Note to all students: The Quebec government has announced it wants to raise tuition fees substantially beginning September 2012.

Last March, the political party governing Quebec announced it would raise the Quebec tuition rate by $1 625 – bringing Quebec tuition from $2 168 to $3 793 by 2017. This would mean a 75% increase in tuition fees in just five years. At the same time, the Quebec government has not made it clear what will happen for the fees paid by students who can’t qualify for the Quebec rate, and already have to pay (tens of ) thousands of dollars more per year for university.

Many people oppose this tuition increase, which will see student debt go up dramatically and may discourage thousands of people from even attending university, as indicated by research commissioned by the Quebec government.

This year, students from all over the province will be holding protests and staging student strikes in an effort to stop this tuition increase. This type of action worked in 2005 to stop a large government cut to student financial aid in Quebec. McGill students joined forces with other students in Quebec, and the government backed down. This could happen again!

For more information on the tuition hikes, for updates on the latest news, and to get involved, visit tuitiontruth.ca, SSMU’s website on all things tuition.