Quebec to triple university tuition rate for students from France

Students from France hoping to take advantage of a partnership extending Quebecs cheap tuition fees to French citizens will soon be sorely disappointed.

Quebec International Relations Minister Christine St-Pierre announced Thursday new undergraduate students from France will have to pay the out-of-province Canadian tuition rate at Quebec universities.

Starting nextSeptember, all new French students entering into a Bachelors degree at a Quebec university will have to pay the out-of-province rate.

People who are already enrolled at a Quebec universitywill seetheir reducedrates grandfathered until the end of their Bachelors degrees.

Under the revised agreement announced Thursday, students from France will pay about $6,650 a year, the same amount paid bystudentsfrom the rest of Canada. French studentscurrently pay the same fees as Quebec students, about $2,200.

Masters and PhD students from France will continue to benefit from the lower Quebec-resident tuition rates.

McGill supports move

SuzanneFortier,McGill University's principal and vice-chancellor, praised the increase, saying it was time to raise the tuition rate for French students.

It was increasingly difficult to explain to Canadian students from outside Quebec why their fee level was quite a bit higher than students from France, Fortier said.

McGill has about 1,500 undergraduate students from France,Fortiersaid.

Across the province,there were8,693 Bachelors students from France in Quebec in 2013, according to data compiled by the Quebec education ministry.At the same time, there were 2,632 Masters students and 1,170 PhD students.

In 2014, there were 8,964 Bachelors students, 1,654 Masters students and 603 PhD students.

France consistently sends more international students to Quebec than any other country.