Rabat – Several reports shed light on growing concerns among foreign students, including Moroccans, over rising tuition fees and financial pressures.
A new push by France to strictly apply higher tuition fees for non-EU students is raising concern among Moroccan applicants.
The plan calls for a sharp increase in university fees starting next academic year, with most non-European students required to pay €2,895 per year for a licence, up from €178, and €3,941 for a master’s degree, instead of the current €254.
Le Monde said the new measure aims to make international students contribute more to the cost of their education.
The French newspaper said universities had largely circumvented the measures, “which they considered discriminatory.”
“According to the Ministry of Higher Education, in 2024-2025, 90% of the 111,500 students concerned still benefited from a full or partial exemption. However, the new decree provides for a gradual reduction in these exemptions: 30% of students exempted in the 2026 intake, then 25% in 2027 and 20% in 2028,” the report added.
Moroccan students have emphasized how the new measures are making it harder to afford their studies in France, with one student saying she may not be able to continue her studies after learning that she would have to pay the full tuition fee despite previously receiving a 75% exemption.
Other Moroccan students are also feeling the financial pressure, stating that the removal of housing assistance has affected their budget.
Over 42,000 Moroccan students pursued higher education in France during the 2024-2025 academic season, representing 10% of all foreign students in the European country.
The majority, or 56%, enrolled at multidisciplinary universities, while a growing number are choosing specialized schools in fields such as engineering and business.
Last year, a spokesperson from Campus France, the agency responsible for promoting higher education, stressed that Moroccans have, for several years, ranked among the largest groups of foreign students admitted to Ecole Polytechnique, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions.
Master’s programs account for 56% of enrollments, followed by bachelor’s programs and doctoral studies. Campus France also reported that around 14% of Moroccan students pursue engineering.
The new measures represent a hard blow to Moroccan students, many of whom have long viewed France as an accessible destination for higher education.
