quebec fines lasalle college $30 million for having too many english-speaking students
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people hold a protest rally against bill 96 at the jewish general hospital on sept. 15, 2024 in montreal.
john kenney/montreal gazette
the quebec government has fined lasalle college $30 million for enrolling too many english-speaking students during the past two academic years.
the province accuses the college of contravening the province’s french language charter, as amended by the coalition avenir québec government’s bill 96. the legislation limits the number of students that cegeps are permitted to enrol in their english-language programs.
the fines threaten the future of the college, its administration says.
in a letter to lasalle college dated june 28, 2024, quebec’s department of higher education said the school was surpassing its cap of 716 english-program students for the 2023-24 academic year. the college, it said, has to reimburse $8.78 million in excess public subsidies it received.
the ministry accused the college of surpassing its english-language cap by 1,066 students for the 2024-25 academic year and ordered the college to pay back $21.11 million.
the college says it is contesting the fine in the quebec superior court.
the college, which has campuses in downtown montreal and laval, was founded in montreal in 1959. it is a private and subsidized institution offering college and pre-university programs.
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