Bill 96, or Law 14, was adopted by Québec’s National Assembly in May 2022. The new law brings significant amendments to the Charter of the French Language, commonly known as Bill 101.
As of June 1, 2023, certain aspects of the new law will affect students who register in AEC programs in Cégeps.

Law 14 puts students in Higher Education, including in AEC programs, into two categories:

• Certificate of Eligibility Holders;

• Non-Certificate of Eligibility Holders.

Law 14 introduces a French language requirement to the certification requirements for Non-Certificate of Eligibility holders.

It is important to note that ALL STUDENTS who are qualified to study at a college in Québec can be admitted to an English-language college, regardless of their high school of origin or their eligibility to receive instruction in English in an elementary or secondary school in Québec.

The term certificate holders designates those students who hold, or have held at any time in the past, a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec as per the Charter of the French Language.
Information on who can be deemed eligible can be found on the government’s website

If you meet the Québec government’s eligibility criteria you would already have received documentation when you were attending primary or secondary school. Regardless of if you have the document or not, you can inform the Cégep.

The term non-certificate holders designates those students who do not hold, and have never held, a Certificate of Eligibility for English Instruction in Quebec as per the Charter of the French Language.

The term English-language institution refers to institutions of higher learning given this designation as per the Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec.

Cégeps have access to review an applicant’s status and to determine if they hold a certificate of eligibility. Applicants are not required to submit their Certificate of Eligibility with their application.

Applicants who hold the Certificate of Eligibility have no added certification requirement beyond those of the AEC program.
You are not required to prove your level of French proficiency.

Under Law 14 Section 88.0.18, successfully admitted students who are Non-Certificate of Eligibility holders must prove that they have a level of French language proficiency before obtaining their AEC program certification.

The Québec government has declared that Non-Certificate of Eligibility Holders must prove that they have attained a level of French oral and written comprehension consistent with the “Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français des personnes immigrantes adultes” as follows:

• Level 7 in oral French: expression and comprehension
• Level 4 in written French: expression and comprehension

Non-certificate of Eligibility students will be required to prove their attainment of the required levels of spoken and written French through the successful completion of a DELF, TEFAQ, TEF or TEF Canada test.

Information about the Dawson College TEF testing center can be viewed here.

Further details about the test to be completed will be shared once the government releases further information. Applicants will be kept informed.

Students who are Non-Certificate of Eligibility Holders can be exempted from proving their level of French if they have any of the following situations:

1. Completed a secondary school diploma (DES) in French in Québec;
2. Completed a secondary school diploma (DES) in English and passed the Secondary 5 French as a second language course;
3. Completed a Diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) program in French in Québec;
4. Completed at least three years of secondary or post-secondary education in French in provinces/territories in Canada other than Québec;
5. Completed an Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC) program in French in Québec;
6. Completed a Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) or university-level diploma, in French, in Québec;
7. Completed a program abroad that is equivalent to a DEC in French;
8. Passed the OQLF examination leading to an attestation of a French level appropriate to practice their profession;
9. Reside or have resided on an Indigenous or First Nations reservation, an establishment where the aboriginal community lives, or on Category I and Category 1-N within the meaning of “Loi sur le régime des terres dans les territoires de la Baie-James et du Nouveau-Québec (chapitre R-13.1)

For the most up to date list of exemptions, consult the Gazette officielle du Québec.

The consortium of English-language Cégeps have developed a free diagnostic test to help you determine your current level of French.

Note that you must still complete a test that is officially recognized by the government however, the results of the diagnostic test can help you decide how much additional training or how many additional courses might be needed to reach the required level of French language proficiency.

There are many ways to improve your French language skills so that you can prepare for the government-mandated test.

1. The Government of Québec offers Francisation (French courses) that are free for immigrants and residents living in Québec. Francisation courses are offered in various locales in the province of Québec, including Cégeps, school boards, adult education Centers and more.

2. Our institution, Dawson College, offers non-credit French courses through the Language Centre. The courses are designed according to French language standards and will help students prepare for the government-recognized French test.

Law 14 is applicable only for students starting in a new AEC program after June 1, 2023.

If you are an existing student transferring to a new AEC program after June 1, 2023, then Law 14 is applicable.

If you were required to submit a new application to re-join your program of study, Law 14 could be applicable to you. The college will inform you if this is the case. 

It is an attestation of collegial studies (attestation d’études collegiales).

That would depend on your other qualifications. The best would be for you to see with the university where you would like to study if you meet the necessary requirements. Do note that AEC courses do not count toward a university education and do not replace a DEC (diploma of collegial studies).

This depends on each program. To get more detailed information about the schedule, we invite you to sign up for an info session for your desired program.

No, it does not as the AEC programs offered at Dawson do not meet the necessary requirements related to hours of training (minimum 1800 hours).

Please consult the Academic Advising webpage to see how to get in touch with an advisor.

In order to find out which options are offered to you, we encourage you to contact Dawson’s Student AccessAbility Centre  for more information. Please note that you will have to submit documentation in order to benefit from their services and do take note of their important dates.

Please consult the Financial Aid webpage for more information about loans and bursaries and how to apply.

To see which programs are accepting applications, go to www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/aec .

Once you have selected your program, click the green “Apply” button to access the Application Centre. Create your Network account or log in with your existing Dawson credentials. Scroll to the bottom to choose AEC Programs  and start your application.

Once you have completed all sections of your online application, you will be prompted to upload your documents (transcripts, proof of legal status, birth certificate, letter of intent, resume, evaluation of studies).

If you are missing any documents, you can always log back into the Application Centre using the username (email address) and the password you used when you created your network account. Once back in the application centre, you can upload any remaining required documents. You would have until the application deadline to do so.

For detailed application steps, please see each program’s Admissions Requirement tab on each program’s webpage.

• Network Administration and Support
• Accounting Principles and Related Computer Applications
• Preparation for Cisco and CompTIA Linux+ Certification
• Preparation for Microsoft Certification
• Independent Video Game Design
• Commercial Photography

It is preferrable that you submit your high school transcript. If you cannot submit your high school transcript, please upload a letter to the Application Centre that explains why you cannot do that. Please make sure that you submit any other transcripts from your educational history.

You must submit a transcript with the courses you took and the grades, a certificate or a diploma cannot replace it.

Yes, please upload any and all transcripts you may have.

If you cannot see a given program in the list of programs offered (or if there is no green apply now button on your program’s page), that means the application deadline has passed. Please contact the AEC Office at aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for more information on when you will be able to apply again.

Applying to an AEC program does not guarantee acceptance. Once the application deadline has passed, the AEC office will contact you to schedule any required admission tests and interviews about 1 month after the application deadline. Once completed, you can expect to hear back about 1 month before the start date of the program. Contact aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for further questions.

Please upload the documentation that you do have, even if untranslated. Upload a letter to the Application Centre that explains why you cannot submit the official translation or document.

Services Quebec provides government services to citizens, businesses and educational institutions. Services Quebec can subsidize individuals for their studies. 

Note that sponsorship by Services Quebec does not guarantee acceptance to your program of choice by Dawson College; all candidates must submit an application by the established deadline. 

At present, Services Quebec program sponsorships are not active. Services Quebec may sponsor applicants on an individual basis for their studies. To see if you qualify, you must contact your local Services Quebec office here.  

In order to apply for individual sponsorship with Services Quebec you must contact your local office. To find your nearest office, please click here. 

You can also fill out the following form that is to be submitted to Services Quebec or find more information about the form here. 

As soon as possible. The approval process can take some time so it is best to apply with Services Quebec as soon as you know you would like to study at Dawson. 

You must contact your assigned Services Quebec agent for any questions related to your application with Services Quebec. 

You must contact your assigned Services Quebec agent for any questions related to your application with Services Quebec. 

Yes.  You must meet the requirements of Services Quebec to receive individual sponsorship, however, this does not guarantee acceptance at Dawson College.  You must also submit an application to study in your program of choice and meet Dawson College admission criteria to be considered for acceptance. 

No. Candidates may only benefit from one source of Government financial support. 

You will receive an e-mail from the Admissions office. You will receive instructions on how to confirm your acceptance online.

If you are new AEC student who has been accepted in to one of our AEC programs you will receive an orientation package and your schedule shortly before your classes begin.

If you are a returning AEC student in one of our AEC programs you will receive your schedule shortly before your new term begins by email or MIO.

You will receive an email from Dawson College Continuing Education AEC_REG. Please see the example here.

Please note: You will have to read any Omnivox messages sent to you by the college before you can continue and finalize.

I have not finalized my course registration:

If you would like to withdraw, you must send an email request to admissions@dawsoncollege.qc.ca and aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca.

I have finalized my course registration:

If you finalized your course registration or your program has already started, you must withdraw through the MyDawson Omnivox Portal (Choose College Withdrawal Form in the menu on the left under "My College Services"). Please make sure to do so before the deadline. You will be informed of deadlines at the start of the term.

If you withdrew from your program for any reason, it could be possible for you to come back at a future date. Please contact the AEC office at aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for more information. Please note that you may have to reapply and pay the $30 application fee.

Yes, there is a withdrawal deadline for every course. If you withdraw after the deadline, your transcript will reflect your grade at the point of withdrawal.

In order to come back to a program, you will have to re-apply. For the exact details, please contact the AEC office at aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca . Please note that you may have to pay the 30$ application fee.  

If you would like to return to study at Dawson, but in a different program, you will have to apply through the Application Center during the moment that applications are open. 

All AEC programs are tuition free for Canadian citizens or landed immigrants with Permanent Resident status in Quebec taking at least four courses (or 180 course hours) per semester.

A non-refundable $30 application fee, registration fees and student fees are applicable to all students. Please consult the Student Fees webpage for up to date information.

Students should plan for additional cost for books and supplies.

Fees vary from term to term depending on the program of study. Up-to-date information is available at the link for International Student Fees.

All fees are due in full upon registration. Students who do not pay their course fees may have their course registration cancelled and will remain liable for the non-refundable fees.

No, all fees are due in full upon registration. For more information on payment options visit payment of fees.

If you have any questions, you may contact the Student Fees office by visiting room 4B.5, by telephone at 514-931-8731, local 1387, by email at studentfees@dawsoncollege.qc.ca or visit the Finance Office webpage.

You will receive information about the required books at the beginning of your classes. The cost will depend on the type of book you buy (hard copy, ebook, or from one of Dawson used book sales).

For more information on how and where to obtain a Dawson ID card, please consult Dawson ID Card page.

To obtain a reduced-fare OPUS card, you must first have your Dawson College I.D. Card. The same photo will be used for the OPUS card. For instructions on how to obtain your OPUS card, follow this link.

You will receive information about your certificate about 6-8 months after you complete your program. Do note that they are created on an individual basis as well as signed by our Academic Dean and Director General and therefore require some time. Information on the certificate will be sent to your personal email address so make sure that your contact information is up to date. Contact information can be changed through the MyDawson Portal.

Please contact the AEC Office at aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for more information.

Please consult the Transcripts and Documents page of our website.

Please contact the AEC Office at aec@dawsoncollege.qc.ca for more information on how to rejoin a program that you quit in the past.