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Life cost & housing
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I) Budget
A monthly budget of 600€ is suggested. Less than 400€/month is a really risky project.
Bus transportation is free for student provided that you pay once a 20€ registration fees. Cf "PassAndGo" Here
Eating at the Crous restaurant is 3.30€. Link.
NB : There is a procedure to be entitled to the CROUS meal at €1. Note that this fare is granted by a committee based on a financial assessment of your situation by the CROUS. It can only be done once in France, and delays should be expected.
For students who are part of an exchange program, there are no tuition fees. However, as in any French university or engineering school, you will need to pay for the CEVEC once (103€ for year 2025) to be able to register.
Cost breakdown:
- Cheaper CROUS Housing : 217€/month - 28€ from APL = 189€/month
- Food : 3.3€ for 1 meal at crous x 30 days = 99 € + 150€ for breakfast & evening & weekend
- Phone : 20€/month
- Clothes, books, etc : 50€ / month
- Student life : 50€ / month
Total : 558€ / month
II) Housing
Once accepted, the INSA will help you with the booking process, do not worry. There are 2 main options: rent a room in CROUS residence (cheaper) or by the private sector (potentially better but more expensive).
You can request social aid through CAF/APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement), a French government financial assistance program that helps students and low-income individuals reduce their rent. You can expect around ~€20 if you rent a room in the CROUS residence, with more aid available in the private sector. Here you can get a simulation of the financial aid depending on your situation.
This financial aid can only be requested once you have signed the contract and are in the room (you cannot fill out the request form beforehand).
a) CROUS residences
There are 2 CROUS residences located very close to the campus.
- Résidence Marmottan Link
This residence is located on the campus, nearby the tramway terminus.
The rent is about 341€/month (actual price needs to be checked on the CROUS website)
- Résidence Jules Mousseron Link
The residence is in front of the campus, nearby the tramway stations.
The rent starts at 217€/month (actual price needs to be checked on the CROUS website)
b) Private sector
There are many options available in the private sector. The rents starts at ~400€/month. It is very likely that you have to pay for electricity & heating. Internet and water may be included or not, etc.
Some private residences are especially suited for students.
The university has a partnership with Studapart to help you to find somewhere to live: Link
III) Joint Guarantee: Visale
Regardless of whether you choose CROUS or the private sector, you will need to provide a joint guarantee and possibly a deposit. A joint guarantor, typically a parent or guardian, agrees to pay the rent if you are unable to do so.
Visale is a state-backed guarantor specifically for students, managed by the French government.
Money issues
Hopefully, you should not need this section. If you need this section before being in France, then I suggest to contact S. Delprat (sebastien.delprat@uphf.fr, or whatsapp) to discuss your situation and investigate the feasability of your mobility project.
You need to carefully plan your budget before planning your mobility. Unfortunately, you are very likely to be ineligible to many of the french social programs (e.g. CROUS aid is only available for people who have previously stay for 2 years in France).
This webpage gathers usefull information : Here
However, in case of financial troubles, here are some tips:
- Once in France, you can ask an appointment here and an officer will investigate your financial situation
- AGORAé : a social grocery store with very low prices.
- Resto du Coeur: it is a charity program that may offers some food/groceries. Note that this is subject to registration.
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