The back-to-school allowance aims to help the most modest families at the start of the school year. Supplies, sports equipment and seasonal clothing in the size of the child: the start of the school year generates many costs, which the ARS aims to partially finance.
L’back-to-school allowance (ARS) is a social benefit paid every year a few days before the start of the school year. It helps low-income families to buy supplies and other equipment necessary for children to start the new school year. About three million families benefit from this aid, for 5.5 million children.
What is the date of payment of the ARS in 2023?
Although the exact date has not yet been determined for 2023, the payment of the back-to-school allowance usually takes place as every year, during the second half of August. In 2022, the ARS was paid to beneficiaries on Tuesday August 16.
Who can benefit from the back-to-school allowance?
Not everyone can benefit from the ARS. To qualify, you must have dependent children between the ages of 6 and 18which are educated in a public or private school and meet certain resource conditions.
What are the amounts of the back-to-school allowance in 2023?
For the 2023-2024 school year, the amounts of the ARS are not yet fixed. Generally, the amount of the back-to-school allowance is calculated according to the age of the children and the categorical net income of 2021 for the year 2023. In 2022, the amounts of aid were 392.05 euros for a child aged 6 to 10, 413 69 euros for a child aged 11 to 14 and 428.02 euros for a child aged 15 to 18.
What ceilings should not be exceeded to receive the ARS in 2023?
To collect the ARS, households are subject to means testing. They must not exceed certain resource limits. Here is the resource ceilings in force until July 31, 2023 not to have exceeded in 2021:
| Number of dependent child(ren) | Ceilings not to be exceeded |
| 1 child | €25,775 |
| 2 children | €31,723 |
| 3 children | €37,671 |
| 4 children | €43,619 |
Differential ARS: how do you know if you are slightly above the ceiling?
If your resources are slightly higher than the ceilings, you can still claim the back-to-school allowance, this is calledDifferential ARS. The allocation conditions are the same as for the classic ARS. It is calculated based on your income. For that, your resources must be below the “Increased ceiling” which corresponds to the resource ceiling of the classic ARS + the amount of the ARS.
What steps should be taken to benefit from the ARS?
Depending on the age of the child, certain steps must be taken to benefit from the ARS. Here are the three scenarios:
- For your first child, you must first create an online account on the Caf website in order to become a beneficiary. Once created, an ARS application form can be downloaded from the Caf website. Then, the payment of the back-to-school allowance will be made automatically by the Caf, until your child’s 15th birthday.
- If your child is entering CP when he is not 6 years oldall you have to do is send your Caf a certificate of schooling to be collected from the school and then send it to the Caf.
- For children aged 6 to 15 (born between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017 inclusive), you have nothing to do. The back-to-school allowance is automatically paid to families already receiving benefits who meet the conditions
- For children aged 16 to 18 (born between September 16, 2005 and December 31, 2007 inclusive), proof of education is no longer mandatory. A declaration on the Caf website makes it clear that your child is still in school, studying or learning for the start of the school year. This online process will then allow you to continue to benefit from the ARS. Remember that since 2015, the back-to-school allowance has also been paid to disabled children aged 6 but attending kindergarten.
Does the back-to-school allowance apply to high school students over the age of 18?
The back-to-school allowance is only paid to parents until their child’s 18th birthday, dated September 16. Thus, if the child has not yet turned 18 on this date, the ARS can be paid one last time to the parents of the latter. Beyond the age of 18, scholarships can be paid to meet tuition fees.
How to calculate your back-to-school allowance?
It is possible to calculate your rights to the back-to-school allowance online to find out, in a few clicks, if you can benefit from the ARS. the online simulator will then take into account your annual resources, the number of dependent children, their age and their schooling. To access the simulator, go to the website simulation.msa.fr. If you are entitled to it, you can apply for it on the Caf websiteand also estimate the amount on the government’s online simulator mesdroitssociaux.gouv.fr.
Back-to-school allowance: what to do in the event of a divorce?
When the parents separate, and in particular in the event of joint custody, the back-to-school allowance continues to be paid. However, the amount is not shared between the two parents. It is then the person who makes the request first who will receive this financial assistance. This is indeed an exceptional case since the other types of family allowances can be shared at the request of the parents. Therefore, whoever receives this aid is supposed to take care of the expenses related to the schooling of the child. It is then up to the parents to agree on the costs of the start of the school year. Note that if the child is placed by a child welfare judge, this back-to-school allowance is then blocked in a savings account at the Caisse des dépôts et consignations. When the child has reached his majority, he will be able to make a request to recover this amount.