By Our Special Correspondent
DO IT IN FRENCH…
France has become one of the most popular educational destinations in the world with nearly 300,000 foreign students. Relatively low tuition fees and the chance to live in France are certainly appealing.
France certainly has a strong intellectual tradition, and whether it is to improve your French, for the richness of cultural activities, or just to try something different, there is a range of options for international students.
Higher education is quite cheap and affordable as all the public universities and some of the private universities are government-funded. The French Ministry of Education regulates all the educational programmes of these institutions. As compared to the UK or the US, where educational cost can easily give you nightmares, France can provide educational degrees at unbelievably low tuition fees of 180 Euros a year for a first degree. A large majority of higher education institutions in France are state-funded, meaning there is only a nominal tuition fee of around €200-€400 a year, depending on the level of studies.
Many business schools, however, are privately owned, and tuition fees for non-EU students can exceed €15,000 ($19,750) a year. Under the French higher education system, anyone who has obtained their baccalaureate, or secondary school certificate, is entitled to enroll at a public university, but there are often competitive examinations at the end of first year for a limited number of places in the second year.
The French academic year corresponds roughly with most other Northern Hemisphere academic calendars. The autumn semester usually begins in late September, followed by a spring semester starting in early February. In addition to holidays around Christmas and New Year, some universities may have a spring ‘Day (November1) and Easter. Examinations are normally at the end of each semester, and there are usually three months of holidays in summer, running from the beginning of July to the end of September.
Applying for a university visa
How you go about choosing a university programme in France will depend on where you are from. Anyone from an EU or European Economic Area member state will not need a visa to study, and can apply directly to the university or graduate school of one’s choice. Otherwise, you will need a student visa. You can get one either at a French consulate or via Campus France.
Language level
Many universities now offer either bilingual programmes or programmes taught entirely in English, which is of particular appeal to those wanting to learn or improve their French while specializing in another academic discipline.
However, if you decide to undertake a degree programme taught in French, you will need to have at least an intermediate-level of French. Many universities require the B2 (intermediate) certificate in the Diplome d’Etudes en Langue Francoise (DELF) or sometimes the C1 (advanced) certificate, (the Diplome Approfondi de Langue Francoise or DALF), depending on the course. Find out more about French language courses at the CIEP website.
Cost of living, housing
The cost of living in France is similar to other countries in Europe, but Paris, which is the most popular destination for students, can be very expensive, and it can be extremely difficult to find housing. There is often a crazy scramble for accommodation just before the beginning of each academic year in early October.
You can find more information about living in dormitories funded by the national student welfare office, the CNOUS.
Financial aid, working
Students whoseuniversities are part of the Erasmus programme can apply for the scheme through their universities. While the scheme is largely limited to universities in the EU, there are a number of non-EU universities which are also involved.
Means-based rental assistance is available to anyone with a valid French visa or Carte de Sejour (residency permit), including non-EU citizens, and are managed by the Caisses d’Allocations Familiales (CAF).
Students are legally allowed to work up to 19.5 hours a week during the semester and full-time during the holiday period.
Non-EU citizens no longer need to apply for a separate work permit, and can work as long as they hold a valid student visa or residency card, except for Algerian students, who are covered under a separate agreement.
Students who have completed a Master’s are also eligible to apply for a six-month temporary work permit to allow them to find a job after their studies, but this provision was recently tightened, and many applications were refused.
Prominent higher education institutions in France
. Agro Paris Tech
. American Graduate School in Paris
. American University of Paris
. Artois University
. Arts et Metiers Paris Tech
. Audencia School of Management
. BEM Bordeaux Management School
. Blaise Pascal University
. Centre d’Etudes Diplomatiques et Strategiques, Paris
. Cergy-Pontoise University