He has no savings. And what’s more, by the end of August, Damien (his name has been changed) no longer has any money in his bank account. “I usually start restricting myself between the 15th and 20th of the month”He admits. At 21 years old, the management student is starting this year of Master 1 at Iscod – a private school outside of Parcoursup, 100% online – like the previous ones: in the red.
It was worse: when he was on a scholarship at university – and received 500 euros a month – the young man could not afford any social life, any outings. “I didn’t live apart from my job and I was lucky enough to stay with my grandmother”He explains. Since he became an apprentice a year ago, his income has increased (755 euros a month), but so have his expenses because he left his grandmother’s apartment to move in with his girlfriend. and if you work and study, you have to pay the full price for your lunch, since you can no longer eat at the U restaurant.
Damien cannot count on the help of his mother, who has been unemployed for a year, or his father, with whom he is not close. To earn a little more than his work-study salary, he does administrative work, paid by the hour, in a doctor’s office, for between 100 and 200 euros a month. “I have two jobs, long weeks, so obviously it has an impact on my studies.”the young man recognizes by whom “The most difficult thing is on a moral level: I know it’s stupid, but I tend to think that I’m worth less than others”The hope for this year is to increase his income as an apprentice to 930 euros per month since he is over 21 years old. A boost that, however, could go unnoticed.
Increase in current costs
According to the student union National Union of Students of France, which calculates the cost of living for students every year, the 2024 academic year promises to be 2.25% more expensive than the 2023 academic year. Specifically, the union estimates that a student will have to find almost 500 extra euros per year to cover current expenses: housing, utilities, food, transportation, etc.
The Federation of General Student Associations (FAGE) has also made the same observation, estimating the cost of returning to school at 3,157 euros for a bachelor’s student who no longer lives with his parents. It points to an increase in current costs (+1.28% in total, including +3.5% for rents for Crous university residences) and, in particular, in the costs specific to the start of the school year (+3.79%): +2.94% for registration fees, after four years of freezing, +3% for the contribution to student and university life.
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