Mines Saint-Etienne Alumni - Student Loans Scheme

What you get

You will receive an interest-free loan of approximately 2,500 EUR (usually between 2,000 and 3,000 EUR) to help you complete your engineering degree at Mines Saint-Étienne should you encounter financial difficulties. This is a ‘prêt d’honneur’ (honour loan): you promise on your honour to repay the loan as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the eighth year following the start of your studies. No interest is charged and no collateral is required. The amount is linked to the official French cost-of-living index (INSEE), so your repayments will keep pace with inflation. If you miss the 8-year deadline, 3 percentage points will be added to this indexation for each additional year from the ninth year onwards. The loan is provided by ‘Mines Saint-Étienne Alumni’, the university’s alumni association. The association also offers short-term cash advances for one-off needs, such as a delayed scholarship payment or the bank guarantee required by an international student to obtain a student visa.

Who can apply

• Programme: You are a student on the ICM (Mining Engineering) or ISMIN (Microelectronics and Computer Systems Engineering) degree programme at Mines Saint-Étienne.
• Financial need: You are facing financial difficulties that are putting your studies at risk. In your application, you must set out your income and expenditure in a financial plan covering all three years. You must also list any other loans, grants or advance payments that you have already received or are applying for.
• Conduct and results: Your academic performance and conduct must be satisfactory; otherwise, the committee may refuse to grant the loan.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.

How to apply

Please submit the application form for the honorary loan, together with a signed letter explaining your situation, at the beginning of November. The loans committee will meet at the end of November to decide who will receive a loan.

How realistic are your chances?

This loan is available exclusively to current ICM and ISMIN students at a university who can demonstrate a genuine financial need, meaning there are only a few applicants competing for it. If you clearly meet these criteria and can provide evidence of your financial situation, your chances are good. Bear in mind, however, that this is a loan which you will have to repay, not a grant, and that the final decision rests with the committee.