Montreal’s two largest English-language universities are abandoning their legal battles against the Quebec government’s out-of-province tuition hikes, citing financial strain and a desire to repair their relationship with the province.

The move follows an April ruling by Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour, who struck down parts of the government’s 2023 tuition overhaul — including a French-language requirement — but allowed a 33 per cent increase for out-of-province Canadian students to remain in effect while the province revises its policy.

Concordia and McGill universities had launched separate lawsuits in early 2024, arguing the hikes were discriminatory and threatened their financial viability.