Starting in September 2026, French universities will be required to charge non-EU students €2,895 per year for bachelor's programs and €3,941 for master's programs. Prior to this, most universities charged a symbolic €178 and €254—voluntarily, based on the principle of equal access to education. Now, universities have no choice.
Exceptions are allowed, but they are limited: no more than 10% students may be exempt from tuition fees.
The decision was announced in the middle of the admissions campaign for 2026/27, causing confusion for applicants who had already submitted their documents. The University of Strasbourg, which introduced differentiated fees before others, has already expelled 47 foreign students for non-payment, most of them studying without academic arrears.
Universities themselves are opposed: the France Universités rectorate association calls the measure contrary to the values of openness and warns of a serious deterrent effect for students from the poorest countries. The government, for its part, insists that higher fees will increase the prestige of French education and attract specialists in priority sectors.
Against this backdrop, Germany remains one of the few major countries where most public universities do not charge tuition fees for international students.
Russian 
Ukrainian 
Georgian 
English 
Spanish 
Portuguese