The cost of student living still higher due to inflation (UNEF)

2023-08-14 11:29:00

The cost of student living is skyrocketing, according to theA f, student union. In a survey published this Monday, August 14, theA f states that the cost of living is rising for students, particularly due to inflation. Inflation has reached 4,5% over a year in June, says INSEE, and food prices continued to soar, 13,7%. Food expenditure weighs more and more heavily on budgets. However, scholarships are not enough, says the organization.

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For the year 2023-2024, the cost of student living increases by 6,47%according to’A f. This represents a necessary additional budget of 594.76 euros for the year, or 49.56 euros more per month.

An unprecedented increase of 6.47%

“Never, in 19 years of investigation of theA fchanges in the cost of student living do nothad reached such heights”, underlines the union, which carries out this projection, from an evaluation of the financial situation of several standard profiles of students. “We are reaching a stage of major student precariousness which sets in over time and whose evolution from one year to the next is constantly more important”.

The student budget is weighed down in particular by increases in transport costs (+5,91% for non-scholarship holders, +3,95% for scholarship holders)power (+14,3%) and electricity (+10,1%).

Stock exchange reform considered insufficient

L’A f also points the finger at the government, blaming it for its lack of action to remedy the situation. The union, close to the left, considers in particular the recent reform of the stock exchanges as “ largely insufficient to fight against student precariousness.

The executive has provided for a revaluation of the amount of student scholarships to the tune of more than 500 million euros, allowing in particular 35,000 new students to become scholarship holders from the start of the school year. In detail, this envelope will make it possible to increase the amount of scholarships from 37 euros to 127 euros per month, or from 6.2% to 34%, the Ministry of Higher Education told AFP. The amount of the scholarships, which now varies from 145.40 to 633.50 euros per month, remains however “ largely insufficient to live, believes theA f.

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(With AFP)