France Faces Dual Crisis in Education Amid Purchasing Power Decline and Soaring University Fees for Non-European Students

France is grappling with a severe crisis impacting its education sector, exacerbated by a decline in purchasing power and controversial policy changes. Students and educators alike highlight critical issues ranging from underfunding, teacher shortages, and rising poverty to sharply increased university tuition fees for non-European students.

Since 2017, the budget per student in France’s education system has plummeted by 20% in real terms, due to a 22% inflation rate and a 15% rise in student enrollment, reveals economist Thomas Piketty. This underfunding has led to severe teacher shortages, especially in disadvantaged areas where up to half the teachers are inexperienced or contractual, and salaries are roughly 20% lower than in wealthier regions. These shortages, combined with deteriorating public services, have sparked widespread student protests demanding increased resources and highlighted systemic inequalities in French education. Additionally, the national poverty rate has surged to 15.4%, the highest since 1996, further straining families and pushing many toward private education options.

Compounding this crisis is a policy change introduced in September 2026 that multiplies university tuition fees for non-European students sixteen-fold. The new fees now approximate the average French salary, creating a formidable financial barrier. This hike disproportionately affects African students, who comprise nearly half the foreign student population in France. Hamit Wachi Allatchi, president of the Collectif des étudiants extracommunautaires at the University of Strasbourg, has condemned this increase as discriminatory, underscoring the exclusionary impact of the measure.

Political parties heading into the 2027 elections are polarized on solutions, with the far-right Rassemblement National advocating austerity and public spending cuts, while left-wing groups like La France Insoumise push for greater public investment funded by taxing the wealthy.

The convergence of these economic and policy challenges paints a daunting picture for French education, with ongoing protests and political debate shaping the country’s approach to restoring equity and adequacy in its schools and universities.