Scholarships: what are the things to keep in mind to make the most of them?

When it comes to taking steps to prepare children for higher education, many questions arise. Can these scholarships be combined with a student job? Can I access housing assistance? Which higher education institutions accept scholarship holders? Can we keep our scholarships even if a semester is not validated? Find all the answers to your questions in this article!

Apply as soon as possible

It is recommended not to wait when you want apply for a student grant. The faster you complete your file, the faster you will ensure the rapid payment of the scholarship. Once the request has been validated, a calculation notification is sent to indicate the total amount to which the student is entitled. The scholarship is then paid monthly into the bank account bearing the student’s name.

You should also know that in the event of a change of situation occurring during the year (illness, death, dismissal or retirement of parents, family dispute), there is always the possibility of applying for scholarships during the course of the year. ‘year. Your file will be processed quickly if you have all the supporting documents and you will be able to have retroactive rights depending on the date of the start of the change in situation.

Can I benefit from housing assistance as a scholarship holder?

For a student, accommodation is the main expense item. Fortunately, the scholarship student has the possibility of accessing housing assistance (APL or ALS depending on the type of accommodation). Overall, scholarship holder or not, the student has the same rights and concerns as any housing tenant: he can access aid but must also take out a student home insurance. Insuring your accommodation is an essential step to continue your studies with complete peace of mind, especially since it offers the possibility of having civil liability or guaranteeing the equipment present in the apartment in the event of a claim. It is therefore important to keep in mind that scholarships do not prevent you from receiving additional assistance. These grants are not taxable.

Please note: some establishments are not eligible for scholarships

Although the majority of establishments in France are compatible with the scholarships issued by the CROUS, there are a few exceptions, particularly in the private sector (certain schools of art,agriculture or of veterinary, for example). It’s up to you to make sure of this compatibility before enrolling in the establishments concerned. It would be a shame to lose the opportunity for these scholarships because you did not get the right information.

Can a student or seasonal job be combined with scholarships?

The student grant is not incompatible with a student or seasonal job in a tourist area. On the contrary, it is even recommended to find contracts allowing the student to live more peacefully by improving his standard of living. The calculation of the scholarship will not be affected by this new source of income as it depends solely on the tax situation of the parents. Depending on the student’s schedule, he can opt for a contract of a few hours a week (delivery, catering, administrative work at the university, etc.) and take advantage of the summer to work full time and thus have a comfortable sum for the following year.

Can we repeat a year and still receive our scholarships?

Access to the scholarship is necessarily subject to success conditions. Thus, the student has duties to continue to benefit from this state aid. In total, a student can open up seven rights (one right per year) to scholarships during their higher education: a maximum of five for their bachelor’s degree and two or three for their master’s, depending on the number of rights already used in their bachelor’s degree. There are no restrictions concerning the first two years: if the student does not validate any university credit in the first year, he can still open his rights in the second year.

On the other hand, to access a third opening of right, it is necessary to justify a minimum of sixty credits, which is equivalent to the validation of two semesters. The fourth year and the fifth year are then subject to the validation of at least two years and the sixth year of law is only possible after having validated three years, ie six semesters.