Education news in France
In September 2019, tuition fees for international students will be increased in France. At the same time, they plan to increase the scholarships. The innovations should improve the learning and living conditions for students, however, they caused controversy in the society.
Increase in fees
According to the publication The Pie News, from September 2019, tuition fees for students whoare not citizens of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. The changes are part of a strategy developed by Campus France in conjunction with the French government, and are aimed at developing English-language programs and improving the learning environment.
Students who will study for the first time in universities in the country will pay 2,770 euros for undergraduate programs per year and 3,770 euros for graduate and postgraduate programs. For comparison: earlier, the contributions of foreign students were equal to those of the French and amounted to 170 euros per year for bachelors, 243 euros for undergraduates and 380 euros for graduate students.
Increase in scholarships
There is good news: scholarships will grow from approximately 7000 to 21000. According to the strategy, about 25% of international students will receive scholarships or benefits. Acceptance of applications for funding from national and regional governments and ministries will continue. For example, you can get a scholarship under the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, which according to the latest information on the website is 1,181 euros per month for undergraduates and 1,400 euros per month for graduate students. The program also covers transportation, insurance, and cultural activities, but does not cover tuition fees.
You can also find scholarships from universities. Paris Dauphine University offers € 15,000 per year for undergraduates who wish to pursue postgraduate studies. Applications are accepted until April 30, 2019.More detailshere .
Florent Bonaventure, Director of Communications Campus France, announced that the number of scholarships based on academic achievement will increase, and cooperation is developing.with developing countries.
Opinions for and against
The innovations caused a mixed reaction. The main reason for dissatisfaction is the sharp increase in the size of the contribution. For example, the La France Insoumise party called it the construction of a “wall of money” that will prevent foreign students from getting an education in French universities. The government was also accused of violating the traditions of French education.
At the same time, despite a relatively sharp increase in contributions in the country, education in France is cheaper than in many other countries popular among foreign students. Florent Bonaventure noted that the real cost of education per year is around 10,000 euros. That is, the student pays only a third of the actual price.
Should we now consider France for training?
Despite the increase in value, definitely worth it. It has a high quality education and universities that are ranked in the top 100 in the world according to Times Higher Education. For example, Sorbonne University is ranked 3rd, while Paris-Sud University is 17th. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Aix-Marseille University, Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, University of Lille and other universities also entered the top 100.
After training, you have the opportunity to stay in the country: you will be given time to look for work.Employment in another country is difficult, and you need excellent knowledge of the national language, but there is such an opportunity. You can read more about this in the first article below.
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