This year, the back-to-school allowance is increased by 1.8% to help finance the purchase of school supplies. What amounts, conditions and resource ceilings to benefit from ARS 2022?
[Mise à jour du 27 juin 2022 à 10h29]. This year, inflation also affects the purchase of school supplies, and at the start of the school year, parents will also have to deal with the increase in the cost of the canteen. To help parents prepare for the return to school for their children, the government has decided to increase the amount of the back-to-school allowance for the year 2022-2023 by 1.8%.
When is the back-to-school allowance paid?
Each year, the back-to-school allowance is paid at the end of August. The precise date of the payment by the Caf or the MSA is generally announced a few weeks before the payment date.
Who is entitled to the back-to-school allowance?
Back-to-school allowance is paid to you if your child attends a public or private school, and born between September 16, 2004 and December 31, 2016 inclusive (be between 6 and 18 years old). The ARS is also paid for each primary school child born after 2004 and already registered in CP.
Does the back-to-school allowance apply to high school students over the age of 18?
The back-to-school allowance is paid to parents only 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. Beyond the age of 18, scholarships can be paid to meet tuition fees
What are the amounts of the ARS?
the amount of the back-to-school allowance is calculated based on the age of the child. In 2022, the back-to-school allowance amounts to:
- €376.98 for a child aged 6 to 10
- €397.78 for a child aged 11 to 14
- €411.56 for a child aged 15 to 18
| Child’s age | Amount ARS 2022 |
| 6-10 years old | €376.98 |
| 11-14 years old | 397, 78. euros |
| 15-18 years old | €411.56 |
Back-to-school allowance: what ceilings should not be exceeded?
The back-to-school allowance is paid to parents whose income does not exceed a certain ceiling in 2020. “The income ceiling for families varies depending on the number of dependent children” specifies the government. Consequently, this financial assistance makes it possible to cover back-to-school tuition fees from elementary school to high school.
- The ceilings must not reach more than 25,370 euros for a dependent child;
- 31,225 euros for two children;
- 37,080 euros for three children,
- 42,935 euros for four children
- then, for each additional child, 5,855 euros are to be added to the resource cap.
| Number of dependent children | Ceiling |
| 1 child | €25,370 |
| 2 children | €31,225 |
| 3 children | €37,080 |
| 4 children | €42,935 |
A simulator to calculate your back-to-school allowance
It is possible to calculate your rights to the back-to-school allowance to find out, in a few clicks, if you can benefit from the ARS. the 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. You can also estimate the amount of the back-to-school allowance on the online simulator, on the website www.aide-sociale.fr
What steps should be taken to benefit from the ARS?
Parents of children aged 6 to 15 do not have to take any steps: the back-to-school allowance is paid automatically to families already receiving benefits who meet the conditions. Beneficiaries whose child is admitted to a preparatory course (CP) at the start of the school year must send a certificate of schooling to benefit from the ARS. Parents of teenagers aged 16 to 18 do not have to provide proof of education To benefit from this aid, a sworn statement confirming that the child is well educated is sufficient with the Caf.
- For your first childyou will first have to fill a file in order to become a beneficiary. An ARS application can be downloaded from the Caf website for families who do not yet have a file. 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 has already entered CPbut he turns 6 in 2022, just send your Caf a certificate of schooling to be collected from the school and then send it to the Caf.
- For children aged 16 to 18 (born between September 16, 2004 and December 31, 2016 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, back-to-school allowance is also paid to disabled children aged 6 but attending kindergarten.
Differential ARS: how much can we have if we slightly exceed the ceiling?
Beneficiaries who benefit from the differential ARS will also be able to receive the increase of 100 euros per child, specifies the Caf. But what is differential ARS? If your resources are slightly higher than the ceilings, you can still claim the Back to School Allowance, this is called “differential ARS“. To do this, your resources must be lower than the “Increased ceiling”, that is to say, the amount of the ARS ceiling + ARS amount. Example : you have two children in school (one is 6 years old and the other is 16 years old) and your annual income is €31,000. Your income is therefore above the ARS resource ceiling in 2022 for two children, which is 31,225 euros. Calculation : if you received a normal ARS, this would correspond to 370.31 euros + 404.28 euros = 774.59 euro. Your increased ceiling would be: 31,225 (2022 ceiling) + 774.59 (your ARS) = €31,999.59. Your annual resources (31,000 euros) are well below the increased ceiling (31,999.59 euros), so you are eligible for differential ARS. How much will you get? The differential ARS is the difference between your increased cap and your annual resources. In our previous example: you will hit: 31,936.59 – 31,000 = €999.59.
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, theback-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 school fees. It should be noted that in the event of placement of the child by a judge of social aid for children, 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.