🇫🇷 Funding Your Studies in France
How students pay for a French degree — very low public tuition, CROUS social grants, CAF housing aid, and what international students can realistically access.
France has some of the lowest tuition fees of any developed country for public higher education. The real cost of studying in France is accommodation and living expenses — and the state has tools to help with those too.
How studies are funded
Tuition at a public university (universite publique) is set by the national government: around EUR 170/year for a licence (bachelor), EUR 243 for a master, and EUR 380 for a doctorate (2024 rates). Engineering schools (grandes ecoles) and private institutions charge significantly more. Since 2019, non-EU/EEA students at public universities are subject to differentiated fees — still modest at around EUR 2,770 (licence) and EUR 3,770 (master) — far below comparable anglophone countries. The typical funding stack for a French domestic student is **bourse CROUS
- APL housing aid + part-time work**.
CROUS bourses sur criteres sociaux
The main student aid system is run by the CROUS (Centre regional des oeuvres universitaires et scolaires). Grants are awarded on social/income criteria and classified on a scale from 0bis to 7.
| Echelon | Approx. annual grant (2024) |
|---|---|
| 0bis (access only) | Fee waiver + some benefits |
| 1 | ~EUR 1,700 |
| 5 | ~EUR 4,500 |
| 7 | ~EUR 6,300 |
Grants are paid monthly over 10 months. Apply via DSE (Dossier Social Etudiant) on the Messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr portal before the May deadline.
CAF/APL housing aid (Aide Personnalisee au Logement) is a separate monthly subsidy for rent paid by the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales. It can reduce effective rent by EUR 100–300/month depending on location and income.
Tip: international students (including non-EU) are eligible for APL as long as they hold a valid residence permit and rent a qualifying private or CROUS residence. Apply on the CAF website as soon as you sign a lease — it does not require French nationality.
Scholarships & grants
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship — highly competitive French government award for international master's and PhD students; covers monthly stipend, flights, and health insurance. Administered by Campus France.
- French Government Scholarships via Campus France — bilateral programmes covering tuition and/or living costs for students from partner countries.
- University scholarships — many grandes ecoles and research universities offer merit and regional-diversity grants.
- Erasmus+ — if you are an EU student doing part of your degree in France, or a French student going abroad, Erasmus+ mobility grants apply.
Working while you study
Students with a titre de sejour etudiant (student residence permit) may work up to 964 hours per calendar year (~60% of full-time), equivalent to about 18–19 hours per week averaged over the year. No separate work permit is required — the student permit covers it. EU students have no restriction.
Minimum wage (SMIC) in France is around EUR 11.65/hour (2024), so 15–18 hours/week generates roughly EUR 650–750/month before social charges (which students pay at a reduced rate).
Funding for international students
Non-EU international students face differentiated tuition but can still access several meaningful sources:
- APL housing aid — apply to CAF immediately on signing a lease (very impactful, open to all legal residents).
- Campus France scholarships and bilateral programmes — search the Campus France database for your home country.
- University foundation grants and exonerations (tuition waivers granted by the president of the university on social grounds — worth requesting even if not advertised).
- CROUS bourses are generally reserved for French and EU students; non-EU internationals are typically not eligible.
Tip: CROUS residences (cites universitaires) are far cheaper than the private rental market and are open to international students — apply to CROUS housing at the same time you apply to your programme; places fill up fast.