Under the Act Respecting Private Education, private subsidized colleges, establishments are recognized as a public interest and approved for subsidies by the Minister responsible for Higher Education, upon recommendation by the Commission consultative de l’enseignement privé. Like Cegeps, these establishments have the primary responsibility of implementing preuniversity or technical programs leading to a diploma of college studies (DEC), for which the Minister has issued a licence. They can also devise and implement, on certain conditions, technical study programs leading to an attestation of college studies (AEC).
In Quebec, there are 19 private subsidized colleges.