Quebec Superior Court has ordered Concordia University to freeze proposed tuition hikes for foreign students.

The court issued a provisional injunction Wednesday, after the university's student union challenged Concordia's attempt to fast-track tuition increases during a closed-door meeting of the school's board of governors.

The meeting was held by teleconference after a spring governors' board meeting was cancelled by student protests.

The Montreal university approved tuition increases of up to $1,000 per student earlier this year, which the Concordia Student Union (CSU) called illegal.

The CSU sought legal action against the university, alleging it didn't follow school rules in the meeting. "Nowhere does it state [the board of governors] are permitted to meetings via teleconference," explained CSU member Kevana Kashfi.

Concordia did not break any university rules, and "based on the advice we were given, it was absolutely an appropriate way of doing it," said spokeswoman Chris Mota.

Concordia said the hikes are inevitable, since the Quebec government allowed universities last year to raise foreign student fees by as much as 10 per cent, Mota said.

"It is something the government is offering us, because they do recognize that recruiting students internationally, and being able to provide services they require, which are different because they have other needs and challenges, and it costs money," she said.

McGill University and the Université de Montréal were the first to increase fees.

Tuition increases will hit some foreign students hard, said Taiwanese student Cathy Lin. "There are a lot of social expenses that I just have to cut down, instead of going out and hanging out, it's just not possible," she told CBC.

Some foreign students will take offence at the fee increases, she speculated. "It really makes us feel hurt, because first of all, we thought we were really welcomed — and that makes us feel a little bit unwelcomed," she said.

The Quebec court has ordered the CSU and Concordia to try to negotiate a compromise in the next 10 days over two related issues — tuition hikes for foreign students, and the abolition of an emergency bursary program.