France's 2027 budget proposes fees for non-scholarship BTS and prep-school enrolments

A finance bill draft for the 2027 budget reveals that the French government intends to levy registration fees on students who do not receive scholarships. The proposed amounts are €178 for a Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS) and €270 for enrollment in a classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles. Officials justify the move by calling the existing free tuition for these programmes a singularity within higher education and label the new fees as modest.

Preparatory students often already incur university registration costs and a €105 CVEC contribution for the 2026-2027 academic year, so the change may not be entirely new for them, whereas BTS students would face a novel charge. The government notes that the primary challenge for BTS students remains securing work-study placements rather than tuition costs. Further details are expected as the legislation proceeds.