She also proposes in parallel to scrap the €1 meals for all students and return to the previous situation: €1 for scholarship holders and €3.30 for others, while the cost price is €10.60 per meal. She is targeting around 35,000 additional scholarship holders, a goal the government had set itself. A 2023 scholarship reform, supposed to broaden the number of beneficiaries, instead led to a slight decline.
The Senate finance committee adopted Wednesday morning, by a right and center majority and against the left’s opinion, the appropriations for the Research and Higher Education mission. Aube senator Vanina Paoli-Gagin (various right) defends there a “drawer” reform of scholarships and tuition fees.
For a household with a reference tax income of €50,000 per year, fees would amount to €750 for a bachelor’s degree (+321%) and €1,000 (+292%) for a master’s. For €100,000 per year, €1,500 for a bachelor’s and €2,000 for a master’s.
To comply with the limits set by the Council of State, the ceiling, for the wealthiest families, is set at €3,900 in tuition fees, for a family earning €186,900 in annual income for a bachelor’s degree and €249,200 for a master’s year.
This increase would free up €600 million in total, more than the missing €200 million. She also proposes to return an additional €400 million to university operating budgets, while all have voted an initial budget in bankruptcy for 2026.
Fees are currently €178 per year for a bachelor’s degree and €255 for a master’s. After the reform, they could approach €4,000 for the wealthiest.