Tuition fees for non-European students in France: The government seeks common ground
In April, Philippe Baptiste, France's Minister of Higher Education, unveiled "Choose France For Higher Education", a flagship program designed to attract international talent. But the plan also took a tougher stance toward universities that weren't applying the tuition fee increase set out in the 2019 Bienvenue en France initiative. That plan introduced differentiated (and significantly higher) tuition fees for non-European students.
Tuition fee hike: Universities push back
The plan allows universities to adjust tuition fees for non-EU students, while capping exemptions at 10%. However, many universities have refused to apply the increase. In April 2026, the Minister of Higher Education took stock: 90% of universities were exempting non-EU/EEA students from the differentiated fees. He announced tougher rules by decree: "[...] differentiated fees are the rule, and exemption is the exception."
This is exactly where the ministry has rethought its approach. France Universités, the organization representing university leaders, firmly voiced its opposition to the stricter rules. According to the organization, such a measure would be counterproductive and would discourage non-EU students from coming to France. Citing figures from Campus France, France Universités pointed out that international students generate roughly €1.35 billion in net annual benefits for the French economy.
A more flexible new decree on tuition fees
A revised version of the decree was released on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. The new draft, more flexible than the previous one, allows universities to grant tuition fee exemptions to up to 20% of non-EU/EEA international students (compared with 10% in the first version). The change will be phased in gradually, with two transition steps: 30% exemption for the 2026-2027 academic year, then 25% for 2027-2028, and finally 20% for 2028-2029.
Under the new decree, non-European students will pay €2,895 per year for a bachelor's degree (up from €178 currently) and €3,941 per year for a master's (up from €254 currently). But the academic community remains unconvinced. On that same Tuesday, May 12, student associations and unions organized a protest against the text.
Useful links:
Campus France: studying in France
Scholarships for international students in France
