• The Covid-19 crisis has been, for public opinion, an indicator of the economic fragility that affects many students.

  • A senatorial information mission on the conditions of student life recommends overhauling the scholarship system.

  • Emmanuel Macron will make a speech next week, during which he will announce measures dedicated to young people.

    Will these suggestions inspire him?

Students lining up for food distributions. This image, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, marked the minds of the French ... and those of senators. Difficulties that affect a large number of young people, since according to the latest

Student Living Conditions 

survey 

of the Observatory of Student Life (OVE) published in January, 26% of students say they do not have enough money to cover their monthly needs.

“Our country spends 3.8 billion euros per year to finance scholarships based on social criteria and at the same time, students are registered at the Restos du cœur.

This raises the question of the effectiveness of existing aid ”, estimates Laurent Lafon, senator from Val-de-Marne (centrist Union) and rapporteur for an information mission on the conditions of student life which made its conclusions this Wednesday.

A finding that has also been made by student organizations for a long time: "When we met Emmanuel Macron a month ago, we defended the idea of ​​a reform of scholarships in 2022 to redistribute the cards", indicates

Yanis Limame, first vice-president in charge of youth policies at Fage.

In his interview with Brut this year, the president recognized flaws in the current systems: "We have an efficient stock exchange system, but there are holes in the rack".

In an interview with

20 minutes at the

end of April, the Minister of Higher Education, Frédérique Vidal, went even further: "We will therefore review the criteria for awarding scholarships, but nothing has yet been finalized."

"A lot of students from the lower middle class don't get anything"

In the meantime, the Senate already has some ideas to suggest to the government. First of all, not to skimp on the budgetary envelope in the years to come, and even to increase the amount of scholarships, despite the coming decrease in the student population for demographic reasons. Because out of 2.7 million students in 2020-2021, "only" 750,000 receive a scholarship. "The threshold effects penalize the middle classes," says Laurent Lafon, who suggests allowing more students to benefit from a zero-level scholarship.

An idea approved by Yanis Limame: “Many students from the lower middle class do not receive anything, while with the coronavirus crisis and its economic consequences, their parents can no longer help them.

The number of scholarship holders should therefore be increased by at least 250,000 ”, he estimates.

The remainder rather than the income of the parents

Another observation of the Senate: "At the present time, the notion of the remainder of the charge, that is to say the difference between their constrained expenses (rent, transport, insurance, etc.) and their resources (family aid, income…) does not exist in the calculation of scholarships.

However, we do not end the month in the same way if we have a rent of 300 or 800 euros, ”says Laurent Lafon.

On the basis of this principle, the senators recommend the creation of a system of decentralized scholarships in the universities inspired by the German model: "The remainder payable by the student would be taken into account and no longer the parents' income, so that the amount of his scholarship is readjusted ”, explains Pierre Ouzoulias, president of the mission and senator of Hauts-de-Seine.

Yes, answers Yanis Limame: “We are completely in favor of taking into account the fixed costs of the student to adapt the grants.

We must also change the calculation system to no longer take into account the income of parents when they do not help their child, ”he insists.

"He has all the cards in his hands to reform the stock markets between now and the presidential election.

The situation of salaried students is also a problem: "Today, 8% of students exercise a paid activity which is often incompatible with their academic success", underlines Laurent Lafon. The Senate suggests that their situation be better taken into account: "It is necessary to establish a personalized follow-up of these students, in order to grant them additional aid", estimates the senator. “La Fage is in line with this idea. We must make the schedules of salaried students more flexible, allow them to take evening classes, assign them an educational advisor, but also support them financially to allow them not to work more than 15 hours per week ”, recommends Yanis. Limame.

It remains to be seen what the government will do with this report.

Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak next week and make announcements concerning youth.

"He has all the cards in hand to reform the stock markets between now and the presidential election," said Yanis Limame.

A measure that would necessarily appeal to students, who are potential young voters.

And the most difficult to capture.

Politics

Is Emmanuel Macron's operation to seduce young people effective?

Society

Parcoursup: What are the training courses most requested by candidates this year?

  • stock Exchange

  • Education

  • Student

  • Higher Education

  • Society