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Students: How to find out how much you can claim in housing benefits in France

The Local France
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Students: How to find out how much you can claim in housing benefits in France
Illustration photo: AFP

If you're set to start university in France in September and are still looking for accommodation then you should find out if you are eligible for benefits first.

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If you are starting school at a French university this year, then no doubt you have an exciting 12 months ahead of you. 
 
But before the fun can begin, you'll need somewhere to stay - and there are housing benefits available in France that can help ease the costs of accommodation, even for foreign students. 
 
To find out exactly which benefits you have access to, visit the Caisse d'allocations familiales (CAF) website. 
 
Here, you can start by seeing what you could claim with an online calculator for which you will need certain information, including your income for the past two years. 
 
You can make the request for funding online and if you want to track the progress of your application and find out when the first payment will arrive, you can download the mobile app.
 
The CAF also offers a series of videos on subjects such as what to do if you're a foreign student, when you should apply for the benefits and how the level of benefits you receive is calculated. 
 
There is also information available in English and Spanish at the bottom of this webpage
 
France is the fourth most popular country in the world for international students, with thousands of Americans, Brits and Australians coming here to study every year. 
 
Nevertheless, the number of foreign students in France, which sits at the 343,000 mark, dropped by 8.1 percent between 2010 and 2015. 
 
 
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Who are all these international students in France and where do they study?Photo: AFP

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