UQAC deregisters 104 students: miscalculation or essential measure?

This is the first time this has happened on this scale in the Quebec higher education system.

January 21, 2025
Graphics by: Edward Thomas Swan

At the end of November, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) deregistered 104 of its students, 65 per cent of whom were international students. The decision raised several questions about payment policies and the communication process of the administration. 

“It’s fine to ask people to pay their tuition, but UQAC changed the rules in the middle of the semester,” said Étienne Paré, president of the Quebec Student Union.  “When discussions took place with UQAC about payment of tuition a few months ago, no mention was made of students’ immediate removal. This was handled clumsily and carelessly — a significant change that was poorly explained.” 

The consequences of deregistration are significantly lower for students from Quebec than they are for international students noted Mr. Paré, explaining that “such a draconian measure is meant to target one or two outlying cases,” and that “it’s time for international students to stop bearing the brunt of policy decisions.” 

The university stands by its decision. Marie-Karlynn Laflamme, UQAC’s manager of public affairs, argued that “most of the deregistered students hadn’t yet made a tuition payment. “Four never even arrived at UQAC; but it is true that this was very short notice. Our leading considerations are good management and a fair tuition payment policy.” 

It is worth noting that UQAC ran a $6.4 million deficit in the 2023–24 fiscal year. 

Lack of communication 

On Sept. 25, UQAC announced major changes to its tuition payment policy. Students were required to pay 60 per cent of their fees by Oct. 3, and if they did not meet the deadline, they would be expelled from the university. This new policy contradicted invoices issued in July and August that merely noted a penalty of $25 would be applied to each late payment. Students who did not pay their tuition in full by Nov. 7 also risked deregistration. On Oct. 3, UQAC postponed the deregistration deadline to Oct. 25. On Oct. 23, more than 700 students attended a special assembly to discuss their rights regarding tuition fees and launched a mobilization committee. 

“It’s time for international students to stop bearing the brunt of policy decisions.”

According to the UQAC student union, MAGE-UQAC, per-term tuition for international students has risen by 12 per cent, from $8,700 to more than $10,000 for some, over the last year. This amounts to an increase of at least $1,500 per term. UQAC denied that this increase was implemented to reduce its deficit. 

One student from Africa, who has paid almost $40,000 in tuition since September 2023 while completing his masters, shared his experience: “It leaves a bitter taste.. Even ‘less prestigious’ universities don’t treat their students, their ‘clients,’ this way,” he said. The student, who asked to remain anonymous, denounced the lack of transparency from the university administration and MAGE-UQAC by stating: “We’re seeking answers and solutions, but all anyone says is that we should have had our finances in order before we arrived. And yet once we arrived in Canada, we learned that some tuition fees had increased by 16 to 20 per cent without any warning or communication. The fee calculator was removed from the website as we began contesting the increase. International students are once again being treated like cash cows, and it’s taking a toll on [international student] reputation. We’re being scapegoated for everything that’s wrong with the system.” Although not among the deregistered students, he remains concerned for his peers. “People have lost sleep over this. Apart from feeling demotivated, they’re under tremendous stress,” he added.  

“All this begs the question: why was UQAC the only Quebec university that found itself in this position?” asked Alexandre Beaupré-Lavallée, associate professor in higher education administration at Université du Québec à Montréal. He added, “even as someone with a good grasp of university financing, some aspects remain unclear. The only explanation I can see is that deregistering these students eases the university’s debt burden, given that it must return $610 to the Ministère de l’Éducation [ministry of education] for every university credit taken by international students.” In fact, UQAC is required to pay that amount to the Quebec government regardless of whether or not the student has paid their tuition fees. 

The university confirmed that this motivated its decision. “For the current budget year, that is the case,” said Ms. Laflamme, who further explained, “deregistration also prevents the need for more costly administrative measures, like debt collection.” 

The UQAC website’s section on outstanding account balances (“Comptes en souffrance”) reads, [translation] “It is essential to pay your fees (including any previous outstanding balance) before the payment deadline listed in the university calendar. In the event of non-payment, the university reserves the right to cancel your registration without additional notice or interval.” 

According to Dr. Beaupré-Lavallée, “UQAC is the only Quebec university to include this clause in its policy. From my perspective as someone who studies university governance, it seems like UQAC may not have made this unusual policy sufficiently clear; when your institution has a clause that sets you apart, you have to make the effort to communicate it.” 

Educational institutions have no responsibility to financially support their students from abroad, he points out, explaining that “international students are supposed to arrive without need of financial assistance” and that “some universities verify students’ financial means before they arrive.” UQAC, however, runs no such verification. 

The university clarified that any deregistered students who had already paid part of their tuition for the term were reimbursed and that they could register again in January after full payment of their tuition fees. 

Adjustments may be forthcoming 

At MAGE-UQAC’s general assembly on Nov. 27, the student community voted in support of the administration’s proposal to stagger tuition fee payments over more than two instalments in the future, but opposed any deregistrations.  

As they are now deregistered, these students are no longer members of the student union. However, the union will continue to provide support for the students.

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