Paris (AFP)
The cost of back to university is up nearly 2% this year and prevents "a real democratization" of access to higher education, says the student federation la Fage in a study published Sunday.
According to the annual barometer of the first student union, the increase is 1.96% compared to last year due in particular to the sharp rise (+ 2.73%) of "current costs" (housing, food ... ).
The "specific" fees for the start of the academic year (purchase of equipment, complementary health ...) are also progressing but at a slower pace.
"The cost of the return is far too high to allow a real democratization of higher education, families of modest and average classes suffer daily," says Fage, who is concerned about the consequences for the poorest.
"Too many students are forced to pay during their studies, to give up care, leisure or a proper diet," says the union.
In its study, La Fage sounds the alarm again on the situation of new non-European students. From the beginning of the next academic year, these students will have to pay 2,770 euros for a degree and 3,770 euros for a master's degree, which is 15 to 16 times higher than for their European counterparts.
Several universities have indicated that they will not apply this controversial increase that Fage deems "unfair, inconsistent, unnecessary and discriminatory".
"It's not up to students to contribute to the underfunding of higher education by the state," says the union.
In a survey released Friday, the UNF-the second student union-had already denounced the cost of university life, ensuring that it was up 2.8% this year.
© 2019 AFP