Prior to the start of the 2021/22 academic year, the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation issued a set of measures worth EUR 3.3 billion to improve social support for students. The support mechanisms this year will include  

• Freezing of registration fees 
• Revaluation of grants based on social criteria 
• Specific actions for students with disabilities 
• Student jobs 
• Exceptional aid to respond to the health crisis 
• Additional aid grants based on social criteria 
• Arrangements for finding accommodation 
• University catering with social pricing adapted to students' expectations 
• Actions supporting student life 
• Mobile vaccination teams in close access to students 

Furthermore, the Ministry has announced a 1% increase in the size of student aid grants allocated based on social criteria for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year, doubling the 2020 inflation rate. Since 2019, the French government has revalued the size of social grants by 3.3%, which represents a gain of 185 euros for a grant holder at level 7 over 10 months. This increase comes along with a growing number of grantees, with nearly 30,000 additional grant holders between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic year. The L’Alternative student union points to a higher inflation rate in 2021 and argues for the importance of a larger student aid reform. 

More details 

French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation 

Social support measures 

Revaluation of social grants 

Liberation