French university fees for foreign students skyrocket dramatically

On Tuesday, May 12, the rectorate of Nantes witnessed a mobilization to denounce the government decree imposing a spectacular increase in university fees for non-Europeans. Starting next fall, a bachelor’s degree will cost 2,895 euros compared to less than 200 euros currently, while a master’s degree will climb to 3,941 euros.

On Bladi.net : France Closes Doors Further to Foreign Students

This decision directly targets the 430,000 foreign students enrolled in France, who represent 15% of the total student population. Among them, Moroccans constitute one of the very first nationalities represented and find themselves on the front line facing what unions describe as selection by money.

Protesters denounce what they call outright racketeering orchestrated by the Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste. For Matis Bestel, a member of Solidaires Étudiant-e-s, this reform attacks an already extremely precarious population, without easy access to housing or the job market, and of which barely 2% receive a scholarship. "It is not up to foreign students to pay for the State’s under-investment in universities," he protests. In the march, anxiety dominates among young people who see years of academic preparation suddenly called into question, fearing they will have to abandon their projects and leave the country due to lack of means.

Facing the backlash, the executive attempted to calm things down by raising the university exemption threshold from 10 to 20%, still hoping to draw 250 million euros per year from this reform within three years. However, as reported by media outlet Hit Ouest, the France Universités association warns of a potentially counterproductive calculation.

On Bladi.net : France: Foreign Students Risk Expulsion Over €3,941 Tuition Debt

Higher education institutions fear seeing students from the least favored countries flee. A desertion that would prove costly in the long term, since the arrival of these international students generates an annual net benefit estimated at 1.35 billion euros for the French economy.