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The University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne's board of directors made a significant decision on Monday, December 1st, voting to hike tuition fees for certain international students from outside the EU. Starting with the 2026 academic year, exemptions will be available for students with refugee status and those from 44 countries classified by the United Nations as "least developed," which includes several African nations. However, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia are notably absent from this list.
Under the new fee structure, affected students will face a steep increase, paying 2,900 euros for undergraduate programs, a sharp rise from the current 180 euros, and nearly 4,000 euros for master's programs, up from 250 euros. This decision, which was publicly endorsed by members of the General Assembly, including Hanane Mansouri from the UDR group, passed with 18 votes in favor, 15 against, and three abstentions.
With the @groupeudr, we propose to eliminate the CVEC for French students, while increasing it for international students.
— Hanane Mansouri (@hanane_mnsr) November 21, 2025
A common-sense measure to support our students in precarious situations! pic.twitter.com/9OPY6tSly5
As reported by RFI, the university attributes this change to "the deterioration of its financial situation" over time, which it blames on "decisions made by the State." These decisions, while benefiting the institution's staff, were only partially or inadequately funded. Consequently, the rectorate has called for "a savings plan of 13 million euros by the end of the year." This financial strain is not unique to Paris 1, as "three-quarters of universities are reportedly in deficit."
Marie-Emmanuelle Pommerolle, a political science lecturer at the university, told the same source that the institution has "halted 90% of its investments in documentation." Some faculty members argue that increasing fees for non-EU students is not a viable solution, labeling it a "discriminatory measure."
