Exemption from registration fees for international students in France

Published in 26 Feb 2023 by @admin2

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As part of its new university attractiveness strategy "Choose France", the French Government announced in November 2018 the establishment for non-European foreign students, even holders of a French baccalaureate, of "differentiated fees" applicable to the start of the 2019 academic year by public higher education establishments under the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR): 2770 euros for registration for a bachelor's degree and 3770 euros for registration for a master's degree or engineering training. The doctorate, the higher technician certificate (BTS) and the preparatory classes for the Grandes Ecoles CPGE, as well as students in supervised mobility (double diploma agreement) are not affected by this reform of higher prices.

From now on, a large number of French universities apply these higher rates, while others or some of their establishments circumvent or attenuate the reform by offering foreign students to exempt them in order to apply the same rates to them as to French and European students. . Higher education institutions can exempt up to 10% of their students themselves (Article R. 719-50-2° of the Education Code).

The French Government has provided that the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) could, on a temporary basis, through its Embassies, grant a quota of exemptions from differentiated fees on the basis of academic excellence (article R. 719-49-1 of the Education Code).

The Embassy of France in Tunisia led a campaign in 2019, 2020 and 2021 to identify the students affected by the differentiated fees and to select the beneficiaries of an embassy exemption on merit.

This embassy exemption scheme has not been in effect since September 2022. Students wishing to benefit from an exemption from registration fees will now have to contact their French host institution to find out if it is willing. to grant them a so-called establishment exemption.

Students are strongly advised to find out about the pricing policy of universities and their establishments before making their choice of orientation.