High cost of living
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This Wednesday, September 4, the Federation of General Student Associations published its annual indicator of the cost of going back to school. On the rise, this figure highlights a precarious youth faced with difficulties in feeding or finding housing, and the inequalities suffered by foreign students.
An ever-increasing burden. A typical 20-year-old student, enrolled in a bachelor’s degree at university and not receiving a scholarship, will have to pay 3,157 euros for this 2024 academic year, a sum that has increased by 4.4% compared to 2023, according to the Federation of General Student Associations (Fage), which is publishing its annual indicator on the cost of the academic year this Wednesday. “The start of the university year represents a considerable cost for students,” points out Fage, who sees a “almost insurmountable step” for young people. By taking into account the costs of daily life and the specific costs of returning to university, Fage paints a picture of a young person in precarious situations and facing difficulties in finding accommodation or even in feeding themselves.
According to Fage, nearly 20% of students do not have enough to eat. This is largely explained by the high cost of housing – 45% to 50% of the monthly budget, the first expense – which forces many students to reduce their food budget and “relegate essential expenditure to the rank of budgetary adjustment variable.” In a context marked by inflation, daily living expenses “will experience a 1.3% increase across the metropolitan area in 2024”notes the report. To overcome this f
