Back to school. Allowances, scholarships: financial aid you may be entitled to

This Monday, September 1st, students return to school, middle school, high school, and even university. This education is a strain on family budgets. To ease the cost, various forms of assistance are available, and it's not too late to apply. Here's a recap.

There is assistance available to help with the cost of education. Illustrative photo: Sipa/Lionel Urman

School supplies, books, clothes, cafeteria, sports clubs... Back to school means a lot of expenses for parents of children in primary school, middle school, high school, or higher education. To ease the burden on your wallet during this time , here's a summary of the aid available to you.

Back-to-school allowance

This is undoubtedly the best-known back-to-school allowance. The back-to-school allowance was paid on August 19, subject to means-tested conditions, to families with at least one child enrolled in a public or private school and aged six to 18. The amount of the allowance varies between €423.48 and €462.33, depending on the child's age.

If you are a beneficiary of the Family Allowance Fund (CAF), you do not need to take any action. Otherwise, a document must be completed on the CAF website. In 2024, 2.8 million people were able to benefit from this assistance, according to the activity report of the National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF).

There are other types of assistance besides the back-to-school allowance. If your child is in middle school, you may be eligible for a grant, subject to means-tested conditions and depending on the number of dependent children. They must be enrolled in a public middle school, a private school under contract, or the National Center for Distance Education (CNED). The amount paid to families depends on the number of children, not their age. It ranges from €120 to €516 per year. The grant is paid in three installments, each quarter (generally at the end of December, the end of March, and the end of June). Applications are open from this Monday until October 16, 2025 (and until October 31 for students enrolled in the CNED).

The principle of the scholarship also applies if you have a child in high school. It is also issued subject to means-tested conditions and according to the number of dependent children, and whether the child is enrolled in a public high school, a private high school under contract, or the National Center for Distance Education (CNED). For high school students, the amount of aid is between 495 and 1,053 euros for the year. Applications can also be made from September ^1st until October 16th, 2025 (and until October 31st for students enrolled in the CNED). You can find out the amount of your aid using a simulator .

There are no national grants for children enrolled in elementary school. However, assistance may be available at the departmental or municipal level, such as the "school attendance grant," for parents who need to enroll their children in an elementary school in a neighboring municipality if they don't have one in their own. Check with your school, municipality, or department for more information.

Other cases

There are other financial incentives, such as the boarding school bonus, intended for national scholarship students attending boarding school (in middle or high school), the merit scholarship if your child obtained a good or very good grade in the secondary school certificate or the scholarship student bonus if your child returns to high school after having interrupted their education for several months. Details of the scholarships can be found here .

Annual school lunch fees can weigh heavily on the family budget. For elementary schools, fees are set by the municipality. Some choose to apply the family quotient to the meal rate, which takes parents' income into account. To find out if you're eligible, contact your local town hall directly.

There is also assistance provided by the department for middle school and the region for high school, each of which sets the price of meals. Some local authorities apply a meal rate based on the family quotient. You can find out more from your department, your region, or through the school's secretariat.

There is also a social fund that provides financial assistance for canteen costs if your child attends middle or high school, under certain conditions. To do this, contact the middle or high school social worker or the school administration office.

The "one euro canteen" scheme

In 2019, the government launched the "one-euro canteen" scheme for municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. If your municipality is selected to benefit, it can offer children from families whose family quotient is less than or equal to 1,000 euros a three-euro grant per meal, which reduces the cost of a one-euro meal. Since July 26, registration for this scheme has been closed due to an excessive number of applications. If your municipality is eligible, you will have to wait until next year.

There are several types of student aid . The most well-known is the Crous grant, applications for which have been closed since May 31, 2025, for the current academic year. If you are not eligible but are experiencing financial difficulties, you may be eligible for specific annual aid under several conditions. Aid is also available for students wishing to study abroad, enroll in a master's degree in another region, or prepare for a civil service exam.

Students who obtain a very good grade in their baccalaureate can receive a merit-based grant of 900 euros.

Students on scholarships or in precarious situations can benefit from one-euro meals. Finally, student status allows you to take advantage of preferential rates for public transport. Regarding housing, if you are a tenant, you may be able to receive housing assistance from the CAF (French Family Allowance Fund).

The Pass'Sport

The Pass'Sport is a €70 financial boost offered by the government to encourage club sports. The program is aimed at young people aged 14 to 17 who receive the back-to-school allowance. Children and adults with disabilities (AEEH, AAH), and scholarship students under 28 are eligible. It is accepted by 85,000 partner clubs, sports associations, and gyms throughout France.