Higher education minister Philippe Baptiste confirmed the plans in French publication Le Parisien, stating, “differentiated fees are now the rule, exemption is the exception”, signalling a shift towards systematically applying higher charges for international students from outside the EU.
Under the policy, new non-EU entrants will pay €2,895 per year for bachelor’s degrees and €3,941 for master’s programs. Until now, universities had been able to waive these rates and instead charge reduced fees — €178 and €254 respectively — with most opting to do so in order to maintain equal access.
The reform removes that discretion, limiting exemptions to a small proportion of students. Baptiste has indicated that exemptions will no longer be granted on a large scale.
The changes are set to take effect for the 2026/27 intake, raising concerns about disruption, as many prospective students may already be in the process of applying or making study decisions.
Exemptions and scholarships will be limited, with up to 10% of students eligible for fee waivers. The government has also indicated that 60% of scholarships will be directed towards students in priority areas such as digital/AI, quantum and biotechnology.
The government plans to improve the admissions process for international students as it seeks to continue to welcome international students, particularly in strategic sectors, as part of its ambition to reach 500,000 international students by 2027.
However, the announcement has drawn a strong response from France Universités, which warned that the policy risks undermining long-standing principles of openness.
“At first sight, the proposed measures to generalise the application of differentiated fees appear to be in contradiction with the humanistic values of hospitality and openness that universities extend to students from around the world,” the organisation said.
It argued that applying differentiated fees to at least 90% of non-EU students “will not limit the deterrence effect” and argued that scholarship systems would also create “massive bureaucratic inflation”.
It criticised the loss of flexibility for institutions, describing the reform as a “sharp and abrupt reduction” in universities’ ability to define their own international strategies.
“This is yet another blow to university autonomy,” it said.
This is yet another blow to university autonomy
France Universités
The organisation argued that universities should retain the ability to adapt recruitment and pricing strategies according to their areas of strength and local context, rather than follow a centrally defined list of priority disciplines.
It also highlighted potential risks for France’s research ecosystem, noting that international student access is a “determining factor” in the country’s academic and scientific influence amid intensifying global competition.
The organisation called for doctoral students to be excluded from the differentiated fee system and for institutions to retain flexibility in designing postgraduate programs.
“The application of differentiated tuition fees can in no way serve as a magic remedy for the chronic underfunding of universities,” it added.
