Australians - Study in Europe |
This website is dedicated to making it easier for Australians to embark on postgraduate study in Europe.
As well as providing a host of links to relevant websites in Europe and Australia ASiE also undertakes research and consultation with the EU Commission, European governments and a great number of universities and foundations. The aim is to produce and update as much as possible all information concerning grants and scholarships available to Australian students seeking to pursue doctoral studies in Europe.
Accomodation in FranceBackground Unlike Australia, France does not have a tradition of large campuses, and this tends to mean that there are far too few university residence halls to accommodate every student. The university system does have a services to help and support students (see CROUS below) but again the system will seen quite different to Australian eyes. Be aware that waiting lists for these services are long so getting in early is essential. What the above also means is that for many French and foreign students the main housing option is in the private sector, where costs can be higher, particularly in large cities and especially in Paris. In most French university towns, there is an information office (guichet) that will help foreign students through the administrative and search process for housing.
University residences Universities throughout France do offer rooms and studio apartments at reduced rates (between 120 to 300 Euros per month) in student residences managed by CROUS, the regional affiliates of the French national student-service agency, known as CNOUS. Space in these residences is allocated according to certain criteria, with recipients of French government scholarships receiving priority. In Paris, where there are 300,000 students and only 2,000 units of university housing, scholarship students are the only ones who have a chance at getting a room. Located on campus or in town, these residences, run by the CROUS (Centres Régionaux des OEuvres Universitaires et Sociales), offer 10- to 12-sq.m furnished rooms equipped with a sink (showers and toilets are shared). The monthly rent is between €140 and €400. It is very difficult to secure a place in such residences, however (particularly in Paris), as French government foreign scholarships holders are given priority. Need to apply at 4 to 8 months in advance. For more information on these options see The National Centre for University and Social Works
Private student residences Private student residences can be found in France's major cities. Their numbers have greatly increased in recent years in an attempt to make up for the lack of spaces in university residences. The rent ranges from €600 to €700 per month in Paris and from €400 to €700 elsewhere. Some helpful sites listing private student residences are:
Cité Université (Paris). Paris is a particularly difficult place to study in terms of both cost and finding accommodation. The Cité Université is not a university but rather something closer to what Australians might know as residential colleges. There is accommodation but also a number of other services designed to support students in their study. The Cité Université is made up of French and foreign halls of residence, as well as a number of facilities and services, all of which provides residents with near ideal accommodation, working and social conditions. The 37 buildings, which are spread over a 40 hectare park, accommodate nearly 5000 students, trainees and post doctoral students from over 100 countries. The CIUP is open to students once their application has been accepted provided they meet the following requirements: under 30 years old, at second year of university of higher, enrolled in an institution of higher education or university under the authority of Paris, Créteil or Versailles academies and studying for a diploma recognised by the State.
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Private housing Most of France suffers housing shortages, particularly Paris, where demand exceeds supply and rents are consequently 50% higher than elsewhere in France. To rent a flat (normally unfurnished) you will have to produce documentary evidence that you can afford to pay, normally by producing evidence of income roughly four times the amount of the monthly rent. Estate agents will require a returnable deposit usually equivalent to two months rent (a month’s rent in advance and a commission). Renting an individual room costs between 229 and 304 Euros per month in the provinces and between 229 and 458 Euros in Paris. A studio rent is between 382 and 610 Euros per month. Do note that the supply of units in privately owned student apartment buildings is rising. These buildings offer furnished and equipped studios and shared services such as cafeterias, coin laundries, and game rooms. The monthly rent for a studio in such a building is 500 to 700 Euros outside Paris and 550 to 700 Euros in Paris.
Obligations of renting privatelyWhen you rent a unit in a private building you will have to sign a a rental agreement or lease that specifies your rights and responsibilities and those of the property owner and his agent. Before the lease is signed, you will have to prove that you have sufficient resources to pay the rent. Usually this means that your monthly income must be at least three times the amount of your rent. You will also have to pay a security deposit equal to 2 months' rent. Vacancies are advertised by real estate agencies or directly by property owners in the classified section of newspapers such as Le Figaro (which is widely available abroad). Some educational institutions and CROUS offices maintain lists of vacancies.Note that shared accommodation is not as common amongst young people in France as it is in Australia and while this does not make finding such accommodation impossible you should not spend too much time looking for it to the detriment of other avenues.
Rooms in private houses It is possible to rent a room in a private home, although this solution is more suitable for short stays. In Paris, the monthly rent varies from €800 to €1050 per month – elsewhere, expect to pay half that rate.
Accommodation with a French family (homestay) Some organisations in France can arrange for homestays in French families at a slightly higher price than university accommodation. This type of accommodation has its benefits as it helps foreign students to integrate into the French way of living. There is a page on the French embassy site that provides a list of organisations that are already established agencies which can help students or tourists to locate a suitable French family where in exchange for boarding fees, they will be housed and fed.
Finding Accommodation – Useful websites
Housing aid Two forms of financial assistanceTwo forms of financial assistance are available to students of all nationalities who rent housing in France. The precise amount of the monthly assistance varies according to the student's income, the type of housing, and the amount of the rent. The two types of assistance are Allocation de logement sociale and Aide personnalisée au logement, often referred to as ALS and APL. Payments are made by local family assistance funds (caisses d'allocations familiales, or CAF). Note that these two types of assistance cannot be combined.
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Admissions are granted for one year and can be renewed twice. 
Australian students seeking a room within one of the halls of the CIUP should address themselves to the: All Right Reserved © 2008 by The Contemporary Europe Resarch Centre
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