Algerians criticize the tuition fees in France

Algerian students criticize the high cost of education at the University of Le Havre. These newly registered students are particularly protesting the increase in tuition fees and claim that they were not informed about this decision in time. Organized collectively, these foreign students appealed to the president of the university and local elected officials and asked for help.

This year, Algerian students who came to study at the University of Le Havre in France are experiencing an ordeal: registration fees have increased dramatically. They believe that they were not warned during this increase; This is confirmed by Assia Arab, an Algerian student and spokesperson of the International Students’ Collective. “Personally, I was notified very late, 2 months after confirming my selection. I was already packing my bags,” he says on France 3’s microphone.

Indeed, the ministerial decree obliges students from non-EU countries to pay the registration fee. 2770 euros in license and 3770 euros in master’s degree, compared to 170 and 243 euros respectively for European students. This decree, which is part of the new reform of the higher snow cover in France, has been approved by the Council of State and has already been implemented by many French universities during the 2021-2022 academic year. Other universities had to wait for the new academic year to implement this increase.

Moreover, following the implementation of this new ministerial order, several non-EU students, including Algerians, suffered from this increase in tuition fees during the last academic year. The same decree stipulates that the number of non-EU students who can benefit from this exemption from registration fees cannot exceed 10% of the total number of registered students. A decision that the University of Le Havre, which has 22% foreign students, decided to apply at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.

Algerian students have protested against the increase in tuition fees at the University of Le Havre

However, about 250 foreign students who entered this university this year say that this decision was not made in time. This is the work of Anis Guers, an Algerian student studying Master 1 Electronics, electrical energy and automotive. He claims he was accepted by the University of Le Havre on April 30 and confirmed his enrollment on the same day. “I was informed about the increase in tuition fees on July 4, so it’s a little over 2 months late,” he protests.

In his statement to France 3 Region, this Algerian student explains that when he heard about this increase in tuition fees, he already started applying for a visa. Anis explains that she had to pay about 4,000 euros for her education. “In our case, we cannot choose universities where fees are multiplied by 16. “I’m in a master’s degree and I have to pay 3,770 euros,” he says.

Anis, a young man who arrived in Le Havre, finds himself in a difficult situation. Therefore, he decided to work, but his situation does not allow him, because he does not have a residence permit yet. Most of the Algerians entering the University of Le Havre are in difficult circumstances and can no longer invest in their education. “From the point of view of research, it is disturbing, stressful. We can’t concentrate because there is so much pressure,” says student Assia Arab.

The president of the University of Le Havre defends himself

Faced with this situation, foreign students seized the president of the University of Le Havre and elected officials of the Havre basin. “Many of us can no longer afford rent, rent, transportation, clothing, worse, food… Others sleep on the street, others sleep left or right. We are trying to survive! A group of international students from Le Havre writes in a letter.

For his part, the president of Le Havre University, Pedro Lages Dos Santos, explains in his answer to foreign students that the increase in tuition fees is related to the decree of the ministry, which is valid at the level of all French universities. He also claims that the students were informed in time. “I would also like to strongly reject the allegation that there was a sudden change in the rules regarding the exemption procedures and that the students registered for the start of the 2022 academic year were not informed about the new conditions. […] from their tuition fees,” he wrote in his letter to foreign students.