France Drastically Hikes Tuition Fees for International Students, Sparking Affordability Concerns

Each foreign student will now have to pay 2,770€ (+1,529.41%) instead of 170€ for the Bachelor’s degree, and 3,770€ (+1451.44%) instead of 243€ for the Master’s degree. This is confirmed by a survey published by the National Union of Students of France (UNEF).

The investigation by the main student union in France shows that student precariousness is increasing with a 2.83% increase in the cost of student life, against an inflation of 1.20%, over one year.

This situation, the survey notes, particularly affects non-European foreign students. First, they are faced with difficulties in accessing housing, both in the network of Regional Centers for University and Social Works (CROUS) concerning university residences, and in the private sector. The priority criterion for accessing CROUS is to be a scholarship holder. Yet, being a scholarship holder implies that you must be French or legally reside in France.

The other major difficulty is administrative precariousness related to the procedures necessary for obtaining and renewing visas, financial precariousness related to difficulties with regard to opening a bank account and difficulties in accessing healthcare (one foreign student in three does not have supplementary health coverage), specifies the same source.