L’Unf condemns rising cost of living for students under Macron

Complicated start for some students? The student budget has been hit hard by the reforms of Emmanuel Macron’s government, while the cost of student life is expected to increase at the start of the 2021 school year, according to the union’s annual survey.
a and Posted Sunday.

Loss of 40 euros in aid

The union estimates at €40 “the money students have lost every year in direct aid since Emmanuel Macron came to power in 2017,” while the cost of student life rose by 10% over the same period.

In question, “nearly €41.2 million in budget cuts” in direct student aid between 2017 and 2019, according to UNEF calculations.

By way of comparison, the report cites the impact of the previous two presidential terms on the student budget: +45 euros per student and per year for Nicolas Sarkozy and +92 euros per year for François Hollande’s budget.

In addition to the drop in direct student aid, the UNEF also condemns the “multiple attacks on the amount of APL” (personal housing assistance), citing Reform implemented since January 2021 Which modifies their calculation method.

Due to the health crisis, in 2020 the government took measures to combat student insecurity, such as freezing university fees, and renewing them with the start of the 2021 school year.

device extension Meals at €1 for non-scholarship students, scheduled for January 2021, will be deleted in September.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, UNEF expects an average increase in the cost of living for students of 2.5% compared to 2020, or €247 per year. “This increase is mainly due to the increase in rents in the provinces and the suburbs of Paris,” the report explained. Housing remains the number one spending component for students.

UNEF’s proposals

To combat student insecurity, UNEF is calling for a reform of the scholarship system to increase its size, increase the number of beneficiaries and integrate foreign students. The federation also calls for the creation of an “independence bonus for every young person under training, without a requirement of resources”.