Quebec tuition hike: High schoolers from other provinces weigh alternatives

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Quebec’s decision to raise university tuition for out-of-province students starting next year is already weighing on high schoolers and their families.

Gage Crouchman, 17, from Ottawa says he was interested in applying to McGill and Concordia universities, but the roughly $8,000 tuition hike would be an insurmountable financial barrier.

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Though Kes Lokker, 16, and his father from Grimsby, Ont. say their family would be able to afford the new tuition — around $17,000 — Kes worries the sum will eliminate opportunities for his friends.

Kes is considering the renowned engineering and aerospace programs in the province, but his father says the increase will encourage them to more seriously explore options in Ontario, the U.S. and Europe.

Coco Clement, a 17-year-old who travelled from Vancouver to Montreal to visit Concordia, says the new tuition makes her less interested in Quebec because of the additional financial burden.

Savvy Papayiannis, Concordia director of student recruitment, says her office is already seeing an effect from the tuition hike set to kick in next year, with many prospective applicants cancelling campus tours and withdrawing from recruitment events.

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