Health crisis: the French government increases support to young people

According to the government website, young people “are particularly impacted” and “many have expressed how hard they have it”. In an attempt to respond to this, “the State has deployed or reinforced an arsenal of measures” in several areas, particularly higher education.

National or international students can benefit from various types of aid listed and explained in a practical way, with direct links to access them.

Emergency assistance

The government is committed to supporting students, both financially and in terms of health. First, in the event of serious financial difficulties, students can make an appointment with the social services of the CROUS. As the government website points out, “the crisis has also affected students from middle-class families and foreign students”. The French government has therefore simplified processes to access this one-off emergency aid issued by the CROUS, which can be worth up to 500 euros.

Catering

More generally and “to reduce the expenses of all students, grant holders, non-grant holders, national and international”, the State has introduced, since 25 January, meals at 1 euro in university restaurants which students can benefit from, both for lunch and dinner. It should be noted that since the beginning of February, it has been possible to eat on the spot again (for lunch), in compliance with a “strict health protocol, in more than 500 catering outlets throughout the country”.

Psychological support

To break isolation to which students have been subjected since the beginning of the pandemic, “the French government has decided on a gradual return to face-to-face classes” at the rate of at least one day per week.

In addition, since February 1st, psychological support services have been offered to students. They allow students to consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist while benefiting from a free treatment programme. In addition to this “town medicine”, students can also benefit from the help of university psychological support offices (BAPU), which are open to all those who wish to seek help. These consultations, the government website points out, “are 100% covered by social security and mutual insurance companies” and “there is therefore no advance payment”. Generally speaking, for students enrolled in university, the university health services are “also a good way of getting in touch with health professionals, or even consulting them on site when possible”.

Support for everyday health

In deciding to provide access to free sanitary protection for female students, the government has taken the measure of “the extent of this form of precariousness for female students”.  Thus, from now on, the university residences of the CROUS and the university health services will be equipped with free sanitary protection dispensers. In September 2021-2022, these dispensers will be deployed on all university campuses.

Employment subsidies

Launched last July, the “1 jeune 1 solution” plan (1 young person, 1 solution) brings together a number of solutions to help young people cope with the crisis. 

Among the measures that make up this plan, the #1jeune1solution platform provides access to job and internship offers. In February, the Prime Minister announced a strengthening of these resources with:

• access to 100,000 job offers;
• an offer of 30 000 internships, available from March 1st;

The support simulator

Integrated into the 1jeune1solution platform, a simulator is available to young people aged between 16 and 30 to access in a few minutes the support they can receive depending on their personal situation. 

This simulator complements the schemes already in place as part of the "1jeune1solution" plan.

Results of support provided to students since the crisis outbreak

The French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has published a summary of all the support provided to students since the beginning of the health crisis.

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Read the summary

© MESRI

This document recalls all the new support deployed by the government to support students, including international students, during this difficult period.