Financial assistance
COST
Even if you’re lucky enough to attend a public university, higher education is expensive—and even more so if you’re an international student! So we’ve put together some information on the costs you can expect and the financial aid you may be eligible for based on your situation (3 categories: various forms of aid / CROUS scholarships / international students).
PS: It’s important to plan for the costs that arise at the start of the school year before financial aid is disbursed, such as a security deposit for housing, application fees, home insurance, a public transportation pass, etc.
You can find an estimated budget in this document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YUsKLH_xNlRAf58my00onAtozf7T1RIA/view?usp=sharing
You can also find information mentioned below regarding tuition fees and the CVEC, as well as financial aid provided by INSA.
Please note: some costs may vary from year to year and may not be up to date, and the rent for INSA housing was much lower this year for first-year students (€240/month).
Various forms of assistance
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CVEC
➤ Certain students are exempt from paying the CVEC (approximately €100): Students receiving grants (from the CROUS or the French government) or an annual allowance granted as part of specific annual financial aid programs; refugee students; students granted subsidiary protection; and students registered as asylum seekers who have the right to remain in the country. If you paid it without knowing you were exempt, you can get a refund: https://www.aide-sociale.fr/remboursement-cvec/
CROUS
➤ Starting in May 2026, the €1 meal at the CROUS will be available to all students (please revise the wording and/or clarify the conditions). If you don’t receive a scholarship or live off-campus, you’ll likely have a meal plan with plenty of credit at INSA’s dining halls (see practical information), so you probably won’t eat at the CROUS very often, but it can still come in handy!
To eat there, you’ll need to activate your IZLY account (you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to do this); you can also download the CROUS app to see what’s available around campus.
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➤ The INSA Foundation, in partnership with the Gaston Berger Institute and thanks to its sponsor VINCI, awards a welcome grant of €500 to all high school students receiving financial aid. For more information, visit: https://fondation.groupe-insa.fr/les-actions-bourses/bourses-daccueil-vinci/
➤ INSA also awards a number of scholarships based on various criteria, which can be found here: https://bourses-aides.insa-lyon.fr/fr/page/bourses-etou-exoneration-partielle-droits-dinscription-sur-criteres-sociaux. The application period does not open immediately at the start of the school year; you will receive an email when it begins.
➤If you received a high school scholarship during your senior year and INSA is located outside your academic region, you may be eligible for mobility assistance and receive €500. Here is the information and how to apply online: https://www.parcoursup.gouv.fr/preparer-sa-vie-etudiante/l-aide-la-mobilite-parcoursup-1667
➤ Some regions offer merit-based scholarships for certain honors on the BAC; be sure to check so you don’t miss out on this opportunity! Also, be sure to look into special offers from different banks, making sure to carefully review the terms and conditions.
TCL/SNCF
➤ TCL, Lyon’s public transportation service, offers passes for people aged 18–25, including an annual pass for Zones 1 and 2 for €250: https://www.tcl.fr/tickets-abonnements/titres-et-tarifs/18-25-ans-12-mois. (There is also a monthly pass or a pass with monthly direct debit; check the TCL website for details).
➤ The SNCF also offers numerous train deals, such as the Avantage Jeune card (https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com/fr/travel-with-us/in-france/main-line-fares/advantage-card/youth-advantage-card/) or the Max Jeune pass if you go home every weekend (https://www.maxjeune-tgvinoui.sncf/sncf-connect). If you travel home often, the EEA pass is also a good option: https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com/fr/voyagez-avec-nous/en-france/tarifs-grandes-lignes/eleves-etudiants-et-apprentis/; https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R65687. Finally, there are sometimes regional offers; you can find out more here: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34964
APL/CAF
➤ Many people are eligible for APL, which is housing assistance provided by the CAF. You can check the CAF website directly to find out if you’re eligible and how much you can receive each month to help cover your rent. Here is the link to the calculator: https://wwwd.caf.fr/wps/portal/caffr/aidesetdemarches/mesdemarches/faireunesimulation/lelogement#/preparation. However, it may not be “worth it” when you consider family benefits.
AID
➤ If you ever find yourself in an emergency situation, there is one-time emergency financial assistance available for students who experience a family crisis or sudden financial hardship during the academic year: https://bourses-aides.insa-lyon.fr/fr/rubrique/aides-financieres-durgence
➤ Finally, the INSA Lyon Student Union also offers great deals through various partnerships, so check out the Student Union’s Instagram account for more information.
For CROUS scholarship recipients
HOUSING
➤ Even though housing in INSA residence halls is guaranteed for all first- and second-year students, you may also be eligible for CROUS housing. INSA housing isn’t too expensive in general, so the rent is relatively comparable, but it also depends on the size of the CROUS housing, and you might prefer living alone rather than sharing a 17-square-meter space if you have the option… it’s up to you! It’s true that the atmosphere in the INSA dorms is really cool because we’re all together, but the CROUS housing is only a 5-minute walk away, so it’s not a big deal either.
CATERING
➤ In your first year, you normally have a choice between only two meal plans: the 5/7 and the 7/7 (see the practical information page). CROUS scholarship recipients can choose any of the meal plans available at INSA, even those not normally available to first-year students. You can view these meal plans in this document (first page—please note that the dates and prices do not apply to the 2026–2027 academic year): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B2Bb6QEFdCKOvYnTnH5MHk5pumVlOGNJ/view?usp=sharing
This lets you eat more affordably when you’re not dining at INSA’s restaurants; you can either cook at home or eat at CROUS restaurants around campus for €1. To do this, you’ll need to activate your IZLY account (you’ll receive an email with instructions); you can also download the CROUS app to see what’s available around campus.
What’s pretty convenient for scholarship recipients is to choose the “monthly” plan; you have a credit balance equivalent to one meal per school day, so you can have one meal at the RI and the other at the CROUS (but you can also arrange it differently—you use your balance whenever you want).
To change your meal plan, simply send an email to: accrest@insa-lyon.fr, attaching your final scholarship notification and specifying the meal plan you’ve chosen. Note: You can do this right before the start of the semester, but if you wait too long, you may have to pay for the first month of the meal plan like everyone else.
MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
➤ If you earned a "Very Good" grade on your high school diploma, you may be eligible for merit-based financial aid, which consists of 9 monthly payments per year for 3 years (this year, each payment was €100, but this amount may vary). You can find more information here: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1010
TCL
➤ TCL, Lyon’s public transportation service, offers discounted solidarity passes for scholarship recipients, including an annual pass for all zones for €105: https://www.tcl.fr/titres-et-tarifs/tous-les-titres-et-abonnements/solidaire-reduit-boursier-annuel. (There is also a monthly pass or a pass with monthly direct debit; check the TCL website for details.)
For international students
See the page https://www.insa-lyon.fr/fr/aides-financieres-1 (summary below)
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➤ The Diversity Scholarship is available to students enrolled in a dual degree program or on an exchange program who are from a partner university and are in a precarious financial situation or unable to afford to study abroad. You can find more information here: https://www.insa-lyon.fr/fr/bourse-diversity
➤ Various scholarships from Campus France: https://campusbourses.campusfrance.org/#/catalog
➤ For students who are not eligible for the CROUS scholarship and do not receive a scholarship from the French government, a foreign government, or a private source: depending on their financial situation, partial exemption from differentiated tuition fees, possibly supplemented by a scholarship of up to €2,500 per year: https://bourses-aides.insa-lyon.fr/fr/page/bourses-etou-exoneration-partielle-droits-dinscription-sur-criteres-sociaux
Well, young adventurer, we hope we've been able to help you!