An ever more expensive return, driven by inflation. The start of the 2023 academic year will cost more than 3,000 euros on average per student, a historic level, is alarmed this Wednesday by Fage (Federation of general student associations), which publishes its indicator of the cost of the start of the academic year.
“The finding is more than worrying” denounces the federation, which estimates that the start of the 2023 academic year will cost 3,024 euros per student, against 2,889 euros the previous year (according to the new calculation methodology applied in 2023).
Rising rents and food costs
“This historic development is mainly due to the impact of the social and geopolitical crisis which results in record inflation”, notes the student organization. On Monday, the student union Unef had published its own assessment, which provided for an increase in the cost of student living of 6.47% for the year 2023-2024, i.e. a necessary additional budget of 49.56 euros per month.
Published each year, the Fage indicator estimates the cost of the start of the school year for a typical 20-year-old university student, non-scholarship holder. This year, its increase is driven by that of “everyday living expenses”, in particular that of rents, “first expense item” for students (+8.95% compared to the previous academic year) and food ( +15.24%).
However, “the aid dedicated to students on these expenditure items does not allow them to cope with the increase in costs”, underlines Fage, who notes that the revaluation of APL (+1.6% in April) is in below the soaring rents. Asked Wednesday morning about France InterMinister of Higher Education Sylvie Retailleau acknowledged these difficulties linked to inflation.