More and more students in French-speaking Belgium are relying on student jobs to finance their studies as a new tuition fee system pushes the maximum annual charge to €1,194.
Soaring student housing costs, transport, and course materials are already straining students. Some say their student jobs are no longer a source of extra spending money but are paramount to continuing their studies, La Dernière Heure (DH) reports.
Tuition fees in the French Community had been frozen since 2011, but under the new system, the amount paid is determined according to parents' income, with four rates applying across universities, university colleges and higher arts schools.
Students receiving grants pay no tuition fees, while those in the other income categories pay €374, €835 or the full €1,194. Students from outside the European Union must pay an additional €4,175 on top of the full rate.
Nassim, who is starting the first year of a master's degree in law at ULB, told DH he has to pay the full €1,194 despite considering his family middle class. "I am not rich enough to be comfortable and not poor enough to receive help," he said.
He worked during the summer to pay his tuition fees and plans to continue working at weekends to cover other expenses, including around €200 for legal codes and course materials.
"I always saw a student job as a way of having money to enjoy yourself, but now it is just to pay for my studies," he told the newspaper.
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Cost of studying continues to rise
The Federation of French-speaking Students (FEF) says it has received many similar testimonies and has warned that students are beginning the academic year under considerable pressure.
For some students at university colleges and higher arts schools, the maximum tuition fee has risen from €175 to €1,194 in a single year.
FEF president Lenaïk Dumont told DH controversy surrounding the increase was not limited to tuition fees, arguing that it adds to already substantial living and study costs.
The federation updated an assessment of annual student expenses it carried out in 2024 using the consumer price index for August 2026. It estimates that a year of study, excluding tuition fees, now costs around €12,350 for a student living away from home and €6,878 for a student who commutes.
According to the FEF, about 42% of students work during the academic year. The federation is planning an action on Wednesday 16 September against the higher tuition fees.
Despite the increase, the maximum fee remains below that charged in several neighbouring education systems. Students in the Flemish Community pay €1,181.40, compared with €2,694 in the Netherlands and up to €11,410 in England. In France, fees can reach €2,572, although public universities can be considerably cheaper.
58% expected to pay full rate
The maximum €1,194 tuition fee represents around 10% of what the French Community actually spends to fund a student's education.
A university bachelor's or master's student costs the French Community an average of €10,037 in the 2023-2024 academic year, while bachelor's and master's students studying outside universities cost an average of €8,087.
"The cost of a student now generally varies between €8,000 and €12,000 for the French Community," the office of Minister-President Elisabeth Degryse (Les Engagés), who is also responsible for higher education, told DH.
According to Degryse's estimates, 58% of students are expected to pay the full €1,194 fee.
It remains too early to determine whether the increase has resulted in fewer enrolments, as students have until 30 September to register. The minister is receiving weekly updates on applications for study grants and special financial status.
Her spokesperson also noted that the reform abolishes additional charges for goods and services that university colleges could previously levy on top of tuition fees.
While institutions use tuition fees to cover operating costs, the additional money generated by the increase will go to the French Community rather than the universities themselves.
"Not a single cent of this reform will end up in the university's coffers," said Sophie Van Malleghem, director of student life administration at UCLouvain.
Universities offer additional support
Some universities have introduced their own measures to support students who are struggling with the increase.
ULB has initially set aside an additional €500,000 to cushion the impact on financially vulnerable students who do not qualify for reductions under the French Community's criteria. Students whose household income falls just above the thresholds may also be exempted from paying the full €1,194.
"It is still too early to measure the impact, but since this summer we have already been receiving more worried enquiries from students and their parents," a ULB spokesperson said.
UCLouvain has allocated around €4 million in social assistance and maintained its own intermediate social rate of €374. Students who are not eligible for a French Community grant or reduction, as well as those pursuing a second degree or specialised master's programme, may qualify.
"We hope we will not have to dismantle existing social assistance and that we will be able to absorb all the needs," Van Malleghem said.
She added that working while studying had become a significant social reality, with around three in five students working on average.
"Parents' contribution is decreasing and students are taking on greater responsibility."
