University of Paris Provides Financial Support for Students Affected by COVID-19

The University of Paris is establishing a social and digital support fund for its students in a bid to assist those who have been financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a release published on the university’s official site, heads of the University of Paris have decided to launch an emergency assistance fund that will enable access to “social assistance” and “digital equipment assistance” for students starting at the beginning of the academic year, Erudera.com reports.

Under CROUS, a regional bursary organization, the University of Paris will offer one-time support so that students in a difficult social situation can continue attending their studies while in good conditions.

Students can apply for social allowance and digital allowance, which provides funds for students that need to buy equipment such as devices (tablet or computer) or network (package, 4G key).

Interested candidates in both programs should apply for the support packages from March 17 to April 17, 2021.

Documents are required to be provided in pdf format, and the file name must include the name of the student and the school. Only complete packages will be considered.

What Are Students Eligible for the Allowances?

Students who are eligible for the one-time social assistance support are students who live alone or away from family and don’t have any financial support. The student’s status can be proven with a tax notice, sworn statement, and notice from the student’s registration institution or a letter from the student’s school. Also, students that lost their jobs are eligible to apply for this support aid.

If enough proof has been provided to the institutions, the same student can benefit from several one-time allowances during the year.

Social Package

The amount will be paid in a one-time payment for each decision, and the highest amount of one-time bid is €500 per commission decision. If several one-time grants are awarded for the same academic year, the cumulative donations may not exceed €1500.

Digital Package

Support for digital support may take the following forms:

• financial aid of a fixed sum of €15 per ten months (€150 total) so students can fund digital devices and optimize their connection to the network. The sum will be paid in one payment and available until the end of the academic year 2020-2021.
• financial aid of a one-time payment of €250 to help students buy a tablet or a computer. The devices will be purchased by the student, who will be the device’s owner. Once the purchase is made, the student must present proof of purchase (any purchase receipt is accepted).

The amount will be paid in one lump sum for each decision of the commission. The maximum amount of one-off aid is €250 for one academic year.

For the digital package, students can benefit from a one-time payment for an eligible student, whereas the highest amount of assistance is €250 for one academic year.