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Money & Finance

French School and University Grants for 2018/19

Thursday 06 September 2018

Details of the school and university student grants for 2018/19 have recently been published by the government.

School Grants

There are a range of grants available to assist with school related costs.

The main grant is the Allocation de Rentrée Scolaire (ARS).

The level of the ARS varies according to the age of the child, but for 2018/19 it ranges between €367 for the youngest children and €401 for the eldest.

The grant is means tested, but the test of resources is a reasonably generous one.

If you have only one child the maximum qualifying net income is €24,453, rising to €30,096 for two children and €35,739 for three children.

For this school year these income thresholds are based on your income for 2016, as stated on your tax return made in 2017. If there has been an exceptional worsening in your financial circumstances since 2016 then your income for 2017 can be used.

There are also a range of other grants and forms of assistance, notably bourses de collèges and bourses de lycée. The grants are cumulative, although less generous than the ARS.

The grants are available to any family legally resident in France who meets the eligibility criteria, irrespective of nationality.

To make application contact the Caisse Allocations Familiales.

You can read more about these grants and the application process in our free guide to schooling in France at the link below.

University Student Grants

The main student grant is called the bourse d'enseignement supérieur sur critères sociaux and is available on a means tested basis.

The amount per year ranges from around €1,000 to circa €5,500, depending on the test of parental resources and other related criteria.

As a broad rule of thumb, in order to be eligible this year for the minimum level of means-tested support the parental income should not be greater than circa €33,000 pa (for income earned in 2016), but it also depends on other factors, notably the number of dependants in the household.

You can find more details of this grant at étudiant.gouv.fr.

The grant is available to students who are ordinarily and legally resident in France.

There are also a range of loans, housing benefits as well as university sponsored support available. Perhaps the most important of these is the Prêt étudiant garanti par l'État provided through most of the high street banks in France.

See our guide to university education in France on the link below, for more information.


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