Bill 96
Bill 96
Bill 96 has a significant impact on colleges offering courses in English, particularly affecting the following aspects:
- Fixed Cap on Admissions
- Language Exit exams (French or English)
- Priority Admission for Certificate Holders
- Additional French Courses or programs courses in French
Some of these conditions have been in effect since Fall 2023, while others will be effective from winter 2024 or later.
To qualify for the exemptions and the prioritization measures provided for in the Charter, students must be educated in English in college and have been declared eligible for instruction in English before graduating from secondary school.
These changes apply to all students who start a new program or begin a new DCS, whether it’s a first admission or a program change after fall 2023.
In effect since fall semester 2023:
Language Exit Exam:
All college students in Quebec must pass the Language Exit exam to obtain their college diploma. Since Fall 2023, certificate holders will still need to pass the English Exit Exam, while students without a certificate will have to take “l’épreuve uniforme de français” at the end of their program.
Students without a certificate will take literature courses in French as part of their program (including the remedial courses if necessary).
Students who have already been sanctioned a DCS and are starting a new program from the fall 2023 semester but are not eligible to pursue their education in English, will need to pass the “Épreuve uniforme en français”, even if they have already passed the English Exit Exam (EUA). To be eligible to take the EUF, these students who are not eligible to receive their education in English must complete the three required literature courses (101, 102, and 103) in order to register for the “Épreuve uniforme de français”.
In effect as of fall 2024:
Additional French courses or specific courses starting from fall 2024.
Students admitted in the Fall semester of 2024, with certificates, will be required to take a total of five courses in French. The first two of these courses will be second language French courses. The remaining three courses will be specific courses in French.
Students admitted in the Fall semester of 2024 who are not eligible for English instruction will also have a total of five courses to take. Three of these will be Common French Language courses designed to prepare students to pass the “Épreuve uniforme de français” (at the College, the four literature courses are given in French and the remedial course if applicable to the student’s situation). The remaining two courses will be program courses in French.
It is no longer necessary to submit a copy of your certificate with your application. The College has access to a database compiling the names of students eligible for English education.