de Sherbrooke.

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