The number of students from France attending universities in Brussels and Wallonia is growing year by year, according to research from Bruzz.
There are already some 20,000 French students in the country, 5,000 of them alone at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
The reason, according to the Dutch-language news outlet, is that students rejected from French universities find it easier to be admitted to Belgian ones.
Belgian universities are safety schools for French students
French 22-year-old Élodie Mass came to Brussels in September to follow a master's programme in international relations at ULB.
While it was not initially her plan to study abroad, she had no other choice: “I applied to 15 master's programmes, but I was not accepted anywhere.”
And Élodie is not alone. “At the beginning of the school year, the professor asked if there were any foreign students. A lot of people raised their hands. Then he asked who was French, and at least half the students were still sitting with their hands in the air.”
A report on the French channel TF1 spoke of an “exodus of young students who cannot find a place in France,” but said it is a misconception that French students would come to Belgium for financial reasons, as it is cheaper to study in France.
Élodie would have to pay €170 in her home country. Scholarship students do not have to pay anything at all. At ULB, she pays €835.
French admission system largely to blame
The 'exodus' is mainly due to the varying admission systems. In 2018, a new application procedure to allocate places in higher education was implemented in France.
Those who wish to continue their studies must submit an application file including school result us, final projects and a motivation letter. These files are then processed and applicants are informed in June whether or not they have been accepted.
A similar system exists for Master's programmes but is much more complex.
Credit: Belga
“It is really exhausting,” said Élodie. “Each university has a different deadline and asks for different documents. Moreover, there is no platform on which this information is bundled. So it's a lot of work to sort it all out. If you do that and end up being rejected everywhere, it's very disappointing.”
The revamped admission system has received a lot of criticism, mainly because it prevents many young people from studying what they want. French universities are also said to not be transparent about why students are not admitted.
“They never explicitly say why. The excuse is usually that our marks are not good enough, while they are usually quite high,” Élodie told Bruzz, and therefore many French people therefore choose to move to Belgium.
Increases in French students across the board
All French-speaking universities and colleges are seeing an increase in the number of French students. The proportion of French students is particularly high in disciplines such as psychology, medicine and political science.
At ULB, there are some 5,000 French students out of a total of 36,000. In five years' time, the number of French students at the university has increased by 25%.
According to ULB Rector Annemie Schaus, the French government must take appropriate measures. “Either the French state should review its rules for access to higher education, or contribute to the financing of studies in Belgium,” Schaus told TF1.
The cabinet of Education Minister at the French Community Valérie Glatigny (MR) considers the presence of French students at Belgian universities and colleges an asset, but also a challenge: “We must meet this challenge, taking into account the principle of free movement of people in the European Union,” said spokesperson Olivier Schotte.
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“Free movement benefits all students. Our students can also study in other European countries. That is why we believe that the appropriate solution must be found at the European level. Minister Glatigny has already raised the issue with Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Education, and will continue to do so.”
Currently, there is a 30% limit on foreign students in certain disciplines like medicine and speech therapy, but Belgium is considering expanding such a cap to other disciplines.
According to the TF1 report, the education of French students costs the French Community €150 million annually, although that is not quite right according to Glatigny's cabinet: “It is not correct to speak of direct costs. Higher education works with a closed budget, which means that the total budget is fixed, regardless of the number of students.”
The French-speaking higher education system will be structurally refinanced, with an additional €50 million this year, €70 million in 2023 and €80 million in 2024.
