This Tuesday, August 19, the Family Allowance Fund will pay out the Back-to-School Allowance (ARS). In Nice, it will concern several thousand households. At the same time, the municipality is distributing a supply kit to every elementary school student.
Starting this Tuesday, August 19 2025, three million families will receive the Back-to-School Allowance. In Nice, as elsewhere across the mainland, the payment is managed by the Family Allowance Fund. This aid targets households with at least one child enrolled in school between the ages of 6 and 18, subject to income conditions.
The amount is calculated based on the child’s age. For the 2025 school start, it is 423.48 euros for ages 6-10, 446.85 euros for ages 11-14, and 462.33 euros for ages 15-18. The income limits depend on the number of dependent children. For one child, the resources must not exceed 28,444 euros. For two, the limit rises to 35,008 euros. Each additional child increases the threshold.
The payment is made automatically for ages 6-15, if the conditions are met. For ages 16-18, parents must confirm that their child continues their education or apprenticeship.
This aid is eagerly awaited by many families. Supplies represent a significant expense, especially with multiple children. According to UFC-Que Choisir, their price increased by 2% in July 2025 compared to the previous year. Conversely, a Nielsen IQ study notes a decrease in prices at large retailers and specialized stores. In practice, price differences vary from one retailer to another.
School Kits for Every Student in Nice
Beyond this national aid, the city of Nice provides direct support to families. Each student enrolled in a public or state-contracted private elementary school will receive a supply kit.
โWe know how much the back-to-school supplies can weigh on the purchasing power of families in Nice, especially when there are several children. So, with the city of Nice, we wanted to support households in coping with these expenses by distributing these kits,โ the municipality explains.
The content is identical for all children, designed according to recommendations from the Ministry of Education. Each kit contains various supplies such as a canvas backpack, a ruler, three pens, two HB pencils, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, two glue sticks, a case of colored pencils, a case of colored felt-tip pens, a erasable slate, and two markers for the slate. This distribution began in June in the different schools in the municipality. It aims to ease basic expenses. Families are free to add to the list according to specific teacher requests.
A Back-to-School Season under Budgetary Pressure
The allocation and distribution of kits take place in a context where the back-to-school period strains budgets. Besides supplies, families must consider expenses related to school and extracurricular activities, transportation, and clothing.
The ARS is not granted to everyone. Some households whose income slightly exceeds the limits may still be eligible for a differential allowance. It is calculated if resources remain below the threshold increased by the amount of the aid. For example, a family with two children aged 8 and 11 must have an income below 35,878.33 euros to qualify.
In the specific case of a child placed in social child welfare, the allowance is blocked in an account managed by the Caisse des Dรฉpรดts. The child can access it upon reaching adulthood.
Overall, the ARS concerns more than five million students in France each year. In Nice, the challenge is twofold: enabling families to fund the school start and ensuring equal access to basic supplies through the kits distributed by the municipality.