APL for Foreign Students 2026 — Who Is Still Eligible and What Changes on 1 July
The APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) is a major part of many students' budgets in France. But from 1 July 2026, the eligibility of some foreign students changes. There's a lot of confusion about who is affected and who isn't — this article sets out the facts, neutrally.
⚠ Disclaimer
This article is for general information and has no legal value. The practical terms may evolve during implementation. Always check your eligibility and amount on caf.fr or service-public.fr. Current as of June 2026.
📖 What is the APL?
The APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement) is a housing benefit paid by the CAF to people who pay rent in France. The amount is calculated case by case based on rent, income, location and type of housing; students could receive it under conditions. With the ALS and ALF, it is referred to collectively as "aides au logement" (housing aid).
What changes on 1 July 2026
The measure is set out in article 179 of the 2026 finance law (loi de finances 2026), adopted in February 2026. From 1 July 2026, students who are nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland and who do not hold a social-criteria scholarship (bourse sur critères sociaux) can no longer receive housing aid (APL, ALS, ALF). France's higher-education ministry presents the measure as a refocusing of the scheme "to support those who need it most".
According to estimates put forward during the parliamentary debates, tens of thousands of students (of the order of 90,000–100,000 by those estimates) could lose this right on 1 July 2026. The social-criteria scholarship itself is subject to specific conditions — generally including a period of fiscal residence in France (often around two years), with exceptions depending on your situation: only about 2–3% of extra-European students (some 315,000) are estimated to qualify.
⚠️ Implementing decree pending: the law is adopted, but the practical terms (notably the fate of current beneficiaries) will be set by an implementing decree (décret). The Conseil constitutionnel added a reservation requiring the decree to take each student's personal situation into account. Information from the CAF prevails for your individual case.
Who is still eligible, who is not
| Situation | APL after 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Student who is an EU/EEA/Swiss national | ✅ Eligibility maintained |
| Holder of a social-criteria scholarship (bourse sur critères sociaux) — any nationality | ✅ Eligibility maintained |
| Non-EU national without a social-criteria scholarship | ❌ Excluded from 1 July 2026 |
| Doctoral student | ⚠️ No social-criteria scholarship exists for doctoral students: those with only a student residence permit and no thesis funding are concerned; funded doctoral students (contrat doctoral, CIFRE…) may be in a different situation — check with the CAF |
| Non-student foreigner (employee, family, etc.) | Rules separate from this measure — check with the CAF |
In short, the main people concerned are extra-European students without a social-criteria scholarship. Conversely, social-criteria scholarship holders and EU nationals are not affected.
How to know if you're concerned
- Nationality: are you an EU/EEA/Swiss national? → if yes, not concerned
- Social-criteria scholarship: do you hold a social-criteria scholarship (CROUS)? → if yes, not concerned (the treatment of other scholarships will be specified by decree and the CAF)
- If neither (non-EU + no social-criteria scholarship) → you are probably concerned from 1 July 2026
- Final check: your account or the simulator on caf.fr
💡 If you already receive the APL: your right may be reassessed at the date of application. Ask the CAF about the timeline that applies to you and plan your budget ahead.
What to do if you're no longer eligible
If you lose the right to the APL, here are concrete ways to lower your housing costs (this is not about guaranteeing a new benefit, but about structurally reducing the expense):
- CROUS housing: lower rents than the private market, so a lighter burden even without aid. Demand is very competitive — apply early.
- Scholarships: a social-criteria scholarship (CROUS) keeps APL eligibility. But it has specific conditions (often a period of fiscal residence in France, around two years, with exceptions), hard for a newly arrived non-EU student; recognition of other scholarships (French government, foundations, merit awards…) is still to be specified by decree and the CAF.
- Flatshare (colocation): the most common way to reduce the rent per person.
- Guarantee: with no guarantor, Visale (free public rental guarantee) makes signing the lease easier.
To find out what applies to your case, check with the CAF, the CROUS and your institution's international student office.
How to apply (if eligible)
If you remain eligible (EU national, social-criteria scholarship holder, etc.), the APL application is unchanged:
- Create an account on caf.fr, then make your application online
- Useful information/documents: lease, RIB, residence permit/visa, income information, etc.
- The APL generally applies from the month of the application (no retroactivity) → apply as soon as you move in
- The amount is calculated case by case → estimate it with the caf.fr simulator
💡 RIB first: receiving a benefit requires a French bank account. If you don't have one yet, see Opening a bank account in France.
📋 The admin checklist for your case
Pick your visa type, city and needs — your exact document list in 60 seconds.
Create my checklist →FAQ
Q1. I'm an extra-European student with no scholarship: will I lose the APL in July?
You probably fall within the scope of the measure (non-EU + no social-criteria scholarship). The terms and exact timeline depend on your case: check with the CAF. If you already receive the aid, ask for the date of application to plan your budget.
Q2. I already receive the APL. Does it stop immediately?
Your right may be reassessed at the date of application. The precise terms (the fate of current beneficiaries) will be set by decree. CAF information prevails; this article is for information only.
Q3. Does being a scholarship holder keep the APL?
Holders of a social-criteria scholarship will keep their eligibility. But it has specific conditions (often around two years of fiscal residence, with exceptions), hard for a newly arrived non-EU student; the treatment of other scholarships (French government/BGF, bilateral) will be specified by decree and the CAF. Note: there is no social-criteria scholarship for doctoral students, so those with only a student permit and no thesis funding are concerned, while funded doctoral students (contrat doctoral, CIFRE…) may differ — check with the CAF.
Q4. Are salarié or family visas affected?
This measure targets students. Housing aid for non-student foreigners (employees, families, etc.) follows separate rules: check your situation with the CAF.
Summary
- From 1 July 2026: non-EU students without a social-criteria scholarship are excluded from housing aid (article 179, 2026 finance law)
- EU students and social-criteria scholarship holders: eligibility maintained
- Doctoral students: no social-criteria scholarship exists for them; those without thesis funding (student permit only) are concerned — check with the CAF
- Non-student foreigners: separate rules — check with the CAF
- If concerned: CROUS housing, flatshare, Visale to reduce the expense
- Always check your situation on caf.fr; the terms will be specified by decree
For the exact documents for your visa and situation, create your checklist in 60 seconds on Settli.
This article is for general information. For your specific situation, check on caf.fr or service-public.fr.
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