#2026-385Fee Exemptions for Foreign Students in French Public Universities
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This decree changes how foreign students can be exempted from enrollment fees at French public higher education institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education. Students covered by reciprocal agreements with foreign institutions, or by European or international mobility programs that provide the same fee waiver effect, are automatically exempt under conditions to be set by ministerial order. It also lets university presidents grant full or partial fee exemptions to students who apply because of their personal situation, especially their financial resources. Separate rules apply for EU, EEA, Swiss and certain resident-card holders, and for other foreign students, with each group capped at 20% of the relevant enrolled student population, excluding students already covered by automatic exemptions.
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Key Changes
- Creates automatic fee exemptions for foreign students covered by reciprocal agreements or qualifying European or international mobility programs.
- Allows university presidents to grant full or partial fee exemptions based on students’ personal and financial circumstances.
- Sets a 20% cap on discretionary exemptions for each relevant student category and requires an annual report to the institution’s board.
Obligations
What this law requires
Public higher education institutions must automatically exempt foreign students from enrollment fees when they are covered by an agreement with a foreign institution that grants French students an equivalent fee exemption, or by a European or international mobility program with the same fee-waiver effect, under reciprocity conditions set by ministerial order.
The president of a public higher education institution may grant full or partial enrollment-fee exemptions to eligible students who request an exemption because of their personal situation, especially their financial resources.
Fee exemptions granted to EU, EEA, Swiss nationals and specified EU/EEA/Swiss family-member or resident-card holders must not benefit more than 20% of students in that category enrolled at the institution, excluding students already covered by automatic exemptions under articles R. 719-49 and R. 719-49-1.
Fee exemptions granted to foreign students outside the EU/EEA/Swiss and specified resident-card categories must not benefit more than 20% of students in that category enrolled at the institution, excluding students already covered by automatic exemptions under articles R. 719-49 and R. 719-49-1.
Each public higher education institution must present an annual report to its board of directors summarizing the enrollment-fee exemptions granted on the basis of students’ personal situations under article R. 719-50.