International students 'very scared' after France slashes housing aid

Non-EU students without scholarships or jobs lost their housing benefits at the start of this month (July 1) after France cut them out of the Aide Personnalisée au Logement, or APL.

The APL is a monthly payment that lowers rent for those who qualify, and is managed by the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales, or CAF. Adopted as part of France's 2026 budget law, the new APL measure only reserves the housing benefit for those non-European students who are in apprenticeships, working part-time, or hold a social-criteria scholarship.

Alice de Brito, vice president of Union Nationale des Étudiants de France, a student union created in 1907, said the decision has left international students "very scared."

The APL was their "last line of defence," Ms de Brito told The Connexion. "It was the last form of financial aid that all students could receive."

About 12% of students receiving the APL are non-European students, according to a report by the Finance Committee of the Assemblée Nationale. That corresponds to around 100,000 students losing their benefits. The measure stands to generate €200 million in savings for the state, AFP reported.

Alexys S. came to France in 2016 from Mexico to attend prépa, or preparatory courses before university. At the time, he said his resources were just €380 a month and he greatly benefited from the monthly APL payment of around €150.

"I could handle everything better to continue with the prépa, which was already challenging, and try to lighten the mental and economic burden," Alexys, who now lives full-time in France, told The Connexion.

In principle, non-EU scholarship holders can still benefit from the aid. However, accessing needs-based French scholarships can be challenging.

Non-French students must have lived in France for at least two years and be connected to a tax household in France for at least the same period in order to benefit, according to the Ministry of National Education. An official refugee status also qualifies them. 

Antoine Math, an economics and social sciences researcher who is part of the immigrant support group GISTI, which stands for Groupe d'information et de soutien des immigré(e)(s), said it is assumed that international students have the financial means to come to France. They are therefore excluded from most of the needs-based scholarships the country offers.

While the stereotypes surrounding international students portray them as mostly wealthy, this is far from the reality. In total 62% of those receiving emergency aid from the CROUS — a public organisation supporting students in France — are international students, French media company L'Etudiant reported.

At the same time, Ms de Brito pointed out that non-EU students pay more to study in France — from higher tuition rates for international students to visa obtention and renewal fees. The income threshold for foreigners studying in France has also risen this year.

"Some students tell us they do not know how they are going to continue their studies in France, because, quite simply, the money is not there," Ms de Brito said.

The decision comes in the midst of a "demanding budgetary context," and will only affect 3% of the three million students in France, according to a press release from the French Ministry of Higher Education.

The targeted measure will "allow resources to be better targeted towards truly vulnerable populations," according to the release.

Many in France agree with this reasoning, as demonstrated by the comments on a video report published by French newspaper L'Humanité. The report, which shows a Peruvian student in Paris facing difficulties after the end of APL, received comments like "does her country not help her financially??" and "this woman is a bourgeoisie and has plenty of money to pay for her tuition."

Mr Math told The Connexion that, just like French students, international students come from a wide variety of financial backgrounds. 

“Many are going to face financial difficulties because, on average, they’ll lose maybe €150 a month, or €200 a month,” he said. “So they’ll have trouble paying their rent, and so on.”

He added that the policy could impact the attractiveness of French universities abroad. 

“It sends a message that international students are not welcome," he said.

Ten years after moving to France, Alexys has been able to go to engineering school and set up a life here. He advised international students struggling without the APL to talk to professors, social workers and fellow students, as well as to ask for information at the CROUS.

When asked whether he would have been able to complete his schooling without the APL, Alexys' response was simple: "impossible."