APL Housing Subsidy Cancels Tuition Soars, Is Your Budget Enough to Study in France?

First knife: APL housing subsidies canceled

On July 1, 2026, the Official Gazette of France officially announced:Non-EU, non-scholarship international students lose APL(Aide Personnalis au Logement, individual housing subsidy) eligibility。

What is APL?It is a core component of the French housing security system and is paid monthly by the Family Grant Fund to help school students reduce their rent burden over the long term.. The policy is irrespective of nationality or origin-as long as you live in France, have signed a rental contract and have an income below the threshold, you are eligible to apply. For international students, it saves every month.100 to 250 EurosyuanIt can even be reached in Paris.280-310 euros。

And loseAPL, on the other hand, means that inNon-EU, non-scholarship students in Paris will lose in one full academic year (12 months)3360 to 3720Euro. In Lyon or Bordeaux, losses in2000 to 2600 eurosBetween.

Photo: Students studying in France have received emails to suspend room repairs. Source: Little Red Book

According to data from the Finance Committee of the French National Assembly, non-EU students receiving APL account for about 12% of all recipients,About 100000 people were directly affected.. This measure is expected by the French government.Save about 0.2 billion euros per year。

So, who can take it?

The following categories of people are not affected: non-EU students who have received a French government social standard scholarship (bourse sur critères sociaux), students in an apprenticeship program (alternance), students with legal part-time jobs, refugees or stateless status holders, and spouses of non-EU students. To be eligible for the Social Standards Scholarship, non-EU students must have lived in France for at least two years and have been associated with a French tax family for at least the same length.

In other words, the vast majority of Chinese students who have just arrived in France are not covered by the protection.。

Second knife: differentiated tuition fees fully landed

Source: French public service website

In 2019, the French governmentLaunch"Welcome to France" (Bienvenue en France)strategy, which for the first time proposes differentiated tuition fees for non-EU students:Undergraduate 2895 euros per year (original 178 euros), master 3941 euros per year (original 254 euros), an increase of 16 times and 15 times respectively。

Expand reading:Tuition increases 15 times! Study in France free era or will end?

The policy said that colleges and universities can decide on their own whether to implement it or not, and they can also decide on their own exemption ratio. As a result, the vast majority of French public universities choose not to perform. According to data from the French Ministry of Higher Education, as of 2025, only about 10% of non-EU students actually pay according to differentiated standards. Most students still enjoy the same "cabbage price" as native French students ".

More critical is the year-on-year compression of the exemption ratio. The new law states: 2026—For the 2027 academic year, colleges and universities may exempt up to 30% of non-EU students; 2027—The 2028 school year is reduced to 25 per cent; the long-term target is 20 per cent.

Third knife: visa funding threshold rise

From August 1, 2026, the minimum living guarantee funding requirements for French student visas will be officially raised:The monthly minimum amount is raised from 615 euros.High to 877.50Euro, up 43%。

This change means that for students in one-year courses, you will need to prove at the time of visa application that you have at least about 10530 euros in living expenses (tuition fees are counted separately). For two-year masters, that number doubles. Coupled with differentiated tuition fees, the total amount of funds that a master's applicant needs to show will reach 2.5-30000 euros or more.

More important are the institutional changes. Previously, the monthly standard of 615 euros was a fixed value, unchanged for many years. The new policy changes it to a dynamic floating mechanism that anchors the net value of the French minimum wage (SMIC). This means that as long as the minimum wage in France rises, the visa funding threshold will automatically follow. The financial pressure on families studying abroad will continue to grow.

This new rule coversAll non-EU students, regardless of degree stage, course type, without exception。

Put "three knives”When the policies are put together, the logical chain is very clear:First cut the accommodation benefit (APL), then increase the cost of admission (tuition), and finally raise the entry threshold (visa funds). Three-pronged approach, France's economic screening mechanism for non-EU students has formed a closed loop.。

The official end of the free era of studying abroad in France is no longer just talk, but a reality that has already landed.。

International students can enjoy the basic medical insurance in France and obtain basic medical insurance during their study in France.. In order to increase the proportion of medical reimbursement, students can also choose supplementary medical insurance and enjoy world-renowned high-quality medical services.

In addition, other student benefits will remain unchanged,including social insurance for students, preferential treatment for cultural activities of all institutions under the ministry of culture,Students can participate in more than 60 sports at affordable pricesfrom recreational sports on campus,You can also enjoy discounted ticket prices at museums or cinemas, especially among the main French film groups, which offer special events designed for students,Discounts up to 50%. Students can also passSNCF cardTransport concessions throughout the Schengen area, etc.