France opens €1 university meals to all students

France has opened its €1 university meal scheme to all students, extending a subsidy that had previously been limited to scholarship holders and those officially in financial hardship.

The change took effect on 4 May in university restaurants run by Crous, the public student welfare network. A standard meal had usually cost €3.30. Ministers say the expansion is meant to ease pressure on student budgets after repeated warnings about food insecurity on campus.

The urgency is clear. Reporting cited by the Guardian said a January survey by a student union organisation found that 48% of students had gone without food for financial reasons, and 23% had done so several times a month. The French government allocated about €50 million in the 2026 budget to support the broader rollout.

Le Monde, reporting from a campus north of Paris, found enthusiasm among students who said the lower price would cut their monthly spending. But it also reported concern from catering staff, who expect much heavier demand when the academic year resumes in September. The ministry is preparing for that pressure with extra hiring across the network, while treating the May launch as an early test before the autumn rush.

GOING FURTHER

• France serves up €1 meals to all university students in bid to cut hardship | THE GUARDIAN

• €1 meals tested by students and staff on the Villetaneuse campus, a practice run ahead of the next academic year | LE MONDE

• France, le repas à un euro est désormais ouvert à tous les étudiants | EURONEWS

Sources:

▪ This piece was first published in Europeans TODAY on 10 May 2026.

▪ Cover: Dreamstime/KORWEN.