🔎 Recap
No time to read it all? Here’s what you need to know about the APL reform and the 2026 budget:
What’s changing: the 2026 budget plans to end APL housing aid for non-scholarship students from outside the EU/EEA. The budget has now been adopted, with the new rules set to apply from July 2026.
Who remains eligible?: Students from the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and scholarship holders, regardless of nationality.
When does it apply?: The reform is expected to take effect from July 1, 2026.
Important: Until then, the current rules still apply.
Introduction
As we know, APL (housing benefits) are an essential form of support for students in France, whether they are international or not. They help reduce rent costs and ease the pressure on budgets that are often already tight.
With the adoption of the 2026 budget in February, the situation is changing. The Finance Bill provides for a restriction of access to APL for non-scholarship international students from outside the EU/EEA, with implementation planned from July 2026. A decision that could affect several hundred thousand international students.
Update – February 2026
The 2026 budget has now been officially adopted.
The removal of APL for non-scholarship students from outside the EU/EEA is therefore no longer a possibility, but a measure written into law.
However, some points still need to be clarified, particularly for students who already receive APL and regarding the practical details of how the CAF will implement the reform.
Why this measure?
In a tight budgetary context, the government explains this reform as a way to “better target public aid” and reduce public spending. The bill also includes a freeze of APL amounts at their 2025 level, with no adjustment for inflation.
According to official estimates, these combined measures could save more than €100 million from 2026 onwards.
For the students affected, the impact is far from minor. APL often represents between €100 and €250 per month, a crucial amount for managing a student budget.
Who is affected by the removal of APL?
The measure applies to:
- students from countries outside the European Union, the EEA, and Switzerland,
- non-scholarship students,
- including those holding a long-stay VLS-TS visa, which until now has given access to APL.
👉 Students from the EU/EEA, Swiss students, and scholarship holders remain eligible for housing aid.
And until the reform comes into force, the current rules continue to apply. You can therefore still apply for APL if you meet the usual conditions, such as having eligible accommodation, modest resources, and a valid residence permit.
When will the reform take effect?
The date set by law is July 1, 2026. Until then:
- APL applications remain possible,
- current beneficiaries continue to receive their aid.
👉 Further details are still expected regarding ongoing situations, such as existing entitlements, transition periods, and how the CAF will apply the new rules.
What you can do right now
• Check your current eligibility: nothing changes before July 2026.
• Plan your 2026 budget, especially if you are from outside the EU/EEA and do not receive a scholarship.
• Stay updated: Study in France will update this article as soon as an official decision is made 😉
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🔎 Sources :
To learn more about this reform and follow its progress:
• French Ministry of Higher Education and Research – Housing aid for international students: the government adjusts eligibility criteria
• French National Assembly – Finance Bill for 2026 (official legislative file)
• Service-Public.fr – Housing benefits (APL, ALS, ALF)
• CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales) – Housing aid
👉 Further reading
A petition has been launched to call for the continuation of APL housing aid for all international students. You can read or sign it here: No to the end of APL for international students
