France to Strengthen Higher Tuition for Foreign Students, a Trend Adopted by Multiple Nations
The French government plans to reinforce its 'differentiated tuition fee' system for non-EU students, a move criticized by some but aligning with a global trend. Countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Canada have already implemented similar policies, often citing financial and immigration reasons.
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- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 23:15
- 🔍 Collected: April 29, 2026 at 23:31 (16 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 01:57 (2h 25m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Tseng Yi-hsuan, Paris, 29th) The French government intends to further implement the "differentiated tuition fee" system for non-EU students, meaning foreign students pay more tuition than local students. This measure has drawn some criticism, but France is not an exception, as many countries worldwide have already adopted similar systems.
France implemented this system in 2019, but some universities adopted large-scale fee waivers, so the system did not achieve the government's expected effect.
Le Figaro reported today that French Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste stated earlier in April that differentiated tuition fees for non-EU students could no longer be waived. This means that non-EU students in bachelor's programs would have to pay 2,895 Euros (approximately NT$107,000) per year, while French or other EU students only pay 178 Euros.
The Student Union initiated a protest on social media for the 30th, condemning this decision as a "racist attack, attempting to exclude students from universities based on nationality," and demanding the government revoke the decision.
France Universités also criticized the Ministry of Higher Education's decision in a statement on the 22nd, stating that this measure "goes against the humanistic values of openness and inclusivity."
However, the report points out that France is not the only country implementing a differentiated tuition fee system. In Europe, Nordic countries were the first to implement similar policies.
Denmark ended free tuition for non-EU students as early as 2006; Sweden and Finland followed suit in 2011 and 2017, respectively; Norway also followed suit in 2023. In these countries, tuition fees vary greatly between different schools, ranging from several thousand Euros to over 15,000 Euros per year.
Germany also generally had free tuition, but in 2017, Baden-Württemberg set a precedent by charging non-European residents 3,000 Euros in tuition fees.
In the UK, tuition fees for foreign students have always been higher, averaging 22,000 British Pounds (approximately NT$940,000) per year, about twice that of British students.
Canada, across the Atlantic, also shows a similar trend. International students in Canada will pay about 5 times the tuition of local students this year, compared to 3.6 times 10 years ago.
The report analyzes that the continuous increase in tuition fees for foreign students is due to budget considerations. In May 2024, then Finnish Minister of Culture Sari Multala stated that the purpose of full fees was to improve the financial situation of higher education institutions.
In 2022, then Norwegian Minister of Higher Education Ola Borten Moe also told Parliament that the principle was reciprocity: "In the vast majority of cases, Norwegian students pay tuition fees when studying abroad, so there is no reason not to do the same locally."
The report mentions that Australia implements a similar policy, mainly to limit the number of foreign students, as the government believes there are too many foreign students due to housing shortages and increased living costs. The Canadian government website also states that the goal is to "alleviate pressure on housing, infrastructure, and public services" and to restore immigration levels to an "acceptable level."
Quebec's Minister of Higher Education Martine Biron, in an interview with Le Figaro Campus earlier in April, directly stated: "We want students who can successfully obtain diplomas, not students who come to Canada for 3 months and then give up or seek asylum."
French immigration expert Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti believes that differentiated tuition fees can prevent seeking education from becoming an immigration pathway. In addition, "high tuition fees send a strong signal to foreign students that the programs they are about to enroll in are of high quality, thus also helping to attract better students."
The French Ministry of Higher Education's decision to implement a differentiated tuition fee system allows foreign students to contribute more to university revenue and uses scholarships to guide foreign students into strategic fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, quantum technology, and biotechnology. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150429
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(Central News Agency reporter Tseng Yi-hsuan, Paris, 29th) The French government intends to further implement the "differentiated tuition fee" system for non-EU students, meaning foreign students pay more tuition than local students. This measure has drawn some criticism, but France is not an exception, as many countries worldwide have already adopted similar systems.
France implemented this system in 2019, but some universities adopted large-scale fee waivers, so the system did not achieve the government's expected effect.
Le Figaro reported today that French Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste stated earlier in April that differentiated tuition fees for non-EU students could no longer be waived. This means that non-EU students in bachelor's programs would have to pay 2,895 Euros (approximately NT$107,000) per year, while French or other EU students only pay 178 Euros.
The Student Union initiated a protest on social media for the 30th, condemning this decision as a "racist attack, attempting to exclude students from universities based on nationality," and demanding the government revoke the decision.
France Universités also criticized the Ministry of Higher Education's decision in a statement on the 22nd, stating that this measure "goes against the humanistic values of openness and inclusivity."
However, the report points out that France is not the only country implementing a differentiated tuition fee system. In Europe, Nordic countries were the first to implement similar policies.
Denmark ended free tuition for non-EU students as early as 2006; Sweden and Finland followed suit in 2011 and 2017, respectively; Norway also followed suit in 2023. In these countries, tuition fees vary greatly between different schools, ranging from several thousand Euros to over 15,000 Euros per year.
Germany also generally had free tuition, but in 2017, Baden-Württemberg set a precedent by charging non-European residents 3,000 Euros in tuition fees.
In the UK, tuition fees for foreign students have always been higher, averaging 22,000 British Pounds (approximately NT$940,000) per year, about twice that of British students.
Canada, across the Atlantic, also shows a similar trend. International students in Canada will pay about 5 times the tuition of local students this year, compared to 3.6 times 10 years ago.
The report analyzes that the continuous increase in tuition fees for foreign students is due to budget considerations. In May 2024, then Finnish Minister of Culture Sari Multala stated that the purpose of full fees was to improve the financial situation of higher education institutions.
In 2022, then Norwegian Minister of Higher Education Ola Borten Moe also told Parliament that the principle was reciprocity: "In the vast majority of cases, Norwegian students pay tuition fees when studying abroad, so there is no reason not to do the same locally."
The report mentions that Australia implements a similar policy, mainly to limit the number of foreign students, as the government believes there are too many foreign students due to housing shortages and increased living costs. The Canadian government website also states that the goal is to "alleviate pressure on housing, infrastructure, and public services" and to restore immigration levels to an "acceptable level."
Quebec's Minister of Higher Education Martine Biron, in an interview with Le Figaro Campus earlier in April, directly stated: "We want students who can successfully obtain diplomas, not students who come to Canada for 3 months and then give up or seek asylum."
French immigration expert Nicolas Pouvreau-Monti believes that differentiated tuition fees can prevent seeking education from becoming an immigration pathway. In addition, "high tuition fees send a strong signal to foreign students that the programs they are about to enroll in are of high quality, thus also helping to attract better students."
The French Ministry of Higher Education's decision to implement a differentiated tuition fee system allows foreign students to contribute more to university revenue and uses scholarships to guide foreign students into strategic fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology, quantum technology, and biotechnology. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150429
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, broadcasted publicly, transmitted publicly, or utilized without authorization.