Will the € 90 student contribution be well spent on campus life?

Since this year, students have to pay € 90 of contribution student life and campus (CVEC) to enroll in higher education. A sum that must be used to finance health, sports, cultural and social projects on campus ... The destination of the entire amount raised has been debated this week.

This is a novelty since this year: the contribution student life and campus (CVEC). To enroll in higher education, students had to pay an additional € 90 to be allocated to improving campus life. A novelty, not always understood by students, but which has in any case crystallized the debates in recent days.

After the presentation of the finance bill, the conference of university presidents and student associations have indeed raised that all the money collected from students would not go to campus life but some would contribute to the repayment of the debt public. The government reassures and says that will not be the case. Gérald Darmanain, Minister of Action and Public Accounts assured it before the National Assembly and Frédérique Vidal was also questioned on the subject during a hearing in the Senate Wednesday, October 23.

What is CVEC?

The contribution student life and campus (CVEC) is set up for the first time this year in this form. Voted by the deputies in December 2017 and registered in the ORE law, this fee must make it possible to finance health, sports or cultural projects on campuses. For this, a contribution of € 90 was requested from students at the time of their enrollment in higher education. One way "to improve living conditions on campuses" indicates the Ministry of Higher Education. The money can be used for short or long-term projects such as building a gymnasium.

@studiantgouv Could you tell us who is involved in CVEC? Being a student in a high school, I was told to pay for it when we do not have a campus (Student Life Contribution and Campus)
That money, so we give it to the college on which we depend?
Thank you

Four types of students are, however, exempt from the payment of this contribution: fellows or beneficiaries of an annual allowance granted under the annual specific aids, refugee students, students benefiting from subsidiary protection, students registered as asylum seekers and having the right to remain in the territory. Training courses held in high school do not have to pay. This is the case of BTS, prepas classes or accounting training in particular. It should also be noted that students who become eligible for the contribution exemption during the academic year may receive a refund. It is sufficient in this case to make the request to Crous before May 31 of the current year. Same thing for those who paid the CVEC before the results of the baccalaureate and who finally did not get the sesame.

Why is the subject debated?

The conference of university presidents but also student associations like the federation of general student associations (Fage), went up after the presentation of the draft budget law for 2019. According to them, "a significant part of this contribution already collected is not assigned to universities in the bill and will not be redistributed for student services but will feed the general budget of the state, " says the Fage.

Part of the unredistributed CVE-C provides services to the student and directly to the state coffers?
It's not up to students to repay the public debt!
Insufficient investment for ESR?
The FAGE calls on the government to take its responsibilities! pic.twitter.com/dkIyYNWlWt

In clause 29 of the bill, followed by an amendment, the insertion of an allocation ceiling is indeed mentioned. It stands at 95 million euros: "The number of students enrolled for the 2018 school year makes it possible to estimate that nearly one third of the sum paid by students (over 95 million) would not be invested. in the financing of student life , continues La Fage. It is therefore several tens of millions of euros, normally signposted from this contribution, that we do not find in the Finance bill currently. Such a gap can not be tolerated by the FAGE because it is not up to the students to contribute to the repayment of the public debt. "

What does the government answer?

The question was put in the Chamber to Gérald Darmanain, Minister of Action and Public Accounts, and the Minister of Higher Education Frédérique Vidal was also questioned during her hearing in the Senate on Tuesday 23 October. "The amount of 95 million included in the draft budget law for 2019 is a provisional amount that the Government undertakes to re-evaluate during 2019 in order to guarantee, in view of the amount actually collected in 2018, that the entire CVEC product will actually benefit student and campus life, " says Frédérique Vidal.

Will the product of the new "Student Life and Campus Contribution" be partly diverted from its purpose? @GDarmanin ensures that "all revenue raised from membership fees will be paid into the student budget." # PLF2019 #directAN pic .twitter.com / 9osaojtfAy

Obviously every euro of the #CVEC will go to student life and campus life! The figure of 95M € corresponds to a provisional calculation. It will be revised in 2019 to take into account the reality. pic.twitter.com/gNGCCtci2R

"I understand the concerns but there is no particular subject , also defends Gérald Darmanain. We have to put a ceiling for 2019 but if next year, we are above 95 million, we will push back the ceiling. Frédérique Vidal assures us that "we had no idea of ​​the amounts that could be collected . The CVEC is perceived by the Crous who are in charge of using these funds. We can not do the calculation by a simple rule of three because some students are exempt, others ask. It is obviously out of the question that the Crous are asked to redo a check in the state budget. The process is not that one. It is obvious that the least euro of this contribution will go to student life and campus life. "