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Studying in Québec

Exemption from Differential Tuition Fees

Certain international students may be exempted from the differential tuition fees they would normally have to pay, such as CEGEP tuition fees, additional financial contributions at private colleges or ancillary fees at universities, allowing them to pay the same tuition fees as Québec students.

The categories of individuals who under certain conditions are exempt from ancillary fees are:

students holding diplomatic status, their spouses and their children

students working for an international non-governmental organization (NGO)

recipients of Québec Merit Scholarships

students benefiting from an agreement between the Québec government and their country of citizenship or an international organization with regard to tuition fees

refugees, protected persons, or holders of a Québec Selection Certificate (QSC)

students enrolled in French Language and Literature or Québec studies at the undergraduate level

the spouses and children of certain temporary workers

students benefiting from an exemption by virtue of the quota of exemptions allocated by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport among vocational and technical training centres and universities

certain categories of persons awaiting permanent residency in Canada and holding an eligible QSC

Additional Information
You can find out more about these nine categories of exemption in the  Policy for Québec university tuition fees payable by international students (Politique relative aux droits de scolarité exigés des étudiantes et des étudiants étrangers) for universities, and Appendix C010 of the budgetary and financial rules for colleges (Annexe C010 du Régime budgétaire et financier des cégeps) and Appendix 028 of the budgetary and financial rules for private colleges (Annexe 028 du Régime budgétaire et financier des établissements privés d’ordre collegial).