Study in New Brunswick: The Bilingual Advantage for Scholarships and PR

When international students think of studying in Canada in French, they almost exclusively think of Quebec.

While Quebec is fantastic, it is also highly competitive and has a complex, separate immigration system. If you speak French, there is a "hack" to studying in Canada that offers cheaper tuition, unique scholarships, and a lightning-fast route to Permanent Residency: New Brunswick.

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province. Here is why speaking French makes it one of the best places in North America for international students.

The Université de Moncton Advantage

The Université de Moncton is the largest completely French-language university in Canada outside of Quebec. Because New Brunswick desperately wants to retain Francophone talent to maintain its bilingual status, the university heavily incentivizes international Francophones.

1. Lower Baseline Tuition: Even before scholarships, international tuition at UdeMoncton is significantly cheaper than in Ontario or British Columbia. You can expect to pay around CAD $13,000 to $15,000 per year, compared to the $30,000+ charged by major English universities.

2. The International Francophone Scholarship: The university offers specific entrance scholarships (Bourses d'accueil) ranging from CAD $1,500 to $3,000 specifically targeted at international students who demonstrate high academic achievement in French-language curriculums.

The Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)

The real "scholarship" of studying in New Brunswick is what happens after you graduate.

Most international students in Canada spend years fighting for enough Express Entry CRS points to get Permanent Residency.

Because New Brunswick is officially bilingual, the provincial government uses the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) to actively recruit and retain Francophones. If you graduate from a New Brunswick institution and secure a job offer, your ability to speak French (NCLC 7 / CLB 7) makes you a priority candidate for a provincial nomination.

A provincial nomination gives you 600 bonus CRS points in the federal Express Entry system, guaranteeing your Permanent Residency.

The Bilingual Job Market

To get that post-graduation job offer in New Brunswick, you need to be employable. In cities like Moncton, Fredericton, and Bathurst, being bilingual (English/French) is often a mandatory requirement for premium jobs in banking, healthcare, and public administration.

If you arrive in New Brunswick with strong French (B2/C1) and functional English, you will have zero trouble securing high-paying student jobs and post-graduation employment, completely offsetting the cost of your education.

Prepare Before You Arrive

The key to unlocking New Brunswick is proving your French proficiency via official exams like the TEF Canada or TCF Canada. Whether for university admission or the Provincial Nominee Program, you must have the official paperwork.

At PrepMyFrench, we provide the most accurate TEF and TCF Canada simulators available. We train you specifically on the Canadian formats, ensuring you hit the critical CLB 7 (NCLC 7) threshold required by provincial immigration authorities.

Fast-track your Canadian PR through New Brunswick. Start your TEF/TCF prep with PrepMyFrench.