Program for Exemption
From Supplemental Tuition Fees
or Exemption From Payment of
an Additional Financial Contribution

Under cooperation agreements and bilateral agreements between the government of Québec and foreign governments or international organizations, an exemption from the additional financial contribution is granted to a specified number of students. The number is determined by a quota assigned to the governments and international organizations that are signatories to agreements.

An exemption from the additional financial contribution is granted for a maximum period of time under the following conditions:

• three consecutive years, at the rate of four courses or 180 hours per semester, for a college-level technical training program of studies (Diploma of College Studies [DCS])

• three or four consecutive years, depending on the program content, at the rate of 30 credits per school year (summer, fall and winter semesters), for an undergraduate, or bachelor's, program
• one or two consecutive years, depending on the program content, for a graduate program at the master's level
• three consecutive years for a graduate program at the doctoral level

The exemption is valid only for full-time enrollment.

A student may not receive an exemption beyond the normal duration of his or her program, even if the exemption is granted during a semester subsequent to the one in which he or she started the program.

Students must meet the following conditions:

• Their home country or the international organization with which they are affiliated has signed a cooperation agreement or a bilateral agreement with Québec.
• They have contacted the organization responsible for managing the exemptions in their home country or the international organization to find out what the selection criteria are for recipients of exemptions and to obtain the application form.
• They have applied for admission to a college or university in Québec.
• They have provided the organization responsible for managing the exemptions in their home country or the international organization with a letter of admission or proof of enrollment from the college or university in addition to the application form.
• They have waited for the answer from the organization, which will inform them of its acceptance or refusal of their application.
• They have met the requirements of the Québec and Canadian authorities with regard to immigration. Candidates must first apply to the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC) of Québec for a Québec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ). If the MICC responds positively, they must then apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for a study permit. Additional information on this process may be found on the Web sites of the two ministries:
  
  http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/immigrer-installer/etudiants/index.html;
  http://www.cic.gc.ca/francais/information/demandes/index.asp;
  http://www.cic.gc.ca/francais/information/bureaux/missions.asp
  
  The deadline for applying for admission to a college or university varies from institution to institution. Students should contact the institution of their choice to find out the deadline applicable.
  
  It should be noted that an application for admission may be made even if a student is still in the course of the final year of studies in his or her home country.

• Students enrolled in a technical training program in a college cannot receive an exemption more than once.
• Students enrolled in a university cannot receive an exemption more than once at each of the undergraduate, master's or doctoral levels.
• Students enrolled in qualifying, preparatory or upgrading studies are eligible for an exemption for a maximum of one year. Following this, in order to continue to receive the exemption, they must enroll in a regular program. In all cases, the duration of the exemption for the qualifying, preparatory or upgrading studies is counted in the total number of years allowable for the undergraduate, master's or doctoral level.
• No exemption is granted for studies in a short program leading to a certificate or in an undergraduate program consisting of three certificates (general bachelor's degree).
• Students who wish to change their program or educational institution must send their request to the person responsible for managing the exemptions in their home country or the international organization, who will notify the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec.
• Students who have received an exemption for a master's program are not eligible for an exemption for undergraduate studies.
• Students who have received an exemption for a doctoral program are not eligible for an exemption for studies at the master's level.
• Requests for extensions beyond the normal duration of a program of studies will be authorized only exceptionally, for reasons beyond the student's control.

The organizations responsible for managing the exemptions in the home country and the international organizations are in charge of promoting and disseminating information on the operation of the program, as well as selecting the candidates.

The selection of candidates should take into account the maximum number of exemptions granted to each country or international organization and the number of exemptions available for the semesters for which the candidates are applying. When the selection process has been completed, the organization should send the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec a list of its recommendations; this should not be later than June 14 for candidates beginning their studies in the fall semester, and November 14 for those beginning in the winter or summer semester.

The organizations are responsible for informing the candidates on how the exemption program works and informing them as to whether they have been accepted or refused.

The Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec is responsible for receiving the lists of recommendations, evaluating the applications and transmitting the final answers to the universities and colleges and the people responsible for managing the exemptions in the home countries and international organizations.

Applications must include the completed application form signed by the candidate, a letter of acceptance or proof of enrollment from a university or college in Québec and a letter of recommendation from the person responsible for managing the exemptions in the student's home country or the international organization.

After its evaluation, the Ministère communicates its answer to the university or college concerned and to the person responsible for managing the exemptions in the home country or the international organization.

This category is intended to encourage graduate (master's and doctoral) students to come to Québec. Exemptions in this category are managed by the universities according to a quota set by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport.

Students who want to know more about this category should contact their university.

This category is intended to encourage students to enroll in a technical program leading to a Diploma of College Studies (DCS). Exemptions in this category are managed by the Cégep international and l'Association des collèges privés du Québec according to a quota set by the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport.

Students who want to know more about this category should contact their college.