French CROUS Bourses: Can You Keep Your Bourse While Studying Elsewhere in Europe
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Mar 21, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Scholarships & Funding
Your CROUS bourse keeps paying while you study on an approved mobility period in another European country, and you can add the Aide à la Mobilité Internationale (AMI) worth 400 EUR a month on top.
💶 AMI pays 400 EUR a month for 1 to 10 months if you already hold a bourse sur critères sociaux (BCS)
🎓 Your BCS échelon payment continues at the same rate during an approved mobility period
📩 You can combine BCS, AMI, and the Erasmus+ mobility grant, they do not cancel each other out
⏱️ Apply through your university's international relations office before you leave, not after arrival
Your CROUS bourse does not stop when you leave France
If you hold a bourse sur critères sociaux (BCS) from CROUS, the payment continues during an approved period of study abroad, including an Erasmus+ exchange or a bilateral agreement between your French university and a partner institution. You keep your usual échelon rate, based on your household income, and CROUS pays it into your account on the same monthly schedule as if you were still in France.
The condition is that your mobility period counts toward your French degree and gets validated by your home university before departure. Register with your international relations office first. They confirm your mobility to CROUS, and this confirmation keeps your bourse active for the term or year you spend abroad.
If you leave for good, not on an exchange
If you transfer out of your French programme entirely, for example to start a fresh bachelor's or master's degree at a university in another country with no link to your French institution, you generally leave the CROUS system too. BCS is paid to students registered in a formation recognised by the French state. An exchange or a joint degree that keeps your registration in France works differently from an outright transfer, where you apply for funding through your host country's own system instead.
Adding the Erasmus+ mobility grant
Erasmus+ pays a separate monthly grant funded by the EU, on top of your CROUS bourse. The amount depends on your destination country and is set by the French national Erasmus+ agency, which groups host countries into cost bands. You do not need to give up your BCS to receive it, the two aids stack.
The Aide à la Mobilité Internationale (AMI)
AMI is a third layer of funding, paid through your university with state and CROUS funds, specifically to BCS holders who go on approved mobility. For the 2025-2026 academic year, AMI pays 400 EUR a month , for a period of 1 to 10 months depending on how long your mobility lasts.
| Aid | Who pays | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourse sur critères sociaux | CROUS | Your usual échelon rate | Mobility validated by your university |
| Erasmus+ grant | EU / French Erasmus+ agency | Varies by destination country | Erasmus+ exchange place |
| AMI | University, state, CROUS | 400 EUR/month, 1-10 months | Already a BCS holder |
You can cumulate all three, according to Étudiant.gouv.fr , so a bourse student going to Germany for a semester can receive their normal BCS payment, an Erasmus+ grant, and 400 EUR a month from AMI at the same time. Depending on your project, an additional regional funding from your conseil régional may also apply, check with your university's international office.
How Erasmus+ amounts are set
The French Erasmus+ agency groups host countries into cost bands, so your monthly Erasmus+ grant is higher for a more expensive destination and lower for a cheaper one. Your university's international office can tell you which band your destination falls into and the exact monthly rate for your mobility, since the agency updates the bands and amounts for each academic year.
If you do not hold a bourse yet
AMI only applies if you already receive a BCS in the academic year you go abroad. If your family's financial situation changes, or you have not applied for a bourse before, submit your dossier social étudiant through the normal CROUS calendar before your mobility starts, your échelon needs to be set before you can add AMI or confirm your Erasmus+ combination. Your échelon gets reassessed every year from your household's tax return, so a mobility year does not freeze your bourse level, if your family income changes while you are abroad, your échelon can move up or down at the next renewal.
What to check before you apply
Confirm your mobility is officially recognised by your home university and counts toward your degree
Ask your international relations office which internal deadline applies, AMI and Erasmus+ both run through your university, not CROUS directly
Keep your CROUS file (dossier social étudiant) up to date so your BCS payments do not get suspended while you are away
Ask about regional top-ups on top of AMI, availability depends on your region and your project
Applying in practice
Start with your international relations office at least one semester before departure. They handle the Erasmus+ nomination and the AMI request together, since AMI eligibility depends on your Erasmus+ or bilateral mobility being approved first. Your CROUS bourse keeps paying automatically once the mobility is registered in your student file, you do not need a separate CROUS application for that part. Keep proof of enrolment at your host institution, your university may ask for it to confirm your mobility partway through the term.