About this Episode
France has expanded its one-euro university meal programme to all university students, regardless of income. The scheme was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020 academic year and had previously been limited to scholarship holders and low-income students.
The government says the expansion responds to growing concerns about food insecurity among students. A recent student union survey found that nearly half of students had skipped meals because of financial pressure, while about one in four said this happened several times per month. Student organisations had argued that many non-scholarship students also struggled with rising living costs.
The French government plans to invest around 120 million euros in the programme in 2027. France expanding access to one-euro meals for students – that’s what’s right with the world.
