In total, France now has more than 2.5 million students, in addition to some 450,000 young people on work-study programs (apprenticeship contracts or professionalization contracts). While these constantly increasing figures are good news for the level of education in France, they do mask other less encouraging data.
Particularly on the financial autonomy of young people. According to the student union UNEF, at the start of the last academic year, the cost of student life jumped by 1.6%, or 1.5 times inflation. Worse, for non-scholarship holders, the loss of purchasing power was around 2%.
10,000 euros per year of study
In concrete terms, the start of the student year would cost around 2,500 euros. The cost of a year of study would be around 10,000 euros on average.
. The main items of expenditure for students and apprentices? Housing, food, transport and registration fees for those who opt for a major business or engineering school. It is not always easy for these young people to make ends meet. Especially since, depending on the different backgrounds and personal and social situations of their parents, they can count less and less on family solidarity.
As a result, young people have become the kings of the D system.
First, there are those who like part-time jobs and student contracts. Others opt for work-study programs, in order to have a monthly salary while working and a related and simultaneous training. Depending on age and year of study, a work-study student receives between 361 and 1,127 euros gross. Enough to cover, totally or partially, their daily needs. Others resort to a personal loan to finance their studies. These diverse and varied practices are not always well experienced by students. 53% of them say they are stressed and/or depressed. However, solutions exist to better live your student life.
Student budget: what are the cost items and possible good deals?
Cost of tuition: 183 euros / year
This is the amount of registration fees for bachelor’s degrees, DUTs, BTSs, etc. last year. For a master’s degree, you had to pay 254 euros, 606 euros for an engineering degree. The scale for the next academic year will be known in August, but inflation seems to be the order of the day. Nine public engineering schools Mines-Télécom are doubling registration fees to reach 1,850 euros. At Paris-Dauphine University, master’s degrees are increasing by 2%, but above all, the institution is creating two new brackets. The wealthiest families will pay 5,940 euros per year. That is +41%.
The good plan: alternation.
In addition to the remuneration (361 to 1,127 euros), you are also exempt from registration and tuition fees at the apprentice training center. Your employer pays the bill.
Accommodation: 425 euros / year
This is the average amount of rent for student accommodation. Obviously, the larger the city, the higher the figures. In Paris intramural, for example, we flirt with 600 euros per month according to the 2013 figures from the Observatory of Student Life (OVE). 34% of students are “alone” in rental accommodation, 32% live with their parents, 12% share accommodation and 11% benefit from university residences. In addition to the rent, we must add any agency fees estimated at more than 550 euros in Île-de-France and nearly 400 euros in the provinces, as well as multi-risk home insurance (between 60 and 150 euros). For the student union Unef, all these charges added together represent an additional 600 euros. So over a year, student accommodation in Paris costs 7,800 euros. Which makes it the biggest expense for students.
The good plan – To equip yourselfa visit to second-hand equipment sales sites is a must (eBay, leboncoin, troc.com, etc.). On www.rachetemonavoir.com, you will find credits and vouchers. 15 to 40% discount on offer.
Health: 485 euros / year
This is the average cost of compulsory student social security and a contribution to a student health insurance plan (optional). A huge expense that puts off many young people. Thus, 19% of them forgo health insurance. As a result, when they pay 100 euros for treatment, they still have 23 euros to pay compared to 9.60 euros if they had taken out mutual insurance. Worse, in 2012 (source: ENSE survey), nearly 30% of students said they had forgone medical care for financial reasons. Students also suffer from reimbursement delays that can be up to 6 months and delays in obtaining the Vitale card.
The good plan
That the 100% third-party payment proposal provided for in the health bill presented by Minister Marisol Touraine be adopted. Thus, students will no longer have to pay medical expenses in advance during a consultation. For the time being, the poorest among them can benefit from the Universal Supplementary Health Coverage (treatment covered 100% without advance payment) or assistance from Social Security (between 100 and 200 euros) to pay for their supplementary health insurance.
Equipment: 71 euros / month
This is on average what students spend on internet connection, telephone costs and computer equipment (source UNEF). An item that they are not ready to sacrifice. According to a study published by Aruba networks (May 2014), these “digital natives” would rather do without coffee, TV and going out than their precious smartphone. One in five is even connected to this object for more than 5 hours a day. And especially during classes, among other things to take notes. For apprentices, these smartphones and other tablets are also an excellent way to stay connected with their host company when they are in class. And vice versa when they are in “company” period.
The good plan : Take out a student loan or an apprentice loan: this advance made by banks (with interest of course), allows you to have quality equipment adapted to your studies. The loan is repaid at the end of your training course.
Food: 159 euros / month
Average amount spent on food by students who no longer live with their parents (Source OVE 2011 + change in the price consumption index). Second budget item, it is however not a priority for everyone. One in 5 young people would not eat more than 2 meals per day. Why? Because it is expensive. But money is not the only factor. Lack of time, stress, the break with family eating habits are also responsible for this situation. As a result, the student community is mobilizing. Amap on campuses, community garden, recipe blog (cuisine-etudiant.fr, cuisine-etudiante.fr)…
The good plan – Cooking to make ends meet. The five Rennes students behind the Cook and Share it website offer you the chance to sell the “surplus” of your dishes to other students. And vice versa.
Transport: 100 euros / month
This is the average amount spent by a provincial student to follow his courses. In Ile-de-France, it comes to 107 euros. For its calculation, the FAGE (Federation of General Student Associations) includes the price of a public transport subscription at the student rate. For example, between 332 and 760 euros per year depending on the travel zones selected for an Imagin’R card in Ile-de-France. This figure also includes 20 round trips between the place of residence and the place of study, the distance of which is estimated by INSEE at 14 km. Obviously, this concerns students or apprentices who do not live near their place of study. To lower the bill, why not opt for carpooling between students / apprentices using sites such as www. covoiturage-etudiants. com, www.covoiturage. fr or http://mgel. covivo.fr.
The good plan
Request assistance from local authorities. For example, the Poitou-Charentes region funds 60 to 350 euros per year for the journey made by apprentices between their CFA and their company. In Seine-et-Marne, Mobil’Etudes 77 also provides 100 to 650 euros for journeys between home and place of study.
Leisure/Sport: 92 euros / month
This is the average budget that a Parisian student spends each month on outings and leisure activities. This obviously includes the purchase of cinema tickets, books, shows, sports events or even theatre (source FAGE 2013). On a daily basis, young people spend 1 hour 50 minutes on their various leisure activities, observes BVA in a survey for Sodexo (May 2012). The opportunity to unwind from their studies and/or their student job. However, young people are reasonable. Even very reasonable. If they are not ready to sacrifice their internet and telephone budget, 80% according to Ipsos cut back on their leisure and outings budget.
The good plan
Through a weekly draw, Wizbii, a professional social network for students, reimburses an outing to one of its members up to 100 euros. It is open to anyone under 26 or who has had student status in the last two years. The reimbursement is obviously made upon presentation of proof. Let’s take advantage of it!
Sylvie Laidet
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