Conseil Départemental de la Creuse - Department Student Loans

Creuse department student loan (Prêt d'honneur étudiant)

You will receive a grant of interest-free loan of up to 2,000 EUR per school year, totalling up to 6,000 euros over three academic years. This is awarded by the Conseil Départemental de la Creuse, the local authority for the Creuse department in central France. The exact amount depends on your family’s income and on how much of your study costs you still have to cover yourself. You do not have to repay anything whilst you are studying. Repayment begins three years after you complete your studies – or earlier, if you wish – in monthly instalments of at least 80 EUR. As this is a loan rather than a grant, you must name a guarantor: a person who agrees to make the repayments on your behalf should you be unable to do so.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a student at a higher education institution. Vocational training or further education does not count towards this.
• Field of study: Any topic is fine.
• Age: You are under 30.
• Local link: You or your parents have been living in the Creuse department for at least 3 years.
• Where you study: Your degree programme, study placement or integrated work placement takes place in a country of the European Union.
• Income: Your family income is below a threshold which increases depending on the size of your household – from around 20,000 euros per year for a small household up to 55,000 euros for larger households.

How to apply

Please request the application forms from the Office for Schoolchildren and Young People at the local authority in Guéret (Direction des Collèges, de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Vie Étudiante). Please submit them by 31 December of the relevant school year.

How realistic are your chances?

This loan is aimed at a select group: you or your parents must have lived in the small department of Creuse for at least three years, and your family income must be below the upper limit. This means that the number of people eligible remains small. If you clearly meet the residence and income criteria and can provide a guarantor, your chances are good. Bear in mind, however, that this is a loan that you will have to repay, not a grant that you can keep.