Student Move: All Packed, Stress-Free.

Starting your studies often means moving to a new city. This can be a stressful step, but don’t worry—here are some tips to help you prepare for your student move and approach this new chapter with peace of mind.

Take Care of Administrative Tasks

A few days or even weeks before moving into your new accommodation, you’ll need to handle some administrative tasks such as:

• choosing an energy supplier: you can use an energy comparison tool to find the supplier that best fits your needs and your apartment’s characteristics;
• taking out home insurance;
• changing your address with various public services (Health Insurance, CAF, etc.).

Find Financial Support for Students

To help reduce the costs—especially as a student—that a move can bring, there are several types of support available. You’ll find both student moving support and social assistance.

Parcoursup Mobility Grant

Worth €500, this grant is for students who were previously scholarship holders in high school and have been accepted into a course outside their home region. You must apply directly on the website.

Master’s Mobility Grant

This €1,000 grant is for scholarship students who have completed their bachelor’s degree or receive a special annual grant for students in difficulty, and who are enrolling for the first time in the first year of a master’s degree in a different region from where they completed their bachelor’s. More information: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34343

Mobili-Jeune Grant

If you are under 30, in a work-study programme, and earn a salary less than or equal to the gross minimum wage, you can apply for this support from Action Logement to help pay part of your rent. It lasts for the duration of your training and ranges from €10 to €100 per month. Check your eligibility.

The Visale Guarantee

This is a rental guarantee for young tenants aged 18 to 30, helping to cover unpaid rent. Action Logement pays the landlord directly and is then reimbursed by the tenant. The guarantee is free and covers up to thirty-six months of unpaid rent. Website: https://www.visale.fr/

Solidarity Housing Fund Support

This support is for young people under 25. It can be a grant or a loan and covers costs for accessing accommodation (security deposit, first rent, moving and agency fees, energy connection) or those related to living in the new accommodation (unpaid rent, service charges, energy bills, etc.). It is awarded based on the applicant’s income, but the conditions vary by department. Apply through the CAF or the Departmental Housing Information Agency.

CROUS Support

If you meet certain criteria (social, academic, nationality, etc.), you can apply for a CROUS grant. The annual grant can exempt you, depending on your situation, from university registration fees, among other things.

Social Housing Allowance (ALS)

If you have a low income, you can apply for support from the CAF such as the Social Housing Allowance (ALS).

Please check carefully whether the support options you are interested in can be combined.

Plan Your Future Energy Expenses

To reduce your daily costs, you can start by saving energy. This means choosing a good supplier, as mentioned earlier, but also adopting habits or making small installations as soon as you move in.

So, remember to:

• avoid overheating your flat; the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) recommends a temperature of 19°C in living rooms and 17°C in bedrooms;
• install reflective film behind each radiator to better distribute heat;
• unplug devices on standby: even in standby mode, they still use electricity—so-called “phantom consumption” (TV, computer, internet box, chargers, toaster, etc.);
• use a power strip with a switch to turn off all devices at once;
• use the “eco” programme on your washing machine or choose cold washes for laundry.