France serves up €1 meals to all university students in effort to cut hardship
Ministers take action after survey shows almost half of students had gone without food for financial reasons
French universities have begun offering €1 (86p) meals to all students regardless of income in a measure designed to address financial hardship.
Student unions have been pushing to extend the €1 rate – down from the usual €3.30 – for a three-course meal to all students, which was previously only available to those with low incomes or receiving financial aid.
For Alexandre Ioannides, an 18-year-old student in Paris, the measure will drastically cut his monthly canteen expenses.
“I come here 20 times a month. That’s about €60. Whereas now, I’ll pay €20,” he said, adding the savings would go towards “going out or eating at a restaurant”.
The policy is targeted at alleviating financial strain for students in France, where a survey by a student union organisation in January found that 48% had gone without food for financial reasons and 23% did so several times a month.
About 667,000 students benefited from the €1 lunch scheme in 2024, a 5.3% increase from the previous year, with about 46.7m meals served at the discounted and standard €3.30 rates, according to the university restaurant operator Crous.
The government is preparing for a rise in demand, with the higher education minister, Philippe Baptiste, promising €120m in 2027 to back the scheme.
“It is a small internal revolution,” said Baptiste, who has promised to oversee the programme to ensure it does not lead to an excessive workload for canteen staff or a decline in food quality.
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