General Council of Charente - Student Emergency Grants

Charente student emergency grant

You will receive a one-off payment of up to 500 EUR if you find yourself in serious financial hardship whilst studying. The exact amount depends on how many of the local authority’s criteria apply to your situation: 500 EUR if you meet 8 or 9, 400 EUR if you meet 6 or 7, and 350 EUR if you meet 4 or 5. These criteria include a supporting assessment from a social worker, the parents’ taxable income being less than 39,086 EUR, a place of residence more than 100 km away from the parental home, existing student debt, and the fact that you did not receive this grant last year. The funds come from the Charente Departmental Council (Conseil départemental de la Charente) in south-west France, which runs the programme to help local students going through a difficult period.

Who can apply

• Family home: Your parents or legal guardians are officially registered in the Charente department (number 16).
• Level: You are studying at a university, for example on a Licence (Bachelor’s) or Master’s degree programme.
• Field of study: Any subject.
• Financial need: You are in genuine financial difficulty, and a social worker from the CROUS (state student support service) or your local authority can confirm this.
• Grant status: Either you receive state financial support from the CROUS at level 0 or higher, or you do not receive any state financial support, fall under level 28 and do not receive either unemployment benefit or the activity bonus (prime d’activité).

How to apply

You should submit your application online via the “Subventions16” portal, which you can access via the department’s website under ‘Vos démarches’. There is no fixed deadline. Complete applications will be assessed in the order in which they are received and then forwarded to the Council’s Education Committee for a decision.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is aimed at a small target group: students whose families live in the Charente and who can demonstrate genuine financial hardship. There are very few applicants. If your parents live in this department and a social worker is supporting your case, your chances are good. As applications are processed in the order in which they are received, it is to your advantage to submit your complete application documents well in advance.