Article L. 841-5 of the French Education Code states that ‘students who hold, for the academic year in which the contribution is payable, a higher education grant or annual allowance awarded under the student aid schemes mentioned in Article L. 821-1 of this code shall be exempt from the payment of this contribution.’
The relevant grants are those paid by any government ministry as well as those allocated by regional councils to students enrolled in paramedical and medico-social programmes. Similarly, the exemption is extended to students holding a grant awarded by a public higher education institute or education grant paid out of public funds.
Students holding a French Government Grant (BGF) are exempt from paying the CVEC. However, grants from foreign governments (BGE) do not exempt the student from paying the CVEC.
Any student who is exempt from the CVEC but mistakenly pays it may apply for a reimbursement. The application must be done online through cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, by 31 May of the academic year for which they paid the CVEC.
Under a special rule, reimbursement of the CVEC is available to students undertaking education in prison who have paid the CVEC for their enrolment in a higher education institute.