“Competitive on Many Levels”: Nationalism, Neoliberalism, and Misinformation in the 2023 Québec Tuition Debate

How did misinformation about tuition levels throughout Canada emerge during Québec’s 2023 tuition reform? In October 2023, the Québec government announced plans to increase undergraduate university tuition fees for out-of-province Canadian students from $8,992 to approximately $17,000 per year. The stated purpose of the reforms was to end government subsidies of approximately 100 million per year to out-of-province students, redirect funds towards French-language universities, and reinforce the presence of French in Montréal. In defending the reforms, the Québec government claimed that, even after the increase, out-of-province tuition fees would be comparable to those in other provinces. This was incorrect, as remarkably few undergraduate students in the rest of Canada pay tuition fees approaching $17,000 per year, either in their home province or in other provinces. This article argues that government representatives’ false claims resulted from an effort to reconcile tenets of nationalism, neoliberalism, and educational accessibility. The policy was part of a nationalist governing agenda, which is articulated through neoliberal governing reflexes, but educational accessibility is an integral part of Québécois nation building and national distinctiveness. Ultimately, this case of misinformation represented more than strategic dishonesty or straightforward ignorance. It stemmed from an attempt to rhetorically preserve deeply embedded political values.