Classes will start Friday at LaSalle College amid an ongoing multi-million-dollar dispute with the Quebec government, the college’s director Claude Marchand announced Thursday. Marchand made the announcement outside the Quebec Superior Court following a six-hour court hearing. The college obtained creditor protection last week after the Quebec government fined it $30 million for enrolling too many students in its English-language programs between 2023 and 2025. Classes were scheduled to begin on Aug. 27 but were delayed because of the dispute, impacting 3,000 students. “It’s a big relief for the community of LaSalle College,” Marchand said. “It’s back to school tomorrow for our students and our teachers, to do what we do best.” According to the ruling obtained by CTV News, the government was ordered to pay the college’s subsidies for the 2026-2027 school year. The college typically receives $31 million in annual grants, but Marchand said the Quebec government had been withholding those subsidies, delaying the start of the semester. This prompted students and staff to take part in a demonstration calling on the Quebec Education Ministry to help the school stay open. With the subsidies now available, the 2026-2027 school year can begin, Marchand said. However, he said he is still working with the government to resolve the penalties the college faces for exceeding English-language enrolment caps. In July 2025, the college was accused of exceeding its allowed limit by 716 English-speaking students for the 2023-2024 academic year, and an additional 1,066 in 2024-2025. As a result, the ministry sought to recover $8,781,740 in subsidies paid to the college for the 2023-2024 academic year and $21,113,864 for 2024-2025.
