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Bachelor Data Science by Design: Housing

How to find your student accommodation in Saint-Germain en Laye ?

Cergy Paris Université has set up an online platform dedicated to finding student accommodation to make your search easier.
On this page you will also find information on the APL aid that you can apply for as a student in France, even if you come from abroad.

 
Feel free to clic those links for direct access :
Studapart  |  APL aid  |  The CAF  |  Get the APL  |  Eligibility  |  Residence permit  |  Contact   

Find your student accomodation with STUDAPART

Studapart is an online platform that allows you to search for an apartment, a room in a host family or an online flat share near the campus of Saint Germain en Laye.

Here is the process:

  • To access the platform please use this button

    STUDAPART
     
  • Choose the tenant entry then connect using your facebook profile or by creating your profile with your email.
  • Then let yourself be guided, an online help can answer to your questions
  • You can discover the offers by selecting the campus: "CYU Saint-Germain-en-Laye".

The platform is available in French, English and Chinese

APL: French aid to pay the rent for student accommodation

The APL is one of the French housing aids granted under certain conditions that helps you pay your rent if your resources are low.
The application procedure may seem complicated to you as a foreign national, we're going to try to inform you and guide you in your APL foreign student procedures.  

What is CAF and how can it help you?

Foreign students in France may have difficulties in renting accommodation, particularly in Paris or large university towns.
The "Caisse d'allocations familiales" (CAF) is a French private body, present in each department, which pays out certain benefits designed to combat poverty such as the RSA or the "Prime d'activité", but also housing benefits such as the APL. 

Can a foreign student apply for APL?

The APL is not specifically for students, it is for anyone on a low income. The good news is that even if you are a foreign student you can claim the APL, this aid can make all the difference!
This aid is calculated according to the amount of the rent, your resources (parents' income, your own income, family benefits), its allocation is not automatic, the amount of the APL depends on your situation. 

If you live in a shared flat and you apply for the APL, your flatmate will have to apply for it too. If he or she does not apply for the APL, this may affect your eligibility.
To qualify for APL you must meet certain requirements, such as living in your student accommodation for at least 8 months during the year. Note that you can only claim APL if your accommodation is covered by a State agreement (university halls of residence, hostels, HLM, social housing, etc.), unlike the social housing allowance (ALS) which covers all other types of accommodation.

Please note: If your parents also live in France and receive family allowances, they may lose this benefit if you apply for APL. The rule is the same for French nationals.  

How to get it?

Foreign students, like French students, must apply online on the caf website. The whole website is in French, however some important information is in English.
When filling in your application, please specify that you are a "non-tenant", as you are a foreign student and it is your first application, you do not yet have a personal space on the CAF website.

Once you have received your confidential code, you will be able to connect to your online CAF account. You will only be able to apply for personalised housing assistance after you have moved in, but do not delay in making your application.
For example: If you move in in September your first payment will only start at the beginning of October.

You can estimate your allowances in 2 minutes on the website mes-allocs.fr:

Estimate your allowances

You can select the English version in the upper right corner of the destination website.

The elements to be provided: 
  • You must have a French bank account and provide a RIB
  • Your accommodation contract
  • A proof of address form, completed by the owner of the accommodation
  • Proof of your income for the last two years, you can provide the income tax returns for the last two years from your country of origin if you have them
  • Proof of identity, national identity card or passport, and your birth certificate with a certified translation into French
  • If you are an EU citizen you will need to provide proof of enrolment at school (or university)
  • Your European Health Insurance Card (if you are an EU citizen)
  • If you are a non-European citizen, you must enclose a residence permit that is valid for at least the duration of your academic year
  • Proof of registration with the student social security system  

Eligibility of accommodation for a foreign student

Not all accommodation is eligible for the APL, accommodation is conventioned if the landlord has signed an agreement with the State. This obliges the landlord to respect a maximum established rent, while the State may pay part of this rent through the APL. 
So make sure that your accommodation is conventionalised!

How to know if a dwelling is eligible?

Housing is eligible for the APL if the owner of the housing has signed an agreement with the National Housing Agency (ANAH). To be able to rent accommodation with an agreement, whether a foreign student or not, the owner must not be a member of your family. This information is taken into account when calculating your rights.
Before applying for the APL, make sure that your accommodation is eligible, by contacting your landlord.
If your accommodation is not approved, you can always apply for the ALS, which in this case replaces the APL. The ALS is also a social aid with a ceiling determined according to your income.  

How long does it take to obtain a residence permit for a foreign student?

It is well known that delays in France are very long, so don't delay in sending your file to the caf as soon as the lease begins, if you don't yet have your residence permit in order you can send it later.
In the following months and during the entire period of your rental accommodation, the APL is paid directly to your landlord, so the amount is usually deducted from your rent. Generally, the amount of APL is rechecked once a year, and changes in your situation may lead to an increase or decrease in the amount of APL you receive.  

You need more info? Please contact us

If you need more informations please fill this form. We will be pleased to contact you back and answer your questions or evaluate your project to do the Bachelor Data Science by Design.
We will also be pleased to send you invitations for our future events.