What are the CAF aids for foreign students?

If you are of foreign nationality and are studying in France, you can benefit from aid paid by CAF. We explain everything to you in this article.

CAF aid linked to the status of foreign student

PLAs

The APL is an aid paid by the CAF to help you finance your rent. To obtain it, you must meet the following conditions:

• You hold a valid residence permit
• You live in France in a stable and effective way
• You rent accommodation with your name on the lease contract
• You stay at least 8 months in France
• You are not related to the owner of your accommodation

If you already receive the activity bonus, you can combine it with the APL. Otherwise, you can estimate the amount of your activity bonus.

The amount of the APL depends on several elements:

• Your place of residence
• The composition of your household
• Your household resources

Your CAF will ask you at the end of the academic year if you will keep your accommodation in July and August. If you leave your accommodation or if there is no response, your right will be interrupted.

You can totally make your online process without having a social security number. Here are the steps to follow to apply:

• Connect to the CAF website or create an account
• Click on the “My Account” tab then follow the progress of the request
• Facilitate the processing of your request by attaching the necessary documents

The documents to provide for a foreign student are as follows:

• Your identity document (identity card, valid residence permit, passport)
• Your civil status document (birth certificate)
• Your lease, or sublease, with the amount of rent you will have to pay
• A document attesting to your resources, for example, a pay slip and a tax notice
• A rib

Be careful to check all the information you enter in your declaration. The slightest mistake could lead to the suspension of your rights, and you risk having to reimburse the sums overpaid.

Also note that the amount of your aid is verified Every 3 months. Depending on changes in your personal situation, it may be revised upwards or downwards.

The scholarship

Attention ! CAF does not pay scholarships strictly speaking, but if you benefit from it, it is mandatory that she be informed. Indeed, the CROUS scholarship is the main scholarship in France. It is granted under certain conditions specific to your educational situation and your income.

If you are a foreign scholarship student, you must declare this to the CAF. The declaration must be made in the personal space accessible online, then in the section ” My personal situation “. You must file the declaration each year, even if your situation and the amounts received do not change.

In general, here the resources to declareat CAF when you are a foreign student:

• Your wages
• Your aid (APL, scholarship, alimony, etc.)
• Your savings income
• Other taxable income (example: summer job)

The loan of honor

The CAF honorary loan is a emergency aid, in other words, a loan at 0 or non-refundable rate depending on your situation. It makes it possible to overcome specific difficulties, linked for example to a death in your family. Its amount and terms vary according to your department of residence .

In Oise, it is called “recovery loan” or even “preventive loan” in Ardèche. So, if you are a foreign student and your family is experiencing temporary difficulties, CAF can intervene to help you get back on track. Here are some examples of its field of intervention:

• Support for related expenses at school : meals, school supplies, activities…
• Support for linked loads to housing : heating, electricity, water…
• Payment of expenses related to mandatory fillers : taxes, insurance, debts…
• Support for related expenses to mobility: transport costs, training, driving licence, etc.

CAF aid linked to the professional status of foreign students

The activity bonus

As a foreign student, you can claim activity bonus. Attention ! you cannot benefit from it if you are on a paid internship. The activity bonus is a salary supplement. It is aimed at young people over 18 who have a professional activity and a higher net income at 952.74 euros per month.

For a European foreign student

To obtain it, you just have to fulfill certain conditions, namely:

• You are 18 or older
• You have resided in France on a regular basis for at least 3 months at the time of the application
• You have a valid residence permit allowing you to work in France
• You have a professional activity (salaried or not) and you receive a modest income

If you do not meet one of the first 2 conditionsyou can try to benefit from the activity bonus provided you comply with one of the following conditions:

• You are raising a child under the age of 3 on your own and you have a residence permit
• You have refugee status or you are recognized as stateless
• You benefit from subsidiary protection
• You have the permanent resident card

For a foreign student from a country other than the EU

To be entitled to the activity bonus, you must meet the following conditions:

• You are 18 or older
• You have a professional activity (salaried or not) and you receive a modest income

Then you need to fill one of the following conditions:

• You have had a residence permit allowing you to work in France for at least 5 years
• You are a single parent with a dependent child under 3 years old and a residence permit
• You have the resident card
• You have refugee status
• You are recognized as stateless
• You benefit from subsidiary protection

The steps to take for the activity bonus

To benefit from the activity bonus, students must complete a online process. 2 possibilities :

• If you depend on general scheme the request is made on the CAF website
• If you are a worker in the agricultural sector, the request is made on the MSA website

To note : in the event of a change of situation (moving, change of activity, etc.), it is compulsory to inform the CAF (or the MSA). This may recalculate your rights to the activity bonus upwards.

International mobility assistance

Award conditions

As part of higher education abroad or an international internship, you can receive assistance paid by CAF. She is from 400€ maximum per month. The criteria for eligibility are as follows:

• You are eligible for the higher education scholarship or benefit from the annual emergency aid
• You are pursuing studies with the aim of preparing a national diploma under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education.
• You prove the interest and the pedagogical quality of your project in line with the international policy of your university establishment.

International mobility assistance is cumulative with annual emergency aid and merit aid paid by the CROUS.

To note : your stay abroad must be between 2 consecutive months and 9 consecutive months.

What are the steps to take ?

You must collect an application file for mobility assistance from the international relations department of your institution, complete it, then submit it to this department. The file must be accompanied by aplanned study trip or internship abroad.It is the president of the university or the head of the establishment who decides on your eligibility.