A student's budget
Going away to study often means managing a budget on your own for the first time. Between rent, groceries and the unexpected costs of the start of the year, it is not always easy to know where the money goes. This article goes through the expenses to plan for, a method for spreading them over the year, and the public aid that lightens the bill.
In brief
At Excelia Business School, a student budget is built by setting your income against your expenses, from rent, the biggest item, to the one-off costs of the start of the year.
Several public schemes lighten it: the Crous meal at a very low price, open to all students, personalised housing assistance (APL) for renting your home, and means-tested scholarships.
What expenses should you plan for as a student?
Rent remains the biggest item in a student budget, but it is not the only one: it is often the start-of-year costs and the small recurring expenses that derail a budget that looked well prepared on paper.
Before you leave, draw up the list of your expense items so that you can look ahead over the whole year:
- Housing and bills: rent, water, electricity, home insurance
- Food: groceries and meals eaten out
- Transport: season ticket, fuel, upkeep
- Phone and internet
- Health: supplementary health insurance, routine care
- Equipment: computer, supplies
- Leisure: nights out, activities, student societies
- Start-of-year costs: deposit, first month's rent, furnishing your home
This last category is the one people underestimate most, since it is concentrated into a single month.
How do you build your student budget month by month?
A monthly budget is built in two columns, on your own or with your parents: your income on one side, your expenses on the other.
On the income side, list what comes in each month: family support, a student job, a scholarship, housing aid, or a salary if you are on a work-study basis. On the expenses side, distinguish what is fixed, such as rent and subscriptions, from what varies, such as groceries and nights out: this distinction lets you plan ahead rather than have things happen to you.
Annual expenses, for their part, are spread over twelve months: a start-of-year contribution or a one-off piece of equipment weighs less once it is divided up month after month. Finally, keep a margin for the unexpected, however modest: it is what prevents an overdraft in February.
Which expenses are compulsory at the start of the year?
Two expenses are due before the first week of classes even begins.
First, the CVEC (Student and Campus Life Contribution): according to etudiant.gouv.fr, it amounts to €105 for the 2026/2027 academic year, and you must pay it in order to enrol in higher education. If you receive a scholarship, you are exempt.
Then the tuition fees, the amount of which depends on the institution and the programme chosen: the cost of a business school explains how they are made up.
The exact amount depends on your programme and your campus: calculate your study fees on the Excelia Group website to include it in this budget.
Housing: how can you lighten the biggest item in your budget?
Studio, shared flat, student residence: the choice depends on your budget and on the lifestyle you are looking for.
- The studio: privacy and independence, often the most expensive per square metre
- The shared flat: shared bills, more space
- The student residence: services included and a sense of community
Every Excelia Business School campus offers student housing solutions: it is best to start your search early. Life and housing on our campuses introduce each city.
The main way to lighten this item remains the APL: according to service-public.gouv.fr, you may receive it if you rent your main residence in approved housing. You then declare your income, and your parents stop receiving family benefits for you. Since 1st July 2026, this aid has been restricted for students who are nationals of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. It remains available to them if they receive a scholarship, if they work, or if they are on an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract.
Food: how can you eat on a small budget?
Since 4 May 2026, the State has offered a €1 meal in all Crous restaurants, open to all students, apprentices and work-study students, including holders of a trades student card. It includes a main course and up to two sides: enough to cover a full meal several times a week without blowing the food budget.
The rest of the budget is decided day by day: the habits that reduce this item most durably remain planning your shopping and cooking for yourself, rather than stringing together takeaways.
Which aid and income can help you balance your budget?
Means-tested scholarships are the first aid to check: according to etudiant.gouv.fr, they have eight levels, and their annual amount, for 2026/2027, ranges from €1,454 to €6,335, paid over ten months. Scholarships and aid to finance your studies details the other schemes you can call on.
A student job also adds to your income, without weighing on your studies if the pace stays reasonable: combining a job and your studies explains how to organise it.
Work-study changes another element of the budget: it brings you a salary, and the company that hosts you covers a large part of your tuition fees. Several programmes offer work-study at Excelia Business School, including the Bachelor in Business, open to work-study in the third year.
Discover work-study at Excelia Business School
Frequently asked questions
- What are a student's main expenses?
A student budget covers housing and bills, food, transport, phone and internet, health, equipment and leisure. On top of this come one-off start-of-year expenses, such as the deposit or the first month's rent, which weigh mainly on the first month.
- How do you make a monthly student budget?
List your income on one side, family support, job, scholarship or work-study salary, and your expenses on the other, fixed ones such as rent or variable ones such as groceries. Spread your annual expenses over twelve months and keep a margin for the unexpected: it is what prevents an overdraft.
- Can you receive APL as a student?
Yes, if you rent your main residence in approved housing, you can receive personalised housing assistance. You then declare your income, and your parents stop receiving family benefits for you. The conditions vary depending on your situation, in particular for international students: service-public.gouv.fr sets out the rules that apply.
- How can a student eat on a small budget?
Crous restaurants offer a meal at a very low social price, open to all students, including apprentices and work-study students. Day to day, planning your shopping and cooking for yourself remain the habits that reduce this item most durably.
- Does a student's budget change depending on the city?
Yes: rent, the biggest item in the budget, varies greatly from one city to another depending on how tight the rental market is. Every Excelia Business School campus offers several housing solutions, to choose from according to your budget and your lifestyle.
