The effects of the health crisis are not behind them. At the height of the pandemic, the images of students in food distributions had marked the spirits. If economic activity has picked up in recent months in France, the financial situation of many students has not improved, as observed by Dominique Laureau, spokesperson for the Linkee association, which organizes food distributions. for students: “We have 20 distribution locations throughout Ile-de-France and we offer between 150,000 and 200,000 meals to students each month. But that is not enough, because since the start of the school year, we have more requests than in June. We will therefore be opening new distribution locations soon ”.
The same observation was made by Paul Mayaux, president of Fage: “We are registering a higher demand for registrations from students wishing to benefit from our solidarity grocery stores this fall. Example in Valenciennes: the solidarity grocery store registered a hundred beneficiaries before the health crisis. At the start of the school year, it must respond to 500 registration requests ”. This subject of student insecurity should also be discussed this Thursday at the press conference of the Minister of Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal.
Less income and family support
Several factors explain the poor finances of many students. First, family solidarity plays less of the role of a bulwark than before the health crisis: “Many parents have suffered loss of income since the Covid-19 crisis and can help their children less”, confirms Paul Mayaux.
And even if the source of student jobs, which had completely dried up at the height of the health crisis, is flowing again, it is not sufficient, observes Dominique Laureau: “There are, for example, fewer offers. babysitting or tutoring than before, because parents telework more. In addition, many students have accumulated debts for two years because they could not find a job ”.
Not enough student accommodation
The first victims of this student precariousness are “the young people of the lower middle class, those who are not entitled to scholarships”, underlines Mélanie Luce, president of the UNEF. Especially since the extension of the meal plan to 1 euro to non-scholarship students, decided in January 2021, is canceled at this start of the school year. “This contributes to the fact that the cost of student living will increase by 2.5% this year compared to 2020,” says Mélanie Luce. The UNEF also launched a petition in July to demand the return of this meal at 1 euro for all non-scholarship students. “She has already collected 23,000 signatures”, continues the president of the student union.
In many university towns, rents have risen further and students are finding it difficult to find accommodation. “The average cost of housing is 500 euros per month in the region and 674 euros in Ile-de-France,” says Paul Mayaux. And places in university residences are still too rare, according to him: “There are 700,000 scholarship students and only 175,000 Crous housing units. And demand has further increased with the rising demographic of students, ”he continues. Mélanie Luce also deplores this lack of places in university residences: “For the time being, 40,000 student accommodation have been built, while the government had promised 60,000 over the five-year term”.
The stock market reform still not engaged
As for scholarships, student organizations are unanimous: their amount is not sufficient and they do not benefit enough students. Even if the Ministry of Education has revalued them by 1% this year and has frozen registration fees. “Jean Castex had promised a reform of the stock exchanges for September 2021, but it did not take place. It should be remembered that 74% of students do not have access to it. Ditto for emergency aid of 150 euros promised to precarious students last January, which has never been paid ”, criticizes Mélanie Luce.
“We must also set up a one-stop shop to avoid non-recourse to social assistance, which is a scourge. The government has increased emergency aid during the health crisis, but many students do not ask for it because they do not know that it exists, ”recommends Paul Mayaux. La Fage also advocates the establishment of a student back-to-school allowance (ARE) in the amount of 275 euros. Demands that should impose student social policy as a subject for the end of the five-year term for the government, and as a campaign theme for presidential candidates.