France guide · verified 2026-07-04
Cost of Studying in France: Tuition, Living and Proof of Funds
Money & proof of funds
France is genuinely cheaper than the UK/US/Australia at public universities, but 2019's differentiated non-EU tuition is real and a May 2026 decree has just tightened how many students each university can exempt from it, so 'public university = nearly free' can no longer be assumed. Layer on the mandatory CVEC campus fee and a realistic (not just minimum) living budget.
Proof of funds
Mandatory€877.50/month minimum (from 1 Aug 2026)
≈ €10,530/year, the government-set floor Campus France and the visa file both use. Realistic city budgets (Paris especially) run €1,000 to 1,200/month once rent, food and transport are included.
Tuition, public universities, non-EU rate
Conditional€2,902/yr Licence · €3,950/yr Master (2026/27, per the tuition decree's most recent published figures)
In force since 2019 for non-EU students not otherwise exempt. A May 2026 decree caps university-level exemptions at 30% of enrolled non-EU students for 2026/27, falling to 25% for 2027/28, then a steady-state 20% from 2028/29, waivers exist but are now capped, not 'common'. Exempt groups include EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, Andorran/Quebec nationals under bilateral agreements, students already enrolled before 2019/20, doctoral students, Erasmus+/exchange participants, and French-government or host-university scholarship holders.
- Low cost of studies in France, tuition fees, Campus France
- Am I subject to the differentiated tuition fees introduced in public institutions?, Campus France
- Décret n° 2026-385 du 19 mai 2026 relatif aux modalités d'exonération des droits d'inscription des étudiants étrangers, Légifrance (Journal officiel de la République française)
Tuition, Grandes Écoles / business schools / private institutions
Roughly €6,000, €18,000+/year
Set independently by each school; far above the public non-EU rate. Always confirm on the specific school's own fee page.
CVEC (mandatory campus-life fee)
Mandatory€105 for 2026/27
Paid once per academic year via messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr / cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, BEFORE administrative enrolment, most universities will not complete enrolment without the CVEC attestation. CROUS/French-government scholarship holders, refugees, and asylum seekers are exempt but must still complete the online exemption request to get the attestation.
Health insurance (Sécurité Sociale des Étudiants)
MandatoryMandatory registration, but FREE, no premium for the basic cover
Since the 2018/19 reform, all students (French and international) register free of charge for French statutory health cover via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. A genuine positive nuance versus many destinations: registration is compulsory for stays over 3 months, but there is no membership fee for the base cover, students typically still buy a top-up mutuelle for costs the base scheme doesn't fully reimburse.
Budget the required minimum, then budget the realistic minimum
Campus France India raised this floor to €877.50/month effective 1 August 2026, up from €615. It is still only the number the visa file checks against, not a workable budget: plan €900 to 1,200/month depending on city (Paris highest, smaller university towns noticeably cheaper) for rent, food, transport, phone and incidentals, and show funds above the floor where possible.
Check the specific university's tuition status before quoting 'cheap'
Confirm whether the target university and programme fall under the standard non-EU differentiated fee, and whether the university's exemption quota (capped at 30% for 2026/27 under the new decree) is realistically available to the student, do not assume every public university waives fees for strong applicants.
Since the May 2026 decree, exemption slots are capped per university, a student cannot assume a waiver is likely just because past cohorts got one.Layer in scholarships early
French-government scholarships (e.g. Eiffel), Erasmus Mundus, and university/foundation awards can exempt a student from both the differentiated tuition fee and the Études en France fee, and often from CVEC too. Deadlines are typically many months ahead of the intake, point strong applicants at these early rather than after the EEF file is already open.
A recognised French-government or Erasmus Mundus scholarship also exempts the pre-consular interview requirement.
Unlike destinations where student health insurance costs €100+/month, France's statutory student cover is free to register for, but every non-EU student staying over 3 months MUST register via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. Skipping it isn't a cost problem, it's a compliance problem: enrolment and later reimbursements depend on it.
Sources
- The "Studying in France" (Études en France) procedure, Campus France
- Low cost of studies in France, tuition fees, Campus France
- CVEC, Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus, CROUS / Étudiant.gouv (Ministry of Higher Education)
- You are a foreign student coming to study in France, social security registration, ameli.fr (Assurance Maladie / CNAM)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full France journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on France
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.