2021
Modification of the modalities for the allocation of the aide ponctuelle
Timeframe: Circular published on 28 January 2021.
Status: Circular n°2014-0016 of 8 October 2014 is amended by the circular of 28 January 2021.
Responsible authorities: Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
Reasons / Objectives: Suite à la crise sanitaire, les conditions d’attribution ainsi que les montants de l’aide ponctuelle aux étudiants sont modifiées.
Main measures adopted: The circular of 28 January 2021 specifies that, from now on, any student enrolled in an initial higher education course in France, regardless of nationality, whether or not they receive a need-based grant, may apply for punctual financial aid.
The amount of this punctual financial aid is increased from step 1 of a higher education grant on social criteria (1,707 euros) to step 2 (2,751 euros).
Funding: Unknown.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanism: Unknow.
References:MENJS : circulaire du 28 janvier 2021.
Santé psy étudiants
Timeframe: Measure announced on 10 March 2021.
Status: In force.
Responsible authorities: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
Reasons / Objectives: In the current health crisis, free psychological support is offered to students who feel the need for it.
Main measures adopted: The Santé Psy Étudiants scheme has been set up for students experiencing difficulties. The aim is to enable those who need and want to follow a care pathway and consult a psychologist free of charge.
During the health crisis, the State covers the cost of sessions with a psychologist as part of a care programme and without advance payment. The student benefits from three 45-minute sessions with this psychologist to whom he or she has been referred by a general practitioner or the University Health Service (SSU). If, at the end of these three consultations, the need to continue the support becomes apparent, the SSU or the general practitioner can renew the sessions up to three times.
Funding: Unknown.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanism: Unknown.
References:MESRI : Santé psy étudiants.
2020
Youth plan
Timeframe: Implementation at the start of the 2020 school year.
Status: in force
Responsible authorities: Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports; Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons / Objectives: More than 8 out of 10 students registered on Parcoursup have already received a proposal for admission and most of them have already completed the registration process with higher education institutions. Those who have not received an admission offer and who wish to enrol in higher education at the start of the academic year have been contacted so that they can receive a response if they so request.
Main measures adopted: The two parent ministries have jointly programmed an additional 21 500 places in higher education for new baccalaureate holders. These new places are created in different types of higher education courses: short courses, bachelor's degrees, nursing courses. There are also new places created in short vocational secondary education courses for potential reorientation.
Funding: Not specified.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: Not specified.
Hybridization of higher education courses
Timeframe: Call for projects launched in June 2020, to be implemented at the start of the 2020 academic year.
Status: In force
Responsible authorities: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons / Objectives: To develop hybridization (face-to-face and distance learning courses) of higher education training, particularly in the context of the health crisis).
Main measures adopted: Launched in June 2020 by the Ministry, the call for projects "hybridization of higher education courses" aims to provide the best possible support to higher education institutions for the start of the 2020 academic year in view of the health crisis. This call for projects, which received 69 applications (65 of which were admissible), made it possible to provide significant funding for 15 projects involving nearly 90 institutions that will strengthen the range of teaching resources available, especially in the first post-baccalaureate cycle.
The potentially difficult context of the start of the new academic year and next academic year has led the Ministry to endow 19 other projects, which are less mature than the 15 winners at present, with a seed fund of 1 million euros per project. In total, 34 projects have been recognised by the State.
These projects will make it possible to gain in agility and flexibility in a context of a particularly constraining health crisis and to strengthen teaching methods which, because they are more diverse, contribute to the success of all students.
Within the framework of “France relance", a €470bn support plan for the French economy, €35M will be used to supplement the €21M already released to finance digital development projects submitted by universities: training teachers in the use of digital tools and course scripting, recruitment of teaching engineers, creation of courses with video shoots, purchase of resources and equipment.
Funding: €21M awarded to the 15 winners and €19M for the seed fund for less mature projects + €35M for hybridisation and university equipment.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: Not specified.
References:MESRI : Résultats de l'appel à projets sur l'hybridation des formations d'enseignement supérieur ; MESRI : Renforcer l'hybridation des formations d'enseignement supérieur
Installation of the Strategic Committee "Social Diversity in Higher Education"
Timeframe: creation in July 2020.
Status: in force
Responsible authorities: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons/objectives: Following the submission of reports from various higher education institutions on the social openness of the “grandes écoles” in October 2019, the Ministry is continuing the discussions undertaken to include the whole of higher education.
Main measures adopted: The Strategic Committee has been set up to develop reflection on the integration of all baccalaureate holders. Particular attention will be given to technological and professional paths, which must be part of the same pathways to excellence. The main tasks of the committee, made up of public, associative and business players, will be to make recommendations to diversify the paths to excellence, open up new avenues of access, extend social diversity to geographical diversity and, lastly, increase the number of measures aimed at combating self-censorship and assignment to "social residence". Three working meetings will be organised between now and the end of 2020 so that the first recommendations and actions can be put in place by the start of the 2021 academic year.
Funding: Unspecified.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: Not specified.
References:MESRI : Installation du Comité stratégique "Diversité sociale dans l'enseignement supérieur"
Exceptional student social aid in the context of the health crisis
Timeframe: 4 measures announced since April 2020:
- Additional means for specific emergency aid delivered by the CROUS in April 2020
- Additional resources from the Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC)
- Payment of assistance for students who have lost a job and overseas students introduced between May and August 2020
- Extension of scholarships based on social criteria during July 2020.
Status: the measures were exceptional and are no longer in force.
Responsible authorities: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons / Objectives: Since the beginning of the health crisis and the confinement, many measures have been put in place to financially help the most fragile students.
Main measures adopted: Some students have experienced financial difficulties, sometimes aggravated by the context of the health crisis. In April, in order to ensure that no student in need will be left behind, the Ministry released an additional €10 million to finance specific emergency aid allocated by university social work committees. In accordance with the recommendations, the institutions have also mobilised their resources from the Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC). Thus, more than €19M has been used to finance support actions, including €17M dedicated to the deployment of social support measures for students to help them cope with the consequences of the pandemic on their living conditions (e.g. food aid, emergency financial aid, aid for access to digital tools, medical and psychological aid). In addition, between 12 May and 31 August 2020, students who lost their jobs (or their paid internships) during the health crisis and who suffered a drop in their resources due to the confinement, as well as overseas students who remained in metropolitan France, could apply for exceptional aid of €200 (paid in one go and non-renewable). Finally, students whose exams or examinations have been rescheduled after 30 June will exceptionally be able to receive an additional month of their grants on social criteria, without any necessary steps on their behalf.
For the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, exceptional measures will be implemented to continue to provide social support to students, in particular the freezing of registration fees, the introduction of a €1 university meal voucher for students on scholarships and the increase in the value of scholarships based on social criteria to support their purchasing power (+1.2%).
Funding: Specific emergency aid from the CROUS: an additional €10M. Complementary aid from institutions resulting from the Contribution de la vie étudiante et de campus (CVEC). Additional month's grant based on social criteria for students whose exams took place after 30 June: €30M dedicated within the framework of the next draft amended finance law.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: Not specified.
References: MESRI: Rentrée 2020 : les mesures en faveur des étudiants : tout savoir pour bien préparer sa rentrée; Étudiant.gouv.fr: dossier social étudiant - FAQ
2019
Deployment of Connected Campuses to study in all territories
Timeframe: Announced on 22 October 2019, closing of the call for projects on 13 December 2019.
Status: Call for projects completed and ongoing
Responsible authorities: Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons/Objectives: to develop access to higher education distance learning for all.
Main measures adopted: Real third places of higher education, connected campuses are study places where young people can follow distance learning in higher education near their homes, benefiting from individual and collective tutoring. They make it possible to overcome the mobility difficulties that students may face, to move on to studies that they would not necessarily have undertaken and/or to serve as a springboard for them to pursue studies on a university site.
These courses are followed at a distance in a place with the "Campus connecté" label: in return for the provision by local authorities of an open and inclusive place, the State offers a €50,000 seed grant and a grant of €1,000 per student for three years. By 2019, 13 connected campuses had been approved by the Ministry, and they welcomed nearly 170 students enrolled in distance learning courses and supported by tutors. In total, for the academic year 2020-2021, 33 connected campuses have been labelled.
Funding: The success of these Connected Campuses and the interest of local authorities in the scheme justified the launch in February 2020 of a new call for projects with a provisional budget of €25 million as part of the Future Investment Programme (PIA) in order to have a hundred or so Connected Campuses by 2022 at the latest. As part of the first wave of selection, 25 projects have been selected, of which the territorial promoters and partner universities will benefit from a maximum funding of €300,000 in 5 years.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: evaluation mechanisms for PIA calls for projects.
References: MESRI : Les lieux labellisés Campus connecté ; MESRI : Prolongation de l'appel à projets Campus connecté jusqu'au 15 avril 2020
“Territorial arrangements for guidance to higher education”
Timeframe: Announced on 22 October 2019, closing of the call for projects on 13 December 2019.
Status: Call for projects completed
Responsible authorities: Ministry of National Education, Youth; Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
Reasons / Objectives: The call for projects "Territorial arrangements for guidance towards higher education" encourages the creation of groups of stakeholders in the fields of training, employment, information and guidance counselling. The goal of these groups is to provide pupils and their families with all the necessary information on training, their expectations and their career prospects, to support them in drawing up a project for further study and thus to help them make the best choices when entering higher education.
Main measures adopted: A first call for projects implemented in the first half of 2019 has been the subject of a strong mobilisation with 22 applications covering 13 of the 18 regions and including an overseas territory. Eight winners were selected by an independent committee of experts in guidance, school education and higher education, with the long-term ambition of supporting more than one million young high school and university students each year in their educational project.
The State is seeking to launch a second wave to enable other territories to provide their pupils and students with the same levels of services for the benefit of their success, but with modifications to the specifications, wishing to encourage solutions in areas insufficiently covered in the first wave. Without making it exclusive, this new call for projects will thus give particular attention to the effective involvement of regional councils, the monitoring of cohorts and the territorial scope of the projects. This call for projects aims to enable the deployment of projects which, among other things, significantly change practices in terms of information and guidance counselling and are reproducible beyond their initial scope.
Funding: This call for projects has an estimated budget of €33M. The amount of aid allocated may not be less than €1 million. Projects will be funded for a maximum of ten years.
Evaluation and monitoring mechanisms: Not specified.
References:MESRI : Loi relative à l'orientation et à la réussite des étudiants (loi ORE)