On November 19, the French government decided to charge international students higher registration fees starting from the 2019-2020 academic year.
The Conference of University Presidents (CPU) published a statement on Monday asking the government to suspend the planned increase for registration fees.
“France needs international students who contribute to its development and influence in the world,” says the statement.
The statement added that ‘the announced general increase in registration fees is not an appropriate response, as it carries with it the significant risk of excluding students and france student doctoral students whom we welcome today.”
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Moreover, the CPU board of directors “requests that the entry into force of the provisions in question to be suspended”.
For her part, the French minister of higher education, Frederique Vidal, addressed a letter to university presidents and directors of higher education schools on Monday explaining that international students who reside f in France for several years will pay the same registration fees as European students.
She added that students who already began their studies in France are not concerned by the increase.
The French prime minister, who announced the international education reform bill, explained that it would serve to fund more education-related projects and build more facilities to accommodate students and invest more in foreign language education.
The decision faced heavy criticism from students, who decided to protest, adding to the current chaos in France.
