No one has spoken out on this essential subject.
This is a document, published discreetly, which will financially penalize 671,000 French people starting in September. Some may well be surprised since the information has passed under the radar. The information is not confidential but the general public has not been informed of its publication. However, it will have a significant direct impact on the budget of many households.
At the beginning of July, the amounts of higher education grants for the 2024-2025 academic year were made official. In concrete terms, this is the grant paid each month by the Crous to students enrolled in higher education. Last year, they had the pleasant surprise of seeing all levels credited with an additional 37 euros per month. A little boost to cope with the rising cost of living.
However, this year, despite the ever-increasing price increase (+1.5% between September and June), the grants will not be revalued. The decision was taken discreetly and confirmed when the “new” amounts for the coming year were published. Not a cent more for students! A real blow to the wallet, given inflation. The Crous will continue to pay, depending on the scale, between 145.40 euros and 633.50 euros per month (from September to June) to grant recipients.
But that’s not all. Others risk finding themselves in an even more difficult situation. Beyond the amount of aid, the income ceilings for being eligible for a grant have not been increased either. Which will force some students out of the system.
Let’s take a simple example. Arthur is the only child of a married couple living in the south of France. He went to study in Paris. His parents earn the average salary: 1850 net per month, each, after withholding tax. The first year, Arthur was able to benefit from a scholarship of 145.40 euros per month. In the meantime, his parents each received a small increase and their net salary increased to 1916 euros. For the Crous, his parents now earn too much to allow him to receive assistance. However, the increase obtained by the parents simply served to compensate for inflation. Arthur, for his part, finds himself without a scholarship. If, as with many forms of assistance, the State had revalued these income ceilings at the same rate as inflation, Arthur would still receive his scholarship.
This decision to freeze the situation adds to the thorny issue of student precariousness. According to a study by the Fédération des associations générales étudiantes (FAGE), one in three scholarship students does not have the means to eat enough and skips, on average, nearly four meals per week.