The Social Criteria Scholarships (BCS) and the Specific Annual Assistance (ASAA) are awarded according to several very specific criteria.

Before starting the procedure, check if you are eligible.

To do this, you must meet these conditions:

• To be eligible for a BCS scholarship for the first time, you must be under 28 years old on January 1st ^of the academic year, and under 35 years old for the ASAA scholarship. From age 28 onwards, you must not interrupt your studies to receive a scholarship. The age limit for receiving a scholarship is 35, or 40 for students with disabilities.
• To be a refugee, or stateless person, or beneficiary of subsidiary protection or temporary protection
• To be enrolled in an initial training program authorized to receive scholarship students or in a "Gateway - Students in Exile" University Diploma

> Read: the Refugees.info fact sheet "Taking a DU Passerelle training course"

• To be enrolled in a full-time initial training program, not a work-study program.
• Depending on family resources and expenses, eligibility falls within the national scale for awarding higher education scholarships (published in the Official Journal each year).

• You must provide proof of the stability of your residence and your protection (international or temporary).
• Also, in addition to proof of protection, you must be able to present a residence document (residence permit if you already have one or receipt such as an extension of instruction certificate: API)

If these conditions are met, you can simulate the amount of your grant on the CROUS website.

This simulator allows you to find out if you are entitled to a scholarship depending on your family and/or social situation as well as your course of study and training.

This information is also requested when you complete your Student Social File (DSE).

Each student in initial training at a higher education institution must obtain, before their registration, their certificate of payment of the student and campus life contribution (CVEC).

• You must log in to this address and apply for an exemption by clicking on “Apply for my exemption”. You will need to prove your stateless person, refugee, or subsidiary protection status by uploading supporting documents to avoid paying this contribution.
• Within a week at the most, you will receive your certificate to present to the university.

The request must be made between March 30 and May 31 before the start of the academic year (dates for 2023/2024). Late requests are accepted until December 31st and even beyond this date, only for exceptional changes in situation.

Go to the website messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr and create an account.

Then, complete your student social file (DSE).

You can select up to four training courses from one or more academies of your choice.

Within a maximum of 72 hours after registration, you will receive an email with a summary of your request.

After this period, you can submit additional supporting documents, from your online account, in the “Student social file monitoring (DSE)” section, then click on “Submit documents” (in PDF, PNG or JPG format).

After an initial examination of the file, you receive:

• a notification of conditional scholarship award. This document allows you not to pay university registration fees as well as CVEC.
• or a notification of reasoned refusal of the request
• or a request for additional documents by email without notification (incomplete file).

To definitively validate your application and receive your scholarship, you must submit your conditional scholarship notification to your school.

The CROUS collects your registration in higher education directly from it. You therefore do not have to provide your school certificate to your CROUS at the start of the school year, but it may be requested from you for certain establishments outside universities. Do not hesitate to inquire with your school.

Once your registration has been validated by the Crous, you will then receive your final scholarship notification by email (positive or negative confirmation of the award of aid and its amount).

When you complete your DSE, you can also apply for accommodation at the CROUS.

To do this, tick the "request accommodation" box during the procedure.

In a second step (in May, according to the schedule that will be given to you), you will have to complete and specify your housing application from your account on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr or directly on trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr .

Depending on the location of your school, you will have a choice between several university residences.

The allocation of CROUS accommodation then takes place in 2 phases:

• First the "main phase", in 3 cycles, priority given to scholarship recipients and generally taking place during the month of June;
• Then the "supplementary phase", starting in July, open to all students and with priority given to students receiving social criteria scholarships.

You will receive a response by email (check your "junk mail" folder if necessary) and, if the response is positive, by SMS.

If you are allocated accommodation, you have 5 days to confirm your choice, by paying a €70 booking fee. This will be deducted from your first rent payment.

> Read: the Refugees.info fact sheet: "CROUS student accommodation" .

For any questions about scholarships, accommodation and/or CVEC, contact the CROUS national platform at 09 72 59 65 69.

A national emergency hotline, 0 806 000 278, is available for students experiencing serious financial difficulties.

Refugee students can be supported by a dedicated CROUS advisor.

You can also ask for help from an association near you or contact UniR - Universités Réfugié.es .

To continue receiving your grant, you must meet certain conditions relating to progress in your studies, course attendance and attendance at examinations.

If one day you are absent for an exam, you must justify your absence to your establishment.

Depending on your situation, specific forms of assistance may be combined with the needs-based scholarship:

• emergency financial aid

As with the annual grant, you must be under 35 years of age on September 1st of the relevant academic year.

For more details, go to this address.

• directory of scholarship programs

Numerous grants and scholarships are available in France and abroad. Campus Bourses lists all grants awarded by French and foreign governments, local authorities, companies, foundations, and higher education institutions.

If you believe there has been an error in the processing of your application or you do not understand the decision that has been made, you must first contact the CROUS via the contact section of your account on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr

If no solution has been found and you still dispute the decision, you can file an appeal with the relevant authorizing officer (Rector or Director General of the CROUS) and/or contact a higher education mediator. See the article dedicated to this topic .

You can also ask for help from an association near you or contact UniR - Refugee Universities.

You can work during your studies up to 60% of the legal working time, i.e. 964 hours per year.

To find a student job, you can visit the JOBAVIZ website dedicated to student jobs.

You can combine your social criteria scholarship with professional activity provided you comply with the obligation of attendance at classes and exams.

However, this combination is not possible if you are in certain situations, including:

• you are a civil servant;
• you have passed a competitive entrance exam for medical residency (medicine for example);
• you are registered with Pôle emploi;
• you are on an apprenticeship contract, a professional training contract or on individual training leave.
• etc.