What is the CVEC?
The CVEC is the Student and Campus Life Contribution (Contribution vie étudiante et de campus). The law states that it must be collected by the Crous. The annual amount is €103, which you may have to pay or you may be exempt, depending on your case.
IMPORTANT | The following students do not have to pay or even do anything about the CVEC : students enrolled in Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS - Advanced Technical Certificate), Diplôme des Métiers d'Art (DMA - Arts Diploma), accounting courses, continuing education (including professional qualification contracts) and students on international exchanges* in France (via Erasmus+ type programmes).
* On an international exchange: you are spending time in France during the university year as part of an agreement between your higher education institution and a higher education institution in France.
- If you are one of these students, YOU DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING.
- If you are NOT one of these students, then read the following article ↓
What is the contribution actually for?
The contribution is designed to create, consolidate and reinforce different services in your institution and the Crous in your regional education authority.
- For your health | Better access to treatment on campus and renewal of the prevention policy. > Continue to develop university health centres > Roll out the student health representative programme (ERS) > Reinforce activities by university health services in the area of sexual health (contraception, STI screening, etc.).
- Promote social support > Reinforce the social assistant teams at universities and the Crous
- Support your initiatives > Finance more student projects and associations.
- Develop sport on campus > Year-round access to a wider range of sports events and activities.
- Promote art and culture in higher education institutions > Year-round access to concerts, exhibitions, cultural events and artistic workshops.
- Improve student support > Develop support on campus: introduction to the university environment, campus life, the extra-university environment (heritage, local culture, sports, etc.).
This contribution is "designed to promote social, health, cultural and sports support and assistance for students and to reinforce health prevention and education actions aimed at students" (Article L. 841-5 of the French Education Code).
A compulsory contribution
There are two different procedures with regard to this contribution.
- You pay the CVEC as you have to pay it. The amount is €103.
- You are exempt from the CVEC. In this case, you don't pay anything (see below "Which students are exempt?")
In both cases, you can obtain a receipt for payment of the CVEC.
- You must provide this receipt to your higher education institution.
- Note that the institution cannot complete your enrolment without this receipt.
If you are enrolling on several courses in one year, the contribution is only payable for the first enrolment.
Where do I pay this contribution?
On cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr | Before you enrol in higher education
Which students are exempt?
The four types of students exempt from paying this contribution are
- Grant-funded students* or beneficiaries of an annual allowance granted as specific aid
- Refugee students
- Students benefiting from subsidiary protection
- Students registered as asylum seekers who have the right to remain in the country
Grant-funded students who have received their conditional grant allowance are automatically identified on cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, and can download the CVEC payment receipt online without paying any fees.
In addition, if you become eligible for exemption from the contribution during the university year, you can obtain a refund of the contribution you have already paid. To do this for the next university year, you need to apply starting September 15.
The same applies to students who have paid the CVEC before receiving their Baccalaureate results, who do not then pass the Baccalaureate.
Specific information about "grant-funded students"
Which grants do we mean?
- Social criteria grants managed by the Crous (Higher Education, Culture, Agriculture, etc.)
- Grants paid by the Regions (for students on paramedical, health and social care courses)
- Grants from the French government (BGF)
However, it does not cover:
- Grants from a foreign government (BGE)
- Grants paid by a private organisation (for example a foundation)
Specific information about interns
- Interns on an apprenticeship contract (coming under initial education) have to pay the CVEC
- Interns on a professional qualification contract (coming under continuing education) do not have to pay the CVEC
Specific cases
- If you are enrolled in a Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Ecoles (CPGE - class preparing for admission to the Grandes Ecoles) You must register for the procedure when you enrol in university. You will pay or be exempt, depending on your situation.
- If you are enrolled in a French lycée (secondary school) on a course such as Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS - Advanced Technical Certificate), , Diplôme des Métiers d'Art (DMA - Arts Diploma), or an accounting course You do not have to pay the contribution, as you are not enrolled in a higher education institution. You don't need to do anything.
- If you are enrolled on a continuing education course* You do not have to pay this contribution. You don't need to do anything.
* Continuing education: this means that your training is managed by an employer or by a collecting agency. Note also that professional qualification contracts come under continuing education.
- If you are a student on an international exchange in France You do not have to pay this contribution. You don't need to do anything.
* On an international exchange: you are spending time in France during the university year as part of an agreement between your higher education institution and a higher education institution in France.