STUDYING for a degree in France is inexpensive compared to the UK, however a range of grants and loans is nonetheless available to help with fees and living costs.

The cost of a French degree is €171 a year for a standard undergraduate course (or €114 for the reduced rate - taux réduit - for those doing more than one degree course at a time). Courses are typically for three years.

Certainly this is a cheaper bet for children of British expats than going back to the UK where tuition fees are more than £3,000 a year. Note that students should not be charged the higher “international” fees in the UK if they have been resident in an EU state for the last three years.

The standard fee for a master’s in France is €231 (€153 taux réduit). Fees vary for certain courses, notably in medicine and engineering but they are still very low by UK standards. Though French fees - called frais or droits d'inscription (or de scolarité) - are modest, several years of higher education still involves significant costs, especially for those not living with parents.

Help comes in various forms, some of which are means tested. For the main ones (as well as for a request for university accommodation) there is an April 30 deadline for the year in which you will start your course.

To be eligible for these, you have to create a dossier social étudiant (DSE) over the internet by going to the site for the Crous (centre régional des oeuvres universitaires et scolaires) for the académie (education authority) area where you will study. A Crous is a public body which helps people with a range of practical matters concerning university life.

They have a national umbrella body, Cnous, whose site is www.cnous.fr

Exoneration from fees: Those students who get a state grant also pay no fees and others can also apply to be exonerated at the university's discretion, based on personal circumstances, eg. refugees and people who have been made redundant.

Social security: Students, from the age of 20, have to pay a cotisation à la securité sociale étudiante of €198/year. People with grants are also exonerated from this.

Social criteria grants: There are seven possible levels of grant based on “social criteria,” meant to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds - bourses d'enseignement supérieur sur critères sociaux. The amount given is worked out according to factors including the income of the household of the student’s parents or legal guardians, how far away they live from the place of study and how many other children they have. The levels go from €1,445 per year for level one to €4,140 for level six. There is also a level zero, which means you get no grant, but are exonerated from fees and social security charges.

Merit grants: The aide au mérite is an extra top-up grant (a monthly payment of €200) for students already getting a social grant or those who come under the Sesame scheme. The Sesame scheme relates to students who have no grant (they are not an étudiant boursier) but their family is below income tax thresholds and they applied for a DSE before the deadline. The merit grant is meant to promote excellence and is given at university entrance level to those who got a mention très bien in the baccalauréat or at master's level for those who are among their year’s best graduates.

Mobility grants: Aides à la mobilité are a top-up grant for people who get social grants or who are under the Sesame scheme and are going abroad for study as a part of their course. This is €400 a month and relevant students are selected for it on an annual basis by their universities.

Emergency grants: There is a fund set aside to help, either for a certain occasion or for a university year, when needs arise. It is for students suddenly faced with serious difficulties or those who have ongoing problems such as a difficult family situation. The student has to ask for help from his or her crous, which makes a decision on allocation.

Student loans: Most banks offer students loans, at varying amounts and rates, usually requiring the student to put forward a parent as a guarantor (to pay if they do not). From the university year 2008-2009 a new system of state-guaranteed student loans has been put in place. Banks must allocate these regardless of a student's resources and without a guarantor (caution). Repayment of this latter type of loan must be within ten years. Local education authorities (rectorats) may also offer prêts d'honneur - loans to help out people experiencing difficulties. Universities will have information on these. The Fondation de France also offers a small number of loans and grants to students whose course is in a field that is innovative or creative.

Housing benefit: Students may get aide personnalisée au logement and the allocation logement à caractère social. These are allocated by your local caisse d'allocations familiales, on the student’s “social” criteria (means, family situation etc). If these are chosen parents will no longer receive family allowance for the student.

Other grants: Students going to study at a university in a country belonging to the Council of Europe can get social grants under the same criteria as the French ones.

One-off placement abroad:A travel grant can be given to students doing an obligatory placement (for example in a firm or laboratory) outside mainland France for at least a month. These can be allocated by your local académie depending on funds available.

Complimentary Erasmus grant: Students studying outside France under the Erasmus exchange scheme can get a grant to help with this. They should make enquiries with their university.

Local authority grants:Some mairies offer their own grants and loans.

The Connexion's December issue takes an in-depth look at how to enrol your French children in a British university and the financial help available. Find your nearest stockist here.