Keywords: News, Back to School 2023, student, France, Avignon
For the 2023 back-to-school period, according to the Federation of General Student Associations, (FAGE), the average cost of the academic year for non-scholarship students is expected to reach 3,024.49 euros in September 2023, an increase of 4.48% compared to the previous year. Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education, responded to these figures during an interview on France Inter. She acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by students and assured that the government would continue to support associations that assist students in need.
Regarding the promised structural reform to help students, Retailleau stated that a scholarship reform, taking into account issues related to inflation, had been announced. She highlighted that the increase in back-to-school costs mentioned by FAGE was due to inflation and emphasised that the government had allocated half a billion euros for the current academic year, including a historic increase in scholarship amounts, ranging from a minimum of 37 euros to 127 euros. Retailleau stated that work had been conducted throughout 2023 with student representative organisations to prepare broader scholarship reforms, which would be announced at the start of the academic year.
Take the city of Avignon, for example. Students face a significant increase in their back-to-school costs. According to a study conducted by Inter’asso, a federation representing students in Avignon, the student back-to-school expense indicator has increased by 9.15% compared to the previous year. This marks the ninth consecutive year of rising costs, with the study focusing on the expenses of a 20-year-old student enrolled in a bachelor’s degree, without a scholarship and not living with their parents.
According to the calculations made, a student in Avignon will need to spend over 3,000 euros for their back-to-school period. This includes expenses such as university registration fees, school books, phone plan, housing, and health insurance. Paola Capelleman, president of Inter’asso in Avignon, points out that while some costs remain stable, daily living expenses have alarmingly increased by 43%. Consequently, there is concern about an increase in student debt.
In response to the rising costs, Inter’asso advocates measures to ease the financial burden on students. They are calling for free access to the C3 bus line in Avignon, which serves the university campus, as well as the implementation of rent control. Nationally, students are also demanding an increase in scholarship amounts to better support their studies. As the cost of education continues to rise, finding solutions to alleviate the financial burden on students has become an urgent issue in Avignon and across the country.
Moreover, in light of a decrease in the number of doctoral students in 2022, partly due to the pandemic and the impact of the research programming law, Retailleau highlighted efforts made to increase the number of doctoral theses, offer more doctoral contracts, and raise doctoral student salaries to reach 2,300 euros per month. She also mentioned the creation of 400 junior professor positions in 2023.
In conclusion, the cost of the student back-to-school period is experiencing a significant increase, with a rise of 9.15% compared to the previous year. Students face growing financial pressure due to rising costs of daily living, notably housing, transport, and everyday expenses. As student debt becomes a growing concern, organisations like Inter’asso are advocating for measures such as free public transport and rent control to ease the financial burden on students. The need to address these challenges and ensure access to affordable education remains a crucial priority for local and national authorities.
Ewang Cynthia Community Manager Internal
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