Useful info

• Studying in Aix-en-Provence

  Town of water, town of art... Aix was built and has developed around this dual identity. But the town also knows how to blend different eras and culture. Open to the world, it is a city of human dimension where the preserved heritage and the city of tomorrow blend perfectly. Here, all is colour and sensation: the light of the sky, the golden stone of the facades, the transparent green of the fountains, the shade of the plane trees, the surprises organised during the festival nights.
   
  Established in 122 B.C., Aix-en-Provence has a name that travels in time: Aquas Sextias, Ais en Provencou, Aix en Provence. Today, the city has a surface area of 18,600 hectares with 137,067 inhabitants and Maryse Joissains-Masini as a mayor. The average temperature is 17°C (63°F) and there is an excellent mild climate. Aix is protected from the winds of the North, but is slightly affected by the Mistral. Average daily temperatures vary between 5 to 6°C (January) and 21.9°C (July). No more than 91 days of rain are recorded during the year. In winter, the sun is almost permanent with an average of 300 days of sun per year. The dry summer is pleasant owing to a light perpetual breeze. Autumn is radiant and sunny.

• Accommodation

  For on-campus student accommodation, you can contact the CROUS-Aix-Marseille for further information. Accommodation is available in the private sector, student residences or apartment-sharing.
   
  Network of student residences:
  http://www.adele.org/
  http://www.fac-habitat.com/
  http://www.estudines.com/
  http://www.adoma.fr/
  http://www.unme-asso.com/     
   
  Shared appartments:
  http://www.colocation.fr/
  http://www.kel-koloc.fr/
  http://www.e-cologis.com/
  http://www.easycoloc.com/
  http://www.okroommate.com/
  http://www.appartager.fr/

• Living costs

  An international student has to be able to justify sufficient resources during his/her stay to obtain his/her visa and the residence permit (monthly statements, certificate of the amount and the duration of a possible grant…). The amount officially requested by the French authorities is 610 euro a month, but this amount is insufficient.
   
  Example of a monthly budget for a student living in a Hall of Residence
  Accommodation in Hall of Residence: € 250
  Food – Meals in university restaurant: € 170
  Food – Supermarket: € 160
  Books and stationery: € 50
  Local transport: € 20
  Personal upkeep: € 60
  Leisure: € 60
  Phone: € 50
   
  Private accommodation is more expensive: monthly rent averages at 500 euros, with other expenses being the same, the monthly budget amounts to around 1000 euros.
  Obviously, your expenses depend on your way of life.
   
  Your first month’s expenditure will be nearly twice as much the next months:
  - health insurance (215 euro in 2015-2016) and extra health coverage if chosen (for non-European students)
  - tuition fees for non exchange programme students
  - a returnable deposit for your accommodation (1 to 2 months rent) + a month’s rent in advance
  - initial expenditures (sheets, towels, cooking utensils, books…)
  - different fees and subscriptions (sport…)
   
  Students are often entitled to discount (shops, transport, theatre, cinema, museums, bookshops…), remember to show your student card. In France, you can apply for the APL (Aide personnalisée au logement) accommodation allowance, from the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales) as soon as you obtain your residence permit.

• Useful links

  Campus France               
  Administrative procedures in France
  L’étudiant    
  French tourist office
  Etudier en France 
  Provence
  European Youth Portal               
  Marseille
  Ministry of Higher Education and Research (1)
  Ministry of Higher Education and Research (2)
  Ministry of Higher Education and Research (3)     
  CROUS D’Aix-Marseille – Les services de la vie étudiante