The FACE 06 (Federation of Student Associations and Corporations of the Alpes-Maritimes) is clear: students will pay even higher back-to-school fees than last year. The back-to-school cost indicator, calculated and published annually by the Azurian federation, shows an increase of 1.81%.
€2,589.21 is the average cost of the 2017/2018 university start. Notice, FACE insists on one point: it is not the price that all students in the Alpes-Maritimes will pay! The indicator is calculated on “the basis of a non-scholarship student not sharing an apartment and not benefiting from any financial assistance from their family.”
An increase of nearly 1.81%, which is far from the 5.74% rise for the year 2016/2017, but it will not thrill the students anyway. Housing, educational materials, or health insurance supplements—all these costs make student life a real financial headache that is unlikely to stop.
The main problem for students in Nice is that apartment rents remain truly too high. The average is €598.50 for a 20 to 30m² apartment, making the city one of the most expensive in France. The 0.08% decrease in this cost compared to last year is clearly insignificant.
There is another point on which the Federation’s president, Louis Voisin, emphatically insists… health insurance supplements! Student mutual insurance companies (MEP, LMDE being the most well-known…) keep increasing their rates “without any justification since services do not improve.” An increase of nearly 10% for the LMDE supplement, which offers the best value for money at €275. Moreover, FACE regrets the performance of these insurances, especially in the optical and dental sectors, which are very popular among students. For them, the only solution is to abolish this social regime. They hope that the affiliation to national funds, mentioned by Emmanuel Macron during his campaign, will soon come to fruition.
It’s impossible to ensure a year of university education without educational materials. Yet, these too are becoming less accessible. On average, a student should spend €223.51 on these costs. As last year, this price has increased by more than €20. At this rate, what will it be like in a few years?
Some Bright Spots in the Darkness…
Despite all these worrying observations, there are still some satisfactions within FACE 06. Indeed, thanks to their fight with the government, fixed fees have been frozen for another year. Among other things, registration fees in public institutions. Not to mention the university restaurant ticket price, frozen at €3.25 for 2 years now.
FACE Wants to Bring Solutions!
Faced with the very high housing costs in Nice, FACE 06 has implemented the “Apparté” project to offer social housing significantly below market prices. Marine Martin, head of the Azurian federation’s “representation pole,” explains: “We have established a partnership with the municipality enabling us to obtain these homes at a lower cost. In total, we already have 5 apartments between 29 and 45m². We are currently trying to secure additional apartments, which is no simple task, to expand the project.” To benefit from one of these homes, a detailed application file needs to be submitted, which will then be reviewed by an attribution commission. Once housed, FACE proposes a new solution for everyday life at a reduced cost.
AGORAé, a name that probably means nothing to many people. Yet, it is a true source of satisfaction for more than 250 students. It is actually a social grocery store dedicated to beneficiary students. It offers prices below 15% of market prices, a significant saving. Far from being an ordinary store, AGORAé is also a “place of life promoting personalized student support.” Marine Martin clarifies this term: “There are people much more introverted than others. We sometimes organize events, meals, allowing them to socialize. They meet people, talk with them, express themselves… everything is beneficial!” This project, created 5 years ago by FAGE (Federation of General Student Associations), will soon allow more students to benefit from food at affordable prices. Indeed, FACE 06 plans to soon open another AGORAé store.
