Scholarships and Financial Assistance

Means-tested Scholarships

For Whom ?

As a studentof La Rochelle University enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree, you may be entitled to an allowance.

For your 1st application (September 1st of the year of study), you are eligible if you are under 28 years old. In 2018, the application must be made online between January 15 and May 31. NB: the application should be made even before you have the results of your exams.If you are over 28, you can continue to receive your allowance until you finish your studies.

Note :

• From the start of the 2018 academic year, a special allowance will be paid to students without a scholarship but who have financial resources that are just above the means test threshold.
• If you are not eligible for a scholarship based on the means test, you may, under certain conditions, claim for an emergency annual allowance.

To calculate the potential amount of your allowance, you can use the CROUS simulator.
If you are a disabled student, there is no age requirement.

The conditions taken into account for the scholarship

• Parent’s Income
• Number of Children
• The distance between your home and your place of study

Benefits

• exemption from registration fees
• Priority for student accommodation(CROUS)

How do I apply?

To apply for a scholarship or for accommodation in a university hall of residence, you should fill in the “Dossier Social Etudiant” (DSE – Student Social Form). This application must be renewedeach year.

Apply online (Poitiers Academy)

How are the scholarships paid?

Scholarships are paid in 10 monthly installments. Payment takes into account progress in your studies, and your attendance at classes and exams.

Merit-based Allowance

This is a complement to the means-tested scholarship. It is only available to secondaryschool students who obtain a baccalaureate with an excellent average grade. Your demand is automatically taken into account in the DSE (Dossier Social Etudiant).

Note : These allowances are awarded 3 times maximum,

You can apply for student accommodation even if you do not have a scholarship.

Scholarships for foreign students

• If you are a European student (European Union, European Economic Area, Switzerland)
• If you are a student from another country

International Exchange Allowance

Specific allowances can be provided to respond to particular demands: proof that you are estranged (lack of material support from your parents), there is a family breakdown, mature students over 28 (means tested) etc. The funding may be provided as an annual allowance or one-off payment. The conditions and the application procedures are the same as for the means-tested scholarships.

Note : these allowances cannot be combined with means-tested scholarships, but they can be combined with international exchange assistance and merit support.

Student loans guaranteed by the State

A loan can be provided to all students “without conditions of resources and without a parental or third-party guarantee” (étudiant.gouv.fr). You need to be under 28 on the date when the loan is signed. Repayment can be delayed for 2 years after the end of your studies, once you enter working life. The maximum amount is € 15,000.

For more information, there is a page devoted to these questions on the official student.gouv.fr site.

This list is not exhaustive. For more information consult the “portaldes demarches et des services de la vie étudiante” (the official website of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research) and the CROUS website.