The Student Room Group

Year Abroad France Funding?

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(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by louderthanlove
Hi, I have done a bit of searching online about this and cannot seem to find a conclusive answer. I am currently in my first year of a 4 year French degree, in which the 3rd year must be spent abroad. I was wondering what the maintenance loan you receive for your year abroad is like, compared to the normal loan received for university in England. And also, does the Erasmus grant help a lot too? (I intend to study at a university in France, so hopefully I qualify for Erasmus). To give some background, I currently receive just over a £7000 maintenance for living in London, and the maximum loan is £11000. I would love to be able to speak to someone who has already completed/is just about to go on a year abroad to France, as I am interested in knowing if you found it difficult financially, or if you were better off than you are in England? Thanks in advance.


Hi,

The maintenance loan is less than the loan for London (but more than the loan for studying in the rest of England).
For 2016/17 the maximum maintenance loan for studying abroad was £9391.

Studying in France at an approved partner university should qualify you for Erasmus. Grant amounts change from year to year but study in France currently gets around 300 euros per month. Please note however that your British university will decide how they pay you this month - my uni paid in two instalments, 70% after arrival and submission or arrival documents, and 30% after leaving and submitting leaving documents. So bear in mind that you likely won't have this money before you leave. And there is a chance of payments being delayed if your uni hasn't received the funding, so try not to be reliant on it!

As for whether you'll struggle - it'll really depend on where you go in France. Places like Paris will obviously be a lot more expensive. So take that into account when you choose your options. Another big thing to consider is accommodation as you might not be given university accommodation.

You might also be eligible for CAF - a French rental assistance benefit:
http://www.blog.parisunraveled.com/how-to-apply-for-rental-assistance-caf-in-france/
French bureaucracy can be a nightmare but I do know students who've gotten this in the past.

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