Welcome to Paris Diderot

Transcription

1 Welcome to Paris Diderot Student mobility in 3 easy steps The International Office Team would like to welcome you to Paris Diderot University. We have produced this welcome handbook especially for international students. Please read it, as it contains useful information you will need to assist you in all the various aspects of university life. The International Office organises an Orientation course at the beginning of the semester, and this will be your opportunity to meet others, get to know the university and attend French language courses. You will be assigned a tutor who will assist you in a number of ways. Do not hesitate to get in touch with them! We hope your stay with us will be an enriching and enjoyable experience! Please come to see us when you arrive. Marie Ji Head of International Office 1 Before coming to Paris Diderot Student mobility in 3 easy steps > Check with the at your home institution if it has an exchange relationship with our university. > Contact the head of the international exchange programme at your university to formulate a Learning Agreement that can be validated by your home university when you return. > Go to our university website click on "How to apply" and follow the step-by-step instructions for applications. It is essential that you follow this procedure! Deadlines for receipt of applications For semester 1 (from September to January): 1 June For semester 2 (from February to June): 1 December 2 - Once arriving at Paris Diderot > An Orientation course will be held at the beginning of each semester. During the Orientation course you will have the opportunity to attend a two-week French course. The dates for the course and application forms are available for download on our website. Applications should be made in advance. > Come to the International Office and bring the original copy of your Learning Agreement and the offer of admission letter sent by the Paris Diderot International Office. The International Office will issue all European Union and CREPUQ students with a student card. Non-European Union students will have to collect their student cards from the registrar s office and subscribe to student social security (See Social security). > Go to the meeting in your course department to finalise the registration procedure. You should bring your Paris Diderot student card together with your Learning Agreement. Your Learning Agreement will be signed by your lecturers. 3 Before leaving Paris Diderot > Come to the International Office to receive your accreditation certificate. > Remember to collect your Transcript of Records from the department office or make sure the office will send it to your home university.

2 Studying at Paris Diderot LMD and the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accreditation System) The French university education reform known as LMD (Licence, Master, Doctorat Batchelor, Master and Doctorate) was set up in order to harmonise European university degree standards and facilitate student mobility. Since its introduction, university studies are divided into three cycles. ECTS credits (30 credits for each semester) are awarded for each level of study or grade successfully completed. Within the context of the LMD reform, international mobility has become totally integrated with university studies. Exchange students can follow the same courses and will be awarded the same grades as local students. Three cycles of university studies Year 8 Year 7 Year 6 Year 5 Year 4 Year 3 Year 2 Year 1 MASTER BATCHELOR M 2 M 1 B 3 B 2 B 1 semester 3 semester 1 semester 5 semester 3 semester 1 DOCTORATE semester 4 semester 2 semester 6 semester 4 semester ects 180 ects Studying at Paris Diderot At the end of your study period at Paris Diderot, the grades you have obtained are converted into the national system according to the ECTS grading scale. In this way, the grades you have acquired abroad will be reintegrated and recognised. You can then continue your degree studies as normal knowing that this study period will be completely acknowledged. Once acquired, ECTS credits are valid regardless of the length of your degree course. At Paris Diderot all courses are taught in French. You do not need a language diploma to come and study at Paris Diderot. However, you must be able to understand French well enough so that you can follow your courses. You will be totally immersed in our French university: you will attend courses with other Paris Diderot students and sit exams under the same conditions as them. University timetable 2006/2007 Course structure: > main lectures : presentations given in a lecture theatre by a lecturer > tutorials and practical work : to help put into practice and study in more detail the theories presented during the lectures. Assessment methods: > continual assessment throughout the duration of the semester > examinations : held towards the end of the semester for all units. National holidays in France > All Saints Day: 1 November > Armistice Day: 11 November > Christmas: 25 December > New Year: 1 January > Easter Monday: 17 April > May Day : 1 May > Ascension Day : 25 May > Victory Day: 8 May > Pentecost: 5 June > Bastille Day: 14 July > Assumption: 15 August Semester 1 courses start * Christmas vacation 1st examination sessions for semester 1 Semester 2 courses start Easter vacation 1st examination sessions for semester 2 2nd examination sessions for semesters 1 and 2 Between Monday 18 September 2006 and Monday 25 September 2006 From 23 December evening until Monday 8 January morning From Monday 8 January until Friday 19 January 2007 Monday 22 January 2007 From 7 April evening until Monday 23 April morning From Monday 30 April until Friday 22 June 2007 * The dates vary according to the university department. Please look for your department dates at the Paris Diderot website :

3 Passport Visa Residence permit Residence permits and visas All visitors coming to France must be in possession of a valid passport issued by their home country; or a valid identity card if they are from a European Union country. The passport must be valid for at least the duration of the study period. If you come from one of the 25 European Union Member States or from one of the countries in the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Andorra, Monte Carlo and Switzerland you do not need a visa to come and study in France. Visas are issued by the French Consulate in your home country. Students will be given a long visa as a student which will give you the right to obtain a one-year renewable student residence permit. To get your visa you must fill in an application form at the French Consulate in your home country and provide the following: > a valid passport > proof that you have sufficient resources to live in France (on average 400 a month) > proof of social security cover > your acceptance letter from Paris Diderot > a valid travel document If you are going to be staying in France for more than three months, you must apply in France for a temporary student residence permit at the local police headquarters Préfecture of the area where you are living. This does not apply if you have been issued with a valid visa that clearly states you do not need to apply for a temporary residence permit. Where can I get my residence permit? Students from European Union Member States, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not need to apply for a residence permit. However, students from eight of the ten newest members of the European Union (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary) will need a residence permit if they intend working. You can stay in France by simply producing a valid passport or national identity card. However, you are entitled to request a residence permit which you might find useful to have when you do certain transactions, for example, opening a bank account or applying for accommodation grants. You must apply for a permit once you have arrived in France and within the first three months after your arrival date. Residence permits are valid for one year, or for a shorter period, according to the length of your study period and the expiry date on your passport. Your residence permit will be issued in the form of a sticker placed in your passport. You must renew your permit in the two-month period before the expiry date. > If you live in Paris: Préfecture de Police de Paris 1. For a first-time application for a student residence permit, go to the reception centre for foreign students you do not need an appointment at the Centre Miollis, 13 Rue Miollis, Paris. Métro: Cambronne (Line 6) ou Ségur (Line 10). 2. To renew your student residence permit: This can only be done by making an appointment. You can make an appointment yourself by going to the Préfecture de Police Paris website: policeparis.interieur.gouv.fr/module_rdv/etudiants/etranger01.htm or by ing: [email protected] If you have difficulties accessing the internet, you can telephone Press 1 for "info", then 1 for "Paris and 2 for permit renewal" (calls cost 0,033 a minute inclusive of tax after the first 56 seconds which are priced at 0,112inclusive of tax) > If you live outside the centre: Vous devez impérativement vous adresser au bureau des étrangers de la Préfecture ou Sous-Préfecture dont vous dépendez. You must go to the International Office of the Préfecture or sub-préfecture of the area where you live. Préfecture de l'essonne (Evry 91) Préfecture des Hauts-de-Seine (Nanterre 92) Préfecture de la Seine-et-Marne (Melun 77) Préfecture de la Seine-Saint-Denis (Bobigny 93) Préfecture du Val de Marne (Créteil 94) Préfecture du Val d Oise (Cergy-Pontoise 95) Préfecture des Yvelines (Versailles 78)

4 L earning French at Paris Diderot TAll visiting students enrolled at Paris Diderot can take French language courses throughout the academic year. An online admission test (FLE 7) will help us assess your written, grammatical and oral skills and you will be assigned to the appropriate class. A two-week Orientation course will be held at the beginning of each semester September and January for exchange programme students. This will include: > French language and French culture courses > cultural events The one-semester courses will be divided into five different levels from elementary to upper intermediate. French language courses, (two hours a week) consisting of: > general French > grammar Workshops (2 hours a week) concentrating on: > listening and speaking skills > writing skills > understanding French culture > phonetics > vocabulary Assessment / ECTS Students attending these one-semester courses will be evaluated on a continual assessment basis. As with all other courses held at the Paris Diderot, credits can be awarded for each one-semester course: 3 ECTS per course or workshop successfully completed. Visiting PhD and research students can take these one-semester courses or choose to take a more specific course: general French, specialised French, developing speaking techniques, proofreading and personalised assistance in preparing academic documents. Students reaching proficiency in French will be awarded a diploma (Diplôme Universitaire de Langue Française DULF). It is essential to have this diploma if you wish to continue your French language studies at the university. For more information on French language courses, contact Nadine HAJOUJI at [email protected] or telephone : 33 (1)

5 Social security cover You must have social security cover if you intend staying in France for more than three months. Students from the European Union Non-European Union students You must be in possession of your European Health Insurance Card. You should collect this card from your social security office before your departure. The European Health Insurance Card covers you for most medical costs you may incur whilst in another EU country. Nevertheless, we strongly advise you to take out a complementary insurance scheme mutuelle run by mutual benefit organisations. You should also insure yourself against accidents and repatriation costs and take out third party liability insurance. You can get more information from student private insurance organisations once you have arrived in France. There are two student private insurance organisations at Paris Diderot: > LMDE (La Mutuelle Etudiante) : > SMEREP (Société Mutualiste des Etudiants de Région Parisienne) : To claim reimbursement for your medical costs, you must provide the following: > the form you were given by the doctor > a photocopy of your European Health Insurance Card > your bank account details known as RIB (relevé d identité bancaire) > a photocopy of your student card Send these documents to: If you live in Paris: CPAM centre , rue de Bercy Paris cedex 12 If you live outside the centre: Send them to the CPAM centre in the area where you live. If you are going to be staying for more than three months in France, you must take out a student social security scheme, even if you have already subscribed to a foreign public scheme or have French or other private insurance. When you collect your student card at Paris Diderot, you can choose whether to subscribe to LMDE or SMEREP. This insurance costs 186. This insurance is made up of two parts: > basic cover that reimburses 70% of your medical costs > complementary cover mutuelle that covers the remaining 25%, in some cases 30%, of your costs. Although it is not mandatory, we strongly advise you to take out a complementary insurance scheme (especially important if you have to be hospitalised). There are two student private insurance organisations at Paris Diderot: LMDE (La Mutuelle Etudiante) : SMEREP (Société Mutualiste des Etudiants de Région Parisienne) : If you will be staying less than three months in France: you are exempt from taking out a student social security scheme BUT you must provide an official document with the official French translation that you have a private health insurance policy that will cover any medical costs you incur whilst staying in France. CREPUQ students If you are over 28 years old on 1 October during your exchange year: You are entitled to complete medical cover (social security and complementary insurance). You can get more information directly from your local CPAM centre in France. Under the French/Quebec agreement, CREPUQ students can take full advantage of the French social security system provided they are affiliated to a social security centre in Quebec. You should send us a copy of the SE 401-Q-106 form. Nevertheless, we strongly advise you to take out a complementary insurance scheme mutuelle run by mutual benefit organisations. You should also insure yourself against accidents and repatriation costs and take out third party liability insurance. You can get more information from student private insurance organisations once you have arrived in France. There are two student private insurance organisations at Paris Diderot: > LMDE (La Mutuelle Etudiante) : > SMEREP (Société Mutualiste des Etudiants de Région Parisienne) :

6 Work permits O Working in France pening a bank account If you are a national from the European Economic Area or from Iceland, Lichtenstein or Norway, you do not need a work permit. Otherwise if you intend working, you must obtain a temporary work permit (Autorisation Provisoire de Travail -APT) at your local employment office the Direction Départementale du Travail de l Emploi et de la Formation Professionnelle (DDTEFP) You can obtain a work permit on production of your student residence card, an employment contract or proof that an employer wishes to hire you. The national law allows non-french students to work a maximum of 884 hours a year. Where to find a job in Paris Opening a bank account Where should I go? > For students living in Paris: Bureau de la Main d oeuvre étrangère Boulevard de la Villette, Paris. Tel To find out more, see : In Paris, jobs such as convention work, baby sitting, language teaching, translating, waiting, dishwashing, cooking and cashier work in fast-food restaurants can be easily found. Where should I look? > Job offers from CROUS in Paris: CROUS the temporary student employment service publishes a daily list of work offers for student employment. To access these advertisements, you should show CROUS your student card, some form of identification or your residence permit, and you must be under 30 years old. CROUS de Paris : Service "emplois temporaires étudiants" du CROUS de Paris - 39 avenue Georges Bernanos PARIS Tél. : or Courriel : [email protected] http :// > The CIDJ: The French information centre for young people publishes a yearly digest on employment possibilities, together with contact information of businesses and companies organised by sector. http :// > ANPE and APEC : TStudents from the European Union can also apply for positions advertised by the French Employment Service (ANPE) or the French agency for management employment (APEC). ANPE : http :// APEC : http :// > Paris city council: Paris city council and the town halls of the arrondissement regularly recruit students for specific events (office work, catering, gardening, etc.) http :// > Embassies: Some embassies might be willing to give you a list of potential employers. For embassy and consulate addresses in France go to: http :// > The media and internet sites with job advertisements: Many sites publish job offers and requests http :// http :// http :// http :// You could also check the classified advertisements in the Paris and national daily papers and weekly newspapers. Visiting students can open a non-resident bank account (in euro or another currency) or even a resident bank account (if they will be staying for a longer period). Find out if your home bank is affiliated with a French one which could facilitate the procedure of opening an account. Once you have opened your account you will receive a cheque book (most banks issue these free of charge) and also a debit card (the card costs between depending on the bank and the type of card). If you would like to request financial aid (for example, an accommodation grant), have your medical expenses reimbursed or own a chequebook, you must open a bank account. To open a bank account in France you need the following documents: > a photocopy of your student card > a photocopy of your passport or identity card > proof of address in France (electricity/telephone bill, rent receipt). La Société Générale is a partner of the Erasmus ESN Paris association. If you join the ESN Paris association ( 10 a month), you can open an account at the Société Générale with no bank charges for the first 12 months. To open an account at Société Générale you need: > your ESN Paris membership card > a copy of your passport or identity card and visa (for non-eu students) > a copy of your student card > proof of address in France For more information visit:

7 Paris Diderot is not a campus university and does not provide accommodation. We strongly advise you to start looking for accommodation in Paris or in the Paris region, well before you arrive in France. Here are some addresses and useful contact information that could help you. F inding somewhere to live in Paris University residences (under CROUS management) There are only a limited number of places in university residences; it will be impossible to satisfy all accommodation requests. Priority will be given to: - Erasmus exchange programme students from East European countries - students from countries whose universities have a reciprocal agreement with our university. For more information, please contact the. Accommodation for longer stays (1 semester or 1 academic year) Public student residences > Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris Admission services: 17, Boulevard Jourdan Paris Cedex 14 - Métro : cité universitaire tél : 33 (1) ou [email protected] > Office d accueil et de services étudiants (OSE) -Student Services Office Service des Relations Internationales - 11 rue Serpente Paris - Métro : St Michel tél : 33 (1) Private student residences > Les Estudines - 42 avenue Georges V Paris A selection of residences in Paris and the suburbs for students. Prices from 380 to 630 depending on size and location. > Association Fac-habitat has both furnished and non-furnished residences. Prices from 210 for two. > Univercity has accommodation starting at > Gestrim Campus > Association ALJT : offers a vast selection of accommodation in Paris and the suburbs. > Résidence Universitaire Lanteri 7, rue Gentil Bernard Fontenay aux roses tél : 33 (1) / ou [email protected] > Planeterasmus : offers a new free service for all SOCRATES and ERASMUS exchange students on its multi-lingual website. > Le CEP Student support service 5, rue de l Abbaye - Paris Métro : Saint-Germain des prés - Opening hours: Monday to Friday from to tél : 33 (1) > Association FIAP (shared housing available) 30, rue Cabanis Paris - Métro : Glacière > Adèle 13, rue Washington, Paris tél : 33 (1) > International Youth Hostel (group accommodation available) 10, rue Trousseau Paris - Métro : Ledru Rollin Private rentals > Le Point logement : once you are a member, you can consult their selection of advertisements and contact the owners. 21 rue du Val de Grâce Paris - Métro RER : Port Royal tél : 33 (1) > L Eglise américaine : they have a selection of classified advertisements which are continually up-dated. 65, quai d Orsay, Paris - Métro : Invalides tél : 33 (1) > L accueil familial des jeunes étrangers AFJE This organisation can put you in touch with French families. For students enrolled at the university the families offer a room, with or without dinner, in exchange for some hours of baby-sitting each week. Please note: an agreement must be worked out with the family and then checked by the French foreign labour service 23, rue du Cherche Midi, Paris - Métro : Sèvres Babylone tél : 33 (1) > Institut Catholique - Student services 21 rue d Assas, Paris - Open Monday to Friday (closed Wednesday) from 9 to 12 and to tél : 33 (1) > Séjours France Famille (rooms in family accommodation) 21 rue des Etats Généraux Versailles tél : 33 (1) Rental accommodation sites

8 Short-term solutions F inding somewhere to live in Paris While looking for more permanent accommodation, you could stay for a few days at the following places: > Fédération Unie des auberges de Jeunesse (FUAJ) Le d Artagnan - 80 rue de Vitruve, Paris tél : 33 (1) > Cité des sciences 24 rue des Sept Arpents Le-Pré-Saint-Gervais tél : 33 (1) > Jules Ferry 8 Boulevard Jules Ferry Paris tél : 33 (1) > Centre international de séjour de Paris (Cisp) 17, Bd Kellermann Paris tél : 33 (1) > Foyer international d'accueil de Paris (FIAP) 30, rue Cabanis Paris tél : 33 (1) Individual or shared rooms, three-month maximum stay. Prices 2004/2005: a room for two: a night, breakfast and one meal included (telephone to make a reservation). > Auberge de jeunesse - Résidence Bastille 151, Ave Ledru-Rollin PARIS tél : 33 (1) > La maison des clubs UNESCO 43 rue de la Glacière Paris tél : 33 (1) One to four-bedded rooms, only three or four night stays permitted. > MIJE 11 rue du Fauconnier Paris tél : 33 (1) Individual or shared rooms, one week maximum stay. Around 20 a night including breakfast (telephone to make a reservation). > UCRIF étapes jeunes More websites for long or short-term stays CIDJ : De particulier à particulier : La Centrale : FNAIM : Paru-vendu : EduParis : Particuliers : Fusac : Explorimmo : seloger.com : mapiaule.com : Association ALJT : Trokers : Alliance (vivre dans une famille): UFJT(foyers de jeunes travailleurs) : club-étudiant : minitel.fr (logement, vie familiale) : appartager.com : aidologement.com : logementsetudiants.com : craigslist :

9 A ccommodation grants According to the type of accommodation and your family situation, you could be eligible for one of these accommodation grants. > Individual housing aid (Aide personnalisée au logement APL) This grant can be allocated to students whether they are working or not - who live in government-regulated accommodation (for example, French council housing habitations à loyer modéré - HLM). The benefit is paid directly to the landlord and deducted from the rent; it cannot exceed 228. > Special accommodation grant (Allocation de logement social ALS) These student benefits vary from a contribution of 15 to 168 a month. The rental lease must be in the student s name and the accommodation must conform to certain regulations regarding amenities and size (9m2 for one person). These grants are not accumulative and can only be allocated under certain conditions if: > you have reduced financial resources > the accommodation conforms to certain regulations regarding amenities and size (at least 9m2 for one person) > you have a valid residence permit (except students from European Union Member States, the European Economic Area and Switzerland). If you are sharing an apartment with other people, each flatmate must make an individual application and each grant will be calculated according to each person s income and the proportion of the rent they pay. The name of each flatmate must be on the rental lease. You must apply for the grant as soon as you move into the accommodation or residence. You can do this online on the CAF - Caisse d Allocations Familiales - website: You can telephone the CAF in Paris using this student services number: (calls cost a minute) THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW Insuring your accommodation French law requires tenants to take out housing insurance. All tenants have to present the insurance certificate with the kinds of coverage clearly stated (water damage, fire) to the landlord. Please note that the landlord has the right to terminate the rental contract if you do not get housing insurance. Service charges These are taxes and expenses that the landlord can ask the tenant to pay electricity, water, heating. Before signing the contract, check that water and heating are included in the rental price or you will be charged extra. The security deposit Before you can move in, you must pay a deposit that will cover any unpaid rent and service charges. The deposit can also be used to pay for any maintenance, cleaning and damage-repair expenses incurred at the end of your stay. The amount of the deposit cannot exceed two months rent (without charges). You do not have to leave a deposit when the rent is regularly paid at least two months in advance. Finding a guarantor The landlord has the right to ask you for a guarantor usually a person you know well - who would undertake to pay your rent for you should you be unable to pay it for any reason. Agency fees If you use a rental agency, you will have to pay the agency fee which is between 10-15% of your annual rent (without charges). Be careful of companies that expect you to pay before you can see their list of properties. Often these properties do not exist!

10 University restaurants With your student card, you are allowed to eat at all the university restaurants in the region. The meal tickets are on sale at CROUS or directly at the restaurant counters. Known for their unbeatable prices, these restaurants are always full. Tariffs for the meal tickets: > Student meal ticket (on production of your student card) : 2.70 > Young Persons meal ticket (International Student card) : 4.80 > Guest meal ticket : Some of the university restaurants stay open in the evenings, at the weekends and during university vacations. For more information, visit: : Faculté de Médecine Xavier Bichat 16, rue Henri Huchard Métro : Porte de Saint-Ouen (ligne 13) 2 : Restaurant universitaire Bichat 2, avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt Métro et bus PC : Porte de Clignancourt (ligne 4) 3 : Restaurant universitaire Citeaux 45, boulevard Diderot Métro : Gare de Lyon, Reuilly Diderot (ligne 1) 4 : Restaurant universitaire Cuvier Jussieu 8bis rue Cuvier Métro : Jussieu ou Gare d'austerlitz (ligne 10) 5 : Restaurant universitaire Châtelet 10 rue Jean-Calvin Métro : Censier-Daubenton (ligne 7) 6 : Restaurant universitaire Censier 31 rue Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire Métro : Censier-Daubenton ou Jussieu (ligne 7) 7 : Restaurant universitaire Mabillon 3, rue Mabillon Métro : Mabillon (ligne 6) 8 : Restaurant Universitaire Mazet 55 bis, rue André Mazet Métro : Odéon (lignes 10 et 4) 9 : Restaurant universitaire Assas 92 rue d'assas Métro (ligne 12) : Notre-Dame-des-Champs RER B: Port-Royal 10 : Restaurant universitaire Bullier 39 avenue Georges Bernanos R.E.R. B : Port-Royal 11 : Restaurant universitaire Tolbiac 17, rue de Tolbiac Métro : Bibliothèque F.Miterrand (ligne 14). 12 : Restaurant universitaire Montrouge 1, rue M. Arnoux Montrouge Métro : Porte d'orléans (ligne 4) 13 : Restaurant universitaire Necker 156, rue de Vaugirard Métro : Falguière, Pasteur (ligne 12) 14 : Restaurant universitaire Boulogne"le lagon" 71 avenue Edouard Vaillant Boulogne Métro : Marcel Sembat (ligne 9) 15 : Restaurant université René Descartes 143, avenue de Versailles RER C : Bd Victor, Métro : Exelmans, Mirabeau (ligne 9) Bus : 22 ou : Restaurant universitaire Dauphine 2, bd Lannes Métro : Porte Dauphine (ligne 2) RER C : Avenue Foch

11 Your budget Living in Paris How much will it cost? To live in Paris, you will probably need a monthly budget of around > Accommodation: For your first temporary lodgings you will need 180 a week. For accommodation in the cité universitaire: you will be paying a minimum of 130 a month, (the price varies according to the type of accommodation). Renting: from 450 to 700 for a studio flat. For rental accommodation you will need two months rent to leave as a deposit. You might be eligible for some financial support for your accommodation. See Accommodation grants. > Social security cover: The minimum cost of the French social security scheme for students is around 180 a year. > Food prices: a month > Public transport: a month > Leisure: 85 a month > Other expenses: 60 a month An espresso: 1.10 (at the counter) or 2.20 (at a table) A sandwich: 3 4 A baguette: 0.80 A daily newspaper: 1.20 A métro ticket: 1.40 A monthly NAVIGO métro pass (for zone 1and 2): A stamp (for France): 0.53 A stamp (for EU countries): 0.55 A telephone card: 7.50 (in tobacco shops tabac or post offices) A fast-food meal: 7 A meal in a restaurant: A ticket to the Louvre museum: 8.50 A cinema ticket: 6 8 (with a student discount) Scholarships There are two types of scholarships that can help finance your studies: > European Union students: Under existing agreements on university co-operation, students from European Union countries are eligible for financial aid when studying in another EU country. You can find out more from your home institution. > Non-European Union students: Students can apply for French and other government scholarships. Decisions will be made either by the cultural service of the French Embassy in your home country or by the relevant authorities in your country. As a general rule, French government scholarships are allocated to students enrolled in the 3rd cycle, or to students whose home countries do not have a higher education system. For more information: Information on scholarships of merit: Call for candidates for Eiffel Scholarship programmes: Public transport Most métro lines run from until (some lines may differ). To use the public transport system, you can buy: - an individual ticket: a block of ten (carnet): a monthly navigo travel card: 50, 60 for 2 zones in Paris - an annual Imagine "R" card: for students under 26, this card gives unlimited travel (métro, bus, train and RER) throughout the Ile-de-France area. (It starts the day it is bought.) Useful sites for planning your travel arrangements: Paris Airports (ADP - Aéroports de Paris) : http :// French Railways (SNCF - Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer) : http :// Paris Transport Company (RATP - Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) :