Cost of university continues to rise

A STUDENT MOVING TO PARIS WILL SPEND ON AVERAGE €3,000 GETTING SETTLED IN THEIR FIRST MONTH, ACCORDING TO UNION RESEARCH STUDENT unions have warned that the rising cost of starting

university is forcing some people to think twice – especially in the capital. France’s two biggest student unions have both published data on the cost of the _rentrée_ for those starting uni

this year. According to Fage, September is the most expensive month in the university year, with the average student spending €3,054 travelling to campus, finding and moving into a flat and

buying food and academic supplies. This is up 3% on last year nationwide, and 4.1% in Paris. Students in the capital will have to spend €586 a month on average to have a roof over their

heads, up almost 10% on last year according to the research. Other rises on last year include the cost of uni canteen food (up 1.2%), social security contributions (1.5%) and university

registration fees (up €30 over the past six years). Union president Claire Guichet said: “We thought that with the economic crisis the cost of starting university would drop or remain

stable, but nothing of the sort happened. “It has become very difficult for someone who is not eligible to financial help to move to Paris for their studies. A lot of people are put off.

“Students are competing with young professionals for the studios and one-bedroom flats. It’s become especially hard work in the Ile-de-France and around Lyon and Toulouse.” Student union

Unef, which claims to be France’s biggest, is calling for the size of housing benefit and university grants to be re-evaluated. Its own figures put the overall price rise at 3.2% compared

with last year, with rents up 8.3% in Paris and 3.3% elsewhere.