Quebec education news: the Quebec Student Strike has put up to 70,000 CEGEP and university students on picket lines across the province, and the fight is about money students say they have waited nearly 30 years to see fixed.
By Maplestime News Desk | Montreal, Quebec | November 10, 2026
Sources: 100.ca, AEETS | Last updated: November 10, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Up to 70,000 CEGEP and university students are on strike from November 9 to 13 under the Coalition for Student Union Unity (CRUES).
- Students want more public funding for higher education and a full reform of student financial aid, a system that has not been revised since 1997.
- Other demands include paid internships in all programs and an end to parental contributions and eligibility time limits.
- Quebec plans a 10% cut to education spending over three years, a backdrop students call proof of chronic underfunding.
- A separate one-day strike by federations representing about 220,000 students is also set for November 10, and a large Montreal march is planned for Friday, November 13.
Quebec Student Strike Puts Aid Reform at the Centre
The Quebec Student Strike runs from November 9 to 13, 2026, with strike mandates at more than a dozen institutions, including UQAM, Université de Montréal, Concordia and several CEGEPs. Le Devoir reports at least 50,000 students are taking part, while CRUES puts the figure at about 70,000. Picket lines have cancelled many classes across the province.
At the top of the list is student financial aid. The loans and bursaries model has not been revised since 1997, and students want it rebuilt, along with the abolition of parental contributions and of the time limits that cut students off from aid. They are also demanding paid internships in every program, plus more funding for staff and for buildings they describe as crumbling.
A 10% Cut Looms Over the Talks
The strike lands as the Quebec government moves ahead with a 10% cut to education spending over three years. For students in the Quebec Student Strike, the cut is the clearest sign yet that higher education is being asked to do more with less, and they say the underfunding shows up everywhere, from crowded classes to aging campuses.
The Fédération des cégeps says the effects of the strike vary from campus to campus and is urging dialogue between the parties. For now, though, the two sides are talking past each other, with students insisting the province can afford to fund education properly and the government holding to its spending plan.
Related: More Canada News on Maplestime
What Happens Next in the Quebec Student Strike
Today, November 10, the focus is paid internships in all programs, and the day also brings a separate one-day strike by other student federations, FECQ, UEQ and FAECUM, which together represent about 220,000 students. At ÉTS, students voted on November 2 for a November 9 to 13 strike, with 23,254 voting for a five-day stoppage and 8,390 for two to three days, conditional on more than 40,000 students striking province-wide. A reconvening assembly on November 12 will consider extending the strike to November 14.
CBC Montreal reported a nighttime protest near UQAM on November 9, and the pressure is set to build toward a large march in Montreal on Friday, November 13 at Victoria Square. Students will also vote at the end of November on whether to call an unlimited general strike for the winter semester, a step that would turn the Quebec Student Strike from a five-day protest into a season-long standoff.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Quebec student strike as announcements are made.
Have a tip about this story? Email [email protected]
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
Is a five-day strike enough to force Quebec to fix student aid, or is an unlimited winter walkout the only move students have left? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian student who has ever waited on a loan cheque.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
