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- School and Education Information - France

 School grants 2009/10    Article posted by FRENCH INFO

French School Grants for 2009/10

Tuesday 01 September 2009

If you have children of school age in France, then you may be able to benefit from one or more school grants.

While all of these grants are means tested, the basic ‘Return to School’ grant (Allocation Rentrée Scolaire) has generous income thresholds.

There are also other specific grants for attendance at French secondary and upper secondary school, although they are not particularly generous.

As well as the main grants distributed on a national basis there are also local grants and loans that are distributed by the schools and by the local councils.You can read more in our comprehensive Guide to French School Grants.

French School Education Grants

There are a range of school grants available to families on a means-tested basis.

The main forms and sources of assistance are as follows:

1.               Return to School Grant

2.               Collège Grant

3.               Lycée Grants

4.               Lycée Merit Grants

5.               Adaptation (Disabled) Grants

6.               School Social Grants

7.               Local Council Grants

Return to School Grant - Allocation Rentrée Scolaire

The basic 'return to school' grant is called Allocation Rentrée Scolaire.

 Qualifying Rules

This is a grant available at the start of each school year (la rentrée), to help meet return to school costs, e.g. clothing, stationery.

It is payable to each child between the ages of 6 and 18 years attending school, or apprenticeship training.

Although means tested, the grant is generous in its test of resources.

The maximum income level for eligibility depends on the number of dependant children. The thresholds for 2009/10 are as follows:


Table: Income Thresholds

For the school year 2009/10 the reference period for assessing your household income is the calendar year 2007, as advised on your French tax notice for 2008!

Your ‘income’ is your net income as determined by the tax authority on your tax return, after deduction of eligible allowances - your revenu fiscal de référence.

If you have yet to make a tax return in France then you will need to produce details of your income from your home country, including your tax notice.

Cash Benefit

The amount of the grant for the academic year 2009/10 varies according to the age of the child. For children aged 6-10 years the sum is €280; for those 11-14 it is €296; for those aged 15-18 years it is €306.

Application Procedure

The ARS is paid out by the Caisse nationale des allocations familiales (CAF), a local office of which will be in your département.

You can also download an application form at ARS Application.