Bill 96 for English-language education in Québec

Act 14 is An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec. It is the result of  Bill 96, which was passed in May 2022.

This act makes changes to the Charter of the French Language (better known as Bill 101) as well as several other acts, such as the General and Vocational Colleges Act.

Since the earliest roots of this bill, LaSalle College has worked closely with the Québec government, along with the English CEGEPs and colleges in the Montréal area, to reduce the impact of Bill 96 on our current and future students.


1. Who is eligible to receive instruction in English in college in Québec?

At the college level, any student who is eligible to study in Québec can study in an English AEC or DEC program.

However, English colleges and CEGEPs have been limited in the number of spots they can offer and must give priority to students with a certificate of eligibility to receive instruction in English (COE) as of the winter 2024 semester. 


2. How does Bill 96 impact your studies at LaSalle College?


DCS

Students who begin a Diploma of College Studies (DEC) program in English, without a COE, are required to meet the following requirements to graduate:

  • Pass the French Exit Exam (épreuve uniforme de français (EUF)) at the end of the college program; and
  • Pass three courses specific to their program given in French (as of Fall 2024), excluding language of instruction and second language courses as well as physical education courses.

Note that students who continue their college education in a program in English begun before June 30, 2023, do not have to take the EUF. However, the graduation requirements described above do apply to students who change programs after July 1, 2023.

Students who have a COE will not need to take the EUF but they will be required to take the English Exit Examination (EEE), as they do now. However, starting in the Fall of 2024, these students will be required to take and pass three French language courses or three courses from their program in French. These French courses will be in addition to the French as a Second Language courses.


French language test

Language tests will be held at LaSalle College. The purpose of this test is to determine your language level so that we can offer you the right courses and encourage your success.  An e-mail inviting you to attend and confirming the date and time of the test will be sent to your personal e-mail address. This test is mandatory.

However, you can demonstrate with this test a required French language level, you will be exempted from your scheduled French classes.


Your schedule

As a future DEC student, you will be offered extra French classes per week (about 6 hours on Monday and Wednesday nights, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.) included in your schedule, at no additional cost. These classes are mandatory to ensure your success in learning French.  

Also, you will benefit from a French and Québec culture immersion during the weekday mornings (from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) of your first summer in Montréal*.

* You will be free weekday afternoons and weekends. You can take advantage of our Career Services to find summer jobs and internships.  


ACS

A student without a COE who begins an AEC program in English will be required to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of French, as defined by the regulations of the Ministère de la Langue française, in order to graduate.

More precisely, they will need to prove their spoken and written French proficiency. This assessment is conducted through a standardized test (DELF, TEFAQ, TEF, or TEF Canada test). Then, you will have to send the result of your test to your educational institution. This test must demonstrate that you have reached a certain level of proficiency in:

  • Written French (comprehension and production): Level 4;
  • Spoken French (comprehension and production): Level 7.

These levels of French knowledge are determined by the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français.

For any further informaiton, you can consult the Modalités d'application des exigences de connaissance du français nécessaires pour la délivrance d'une attestation d'études collégiales (available in French only).

Students who hold a COE will be exempt from this requirement.


French language test

Language tests will be held in the first week of the semester. The purpose of this test is to determine your language level so that we can offer you the right courses and encourage your success.

However, you can demonstrate your French language level by taking a standardized test determined by LaSalle College. If it meets the Ministry of Education's minimal level, you will be exempted from your scheduled French classes. Proof of this test can be presented to your admission advisor before starting your program or to your student coordinator during your school path.  


Your schedule

As a future AEC student, you will be offered 7.5 hours per week of French classes included in your schedule without additional charges. These classes are mandatory to ensure your success in learning French.


3. What is a certificate of eligibility to receive instruction in English (COE) and who qualifies for it?

This document allows a student to receive instruction in English.

There are several factors that determine who is eligible to receive a certificate of eligibility to receive instruction in English (COE). Among other things, a student may obtain a certificate if he or she, or a member of his or her immediate family, received most of his or her elementary or secondary education in English in Canada.

International students are not normally eligible, but there are exceptions.

For more information, visit the ministère de l’Éducation website.


4. When and where do I submit the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) during my application?

If you are eligible, the ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur will provide your COE to LaSalle College and it will automatically appear in your student file.

Note that only preschool, elementary or secondary students who are eligible for English-language instruction and who do not have a certificate of eligibility for English-language instruction, for example a student who studied in French at the elementary and secondary levels, must take steps before completing Secondary V. For others, the declaration of eligibility automatically appears in the student's file.


5. What support will the College offer to help students succeed and meet the new requirements?

As the largest combined French and English college in North America, LaSalle College has all the expertise and bilingual environment necessary to support your success. Our teachers have been supporting and mentoring students whose first language is not French for over 60 years.

LaSalle College has support centers practicing and improving French:

The College is actively working to improve its services, measures and extracurricular activities to support its students in the required learning in French.


6. What about international students?

International students may study in an English-language AEC or DEC program.

The graduation requirements mentioned above for students who do not hold a COE apply.


DCS

For future students in an anglophone DEC program, additional French courses will be offered (about 6 hours per week). These courses will be included in their schedule at no additional cost.

Additionally, international students will benefit from immersion in French and Quebecois culture on weekday mornings (from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM) during their first summer in Montreal.*

*Students will be free on weekday afternoons and weekends. If they wish, as students of LaSalle College, they can take advantage of our Career Services to find summer jobs and internships.


ACS

For future students in an anglophone AEC program, they will be offered 7.5 hours of French courses per week, included in their schedule at no additional cost.

We are currently working on a French language immersion program: Integration Program to Quebec: Culture and French Language, to help our international students learn French more easily.

This program will be offered shortly.


This information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace any statutory or regulatory requirements. Each application for admission or issuance of a diploma or certificate is considered on its own basis.