France has launched one of the largest social initiatives in higher education in recent years. Around three million students across the country can now receive a full meal in university cafeterias for just one euro. Until now, that price applied only to students on low incomes or recipients of state aid, but the authorities have decided to extend the programme to all students without exception.
The decision was taken after studies showed that nearly half of students are sometimes forced to skip meals because of financial difficulties. The new system covers about 950 university restaurants. For one euro, students receive a full set meal.
The programme allows up to two full meals a day — either in the cafeteria or as takeaway. This is especially important for students who are not formally low-income but still have to watch their spending carefully. Before the reform, they paid 3.30 euros for a meal. Although that price had not changed for five years, it remained a significant expense for many.
The government plans to allocate 120 million euros to the initiative next year. At the same time, kitchen upgrades and additional staff recruitment are under way. French authorities see the project not only as support for students, but also as an investment in public health.
