Conseil Départemental de la Sarthe - Department Student Loans

Sarthe student loan of honour (Prêt d'Honneur)

You will receive an interest-free loan of 1,000 EUR to 3,000 EUR, paid as a one-off sum to support you whilst you are studying. This is not a grant: you must repay the full amount, without interest, in November of the fourth year following receipt. You may apply to spread the repayment over one or two additional years. The programme is administered by the Conseil Départemental de la Sarthe, the regional authority for the Sarthe department in France. The exact amount is determined by a points-based system that takes into account your parents’ income and your family circumstances, so that families on lower incomes receive a higher amount.

Who can apply

• Study level: You are at Master’s degree level 1 (bac+4) or above, which corresponds to at least the fourth year of a university degree.
• Where your parents live: Your parents live in the Sarthe region and pay their taxes there. If you are married or in a civil partnership (PACS), you must live in the Sarthe region yourself, pay your taxes there and provide evidence of your own income.
• Type of study: You are studying full-time at a state-recognised institution authorised to accept scholarship holders from the national scholarship programme. Distance learning does not count.
• No long break: You have not been away from your training for more than two years.
• Field of study: Open to all disciplines.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.
• A guarantor: A person who is in a position to take on the repayment – whether or not they are a family member – must agree to act as guarantor and provide their tax assessment notice.
• One loan only: You may only take out this loan once during your entire course of study.

How to apply

You should submit your application to the ‘Mission Enseignement Supérieur’ of the Conseil Départemental de la Sarthe. There is no set deadline, so you can submit your application at any time of the year. Each application is assessed by the department’s ‘Commission Permanente’.

How realistic are your chances?

This loan is subject to strict regional restrictions: your parents must live in the Sarthe and pay tax there, and you must already be studying for a Master’s degree, so there is very little competition for it. If you meet these conditions and can name a guarantor who will be responsible for the repayment, your chances are good. Bear in mind that this is money you will have to repay in full, not a gift; so first consider whether standard scholarships might be an option.