University and Education Fees

[Jill<br><br>Jill (99)]

LAST EDITED ON 02-Sep-03 AT 10:56 PM (GMT)

In view of the discussions about Universities in England charging different tuition fees according to subject and charging generally, I wondered how it works in France.

Do parents have to pay for higher education?

Do students get living expenses as they used to in Britain?

Is it a loan system? If so, is that for the education and/or living expenses.

Do French students tend to stick closer to home, or do they travel as far away as possible from home as they can?!

Jill (99)

[Russethouse]

I have no idea how all this works in France but cannot help but register my dismay that UK is failing to invest in its youth and therefore the future of the country........there might be a lot wrong with the current system but the amounts required to put a child through Uni now are surely going to put us back to the era where Uni was only for the better off - and this is a labour goverment!

A Meldrew moment !

Gay

[merteuil101]

Jill,
it's been about three years now since I left HE, but back then, the case was:

<1 Do parents have to pay for higher education?>
Yes, there are tuition fees to pay, but they are considerably lower. Around hundreds of pounds per year as opposed to thousands.

<2 Do students get living expenses as they used to in Britain?>
If by this you mean maintenance grants, there are "bourses", but they used to be means tested and few students were eligible. They usually rely on parents and live at home.

<3 Is it a loan system? If so, is that for the education and/or living expenses.>
I don't know of any specific student loans system, it might exist, but parents usually foot the bill.

<4 Do French students tend to stick closer to home, or do they travel as far away as possible from home as they can?!>
Most stay near, or at home. For reason (2) above. One of the biggest moans from the students we sent for a period living abroad was that the halls of residence were deserted every weekend. Most residence rooms either had overseas students like them, or were only used during the week by French students whose parents were nearby, so they went home to mum and dad. So, parties were few on the ground, which didn't go down too well with British students!

Elizabeth

[Abrivado]

I've just discussed this with my neighbour, whose 2 children have just been through the system, and here's what I think happens:

>Do parents have to pay for
>higher education?

No, the education itself is free. But as a student you do have to pay to register each year, in this case just over 300 euros. Mais c'est beaucoup, said my neighbour!!

>Do students get living expenses as
>they used to in Britain?

Well, there is a system of bourses. It has 6 means-tested levels. Their daughter got about 70 a month. Their son got a bit more than that because he was the oldest, and because he was more than 50km away from home.

Other than that, you (or your parents) pay for books, accommodation, food, transport, photocopying card, everything. ALL the French students I know work, at anything - childminding, restaurants, obesity clinics (yes really!), any way they can to get money. C'est normal, it just goes with the territory - if you want to study, you have to work as well. Point.

>Is it a loan system?

No, you don't have to pay the bourse back.

Does that help at all? It's pretty much from the horse's mouth. Strange expression, must look it up in Brewer's.....