Student: scholarship on social criteria
Verified 02 February 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You are a student (or are going to be a student) and meet material difficulties to pursue higher education? You can request a higher education grant on social criteria (BCS)). Please note that the scholarship complements family support and does not replace maintenance obligations at the parents' expense. We present you with the information you need to know.
There's several conditions related to education, age, degree, nationality and resources.
Studies
You must complete all of the following conditions :
- You are enrolled in initial training in France or in another country of the European Union
- The institution is a public or private educational institution eligible to receive fellows
- You're in graduate school full-time.
Warning
if you are not eligible for the scholarship, you may, subject to conditions, annual emergency aid.
Age
You must have under 28 during your 1re scholarship application (as of 1er September of the year of study).
From the age of 28, you must continue your studies to continue receiving the scholarship.
This age limit may be postponed if you are one of the following:
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Volunteering in the military
You are performing a military volunteering : the age limit of 28 years is reduced by 1 year.
Civic service
You perform civic service: the age limit of 28 years is lowered until the end of civic service.
Student parent of child
The age limit is reduced by 1 year per child raised.
Disabled student
If you are recognized as disabled by CDAPH: titleContentThere are no age requirements.
Diplomas
You must have a French baccalaureate (or a diploma/diploma admitted in equivalency or dispensation for enrollment in 1re graduate year).
Nationality
Additional conditions are required if you are not French.
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European student
If you are a citizen of a country of the European Economic Area, or if you are Swiss or Andorran, you must respond to one of the following conditions :
- Have held a full or part-time job in France, as an employee or not
- Justify that one of your parents received income in France.
Foreigner student (other country)
You must have the 3 conditions following:
- Have a residence permit
- Be domiciled in France for at least 2 years
- Proof of a tax home in France for at least 2 years
Refugee or under protection (Ofpra)
You must have refugee status recognized by theOfpra: titleContent or benefit from the subsidiary protection granted by Ofpra.
Resources
To qualify for the scholarship, your income must not exceed a certain limit.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, the revenues withheld are those collected in 2022 (2023 tax advisory) by the family or legal guardian.
The income taken into account is shown in the line total gross income the notice of taxation or non-taxation.
You can calculate your grant entitlement with a simulator:
Student: calculate your grant entitlement based on social criteria
If you are married, past, have a child for tax purposes, your only resources (or those of the tax household to which you are attached) may be withheld.
In exceptional cases, 2023 (or even 2024) revenues can be taken into account.
Special provisions are provided for in the following situations:
- Lone parent
- Separation, divorce, remarriage or common-law partnership of the parents
- Parent living or working abroad
- Foreigner students
You can prepare the necessary documents for your student social record (FSD) before completing it.
Please note
you have to do the process regardless of your nationality.
Filing of the application
You need to build your Student Social Record (SSR) online to apply for a scholarship.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, you must enter your application between 1er march and may 31, 2024.
In case of significant and lasting change your situation (marriage, divorce) or that of your family (divorce, death, unemployment, retirement, illness), your file can be studied even outside these deadlines. Then contact the DSE of the Academy's Crous where you are (or will be) attending school.
Request Validation
At the end of entering your FSD, you will receive an email confirming the submission of your application.
If your file is incomplete, an email is also sent. You will then need to deposit the missing documents by logging into your account.
Decision on conditional notification of award of the grant
You will receive, by email, a conditional notification of award or rejection of the grant, at the latest in July.
The final award or rejection decision will be notified only after you enroll in the university.
To do so, send the evidence proving your enrollment in a higher education institution to the Crous.
Final decision on the award of the fellowship
The final award decision must contain the reasons if it is less favorable than the conditional decision.
Reasons must also be given for any refusal to award grants, withdrawals or reductions in grants.
These decisions must indicate the means and time limits of appeal (administrative and litigation).
Please note
if your situation changes significantly and permanently, the file can be reviewed. Then contact your Crous.
Appeals
To challenge the decision of the Crous, send a ex gratia appeal to the rector of the academy.
Who shall I contact
If you have not been satisfied, address a hierarchical appeal to the Minister for Higher Education, obligatory through the rector of the academy.
You can also bring a legal action before the administrative court within the jurisdiction of your academy within 2 months of the initial notification of refusal.
Who shall I contact
The scholarship on social criteria includes 8 grant steps (0 bis to 7), each corresponds to an annual amount of grant.
The scholarship is paid to the student in 10 monthly installments, unless enjoy during the summer holidays.
Warning
The grant amounts for the 2024-2025 academic year are not yet known.
Step | Annual amount |
|---|---|
0a | €1,454 |
1 | €2,163 |
2 | €3,071 |
3 | €3,828 |
4 | €4,587 |
5 | €5,212 |
6 | €5,506 |
7 | €6,335 |
FYI
If you are studying in overseas, the annual amounts indicated shall be increased by €300.
You can calculate your grant entitlement:
Student: calculate your grant entitlement based on social criteria
The scholarship is paid in 10 monthly installments and may be paid under conditions during the summer holidays.
You can receive the scholarship on social criteria during 7 years. Maintenance depends on progression through studies, attendance at classes, and presence at exams.
Student: calculate your grant entitlement based on social criteria
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Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation