A back-to-school period undermined by rising prices
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Every year, a black cloud appears during the students’ summer holidays. September is approaching, and the costs of schooling, housing or even transport require both putting more hands in your pockets and tightening your belts. With the current surge in living costs, student organizations are expressing their concerns as the start of the academic year approaches. In their latest surveys on the cost of student living published on Monday August 15 and Tuesday August 16, the National Union of Students of France (UNEF) and the Federation of General Student Associations (FAGE) are alarmed by a significant increase in the cost of student life. The first reports an increase of 6.47% and the second of 7.38%.
For the UNEF, this increase represents a necessary additional budget of 428.22 euros for the year, or 35.70 euros more per month. The cost of “virtually all expenditure items” increases, with the exception of that of transport because prices are stabilized by local public policies, explains the union, close to the left.
When Paul Mayaux and his colleagues at FAGE calculate, for their part, the cost of the start of the school year in September and arrive at a total of 2,527 euros, they are amazed. “It froze our bloodsays the president of the federation, it is a historic development. » The re-entry fees alone, which had experienced a slight decline at the start of the 2021 academic year, jumped by 13% this year, in particular due to a “drastic increase” the cost of supplementary health insurance (+32.21%), followed by costs related to teaching materials (+15.82%) and housing insurance (+11.83%).
Inflation above 6% in July
In terms of living expenses, accommodation still represents the largest share of the student budget and should increase by around 1 point, according to the two main student organizations. However, it is the surge in consumer prices that occupies the minds, following the curves of inflation estimated at more than 6% in July by INSEE.
In anticipation, the government has decided to revalue the personalized housing aid (APL) by 3.5% – after a uniform reduction of 5 euros per month in 2017, then a reform of their method of calculation in force since January 2021 – , as well as grants based on social criteria of 4%. The law for purchasing power adopted at the beginning of August also provides for the extension of the university restaurant ticket to 1 euro, as well as exceptional back-to-school aid of 100 euros for scholarship students and beneficiaries of the APL.
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