Question 15020 — higher education

Summary

Mr. Édouard Bénard draws the attention of the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space to his intention to relaunch by decree, from the start of the 2026 academic year, the differentiation of registration fees applicable to non-EU foreign students. Such a measure, which is a continuation of the so-called “Welcome to France” strategy, explicitly aims to make these students contribute more to the financing of university establishments, in a context of structural underfinancing of higher education. Students covered by the measure would have to pay 2,895 euros in registration fees for each year of higher education at bachelor's level compared to 3,941 euros for those pursuing studies at master's level. This explosion in registration fees raises serious questions both on a legal level and on the plan of the principles which underpin the public service of higher education. Indeed, this draft decree appears contrary to several provisions of the education code. First of all, it ignores the missions assigned to the university by articles L. 123-2 and L. 123-4, which notably establish the fight against discrimination, the promotion of the French-speaking world and the development of international cooperation. By establishing a differentiation based on nationality and resources, it introduces a clear break in equality in access to the public service of higher education. Furthermore, it undermines the principle of autonomy of establishments, guaranteed by article L. 711-1 of the same code, by limiting their ability to freely determine their budgetary choices, their social policy and their international relations. He calls into question the Articles R. 719-48 to R. 719-50 of the Education Code, relating to mechanisms for exemption from registration fees, by drastically reducing the modulation margins that establishments had until now to guarantee the reception of foreign students under fair conditions. Beyond these legal considerations, this measure would have particularly worrying consequences. By significantly increasing rights registration, it amounts, in fact, to excluding a large proportion of students from countries with modest incomes, particularly in the French-speaking area. It thus weakens France's cultural, scientific and linguistic influence, as well as its international influence, in a context of geopolitical restructuring where these issues are nevertheless essential. Furthermore, this orientation is based on questionable economic assumptions. The example of the British university system, marked by a sharp increase in registration fees and massive student debt, shows the limits of these policies: far from constituting a sustainable source of funding, they lead to a deferred transfer of costs to the State, the overall cost of which turns out to be comparable, if not higher, to the savings initially expected. Finally, this logic calls into question a principle fundamental: that according to which the certification of knowledge must be independent of the social origin of the students. By substituting a market logic for a principle of equality, it transforms access to higher education into a marker of social distinction, to the detriment of the Republican demand for emancipation through knowledge. Under these conditions, he asks him if he intends to renounce this draft decree and, conversely, initiate an ambitious public funding policy for higher education guaranteeing equal and effective access to university, regardless of the nationality and resources of students.

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