France serves up €1 meals to all university students in effort to cut hardship

French universities have begun offering €1 (86p) meals to all students regardless of income in a measure designed to address financial hardship.Student unions have been pushing to extend the €1 rate – down from the usual €3.30 – for a three-course meal to all students, which was previously only available to those with low incomes or receiving financial aid.For Alexandre Ioannides, an 18-year-old student in Paris, the measure will drastically cut his monthly canteen expenses.“I come here 20 times a month. That’s about €60. Whereas now, I’ll pay €20,” he said, adding the savings would go towards “going out or eating at a restaurant”.About 667,000 French students benefited from the €1 scheme in 2024. Photograph: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty ImagesThe policy is targeted at alleviating financial strain for students in France, where a survey by a student union organisation in January found that 48% had gone without food for financial reasons and 23% did so several times a month.About 667,000 students benefited from the €1 lunch scheme in 2024, a 5.3% increase from the previous year, with about 46.7m meals served at the discounted and standard €3.30 rates, according to the university restaurant operator Crous.The government is preparing for a rise in demand, with the higher education minister, Philippe Baptiste, promising €120m in 2027 to back the scheme.“It is a small internal revolution,” said Baptiste, who has promised to oversee the programme to ensure it does not lead to an excessive workload for canteen staff or a decline in food quality.