Last verified: 5 October 2026, based on the official pages cited at the bottom of the page.

Before you enrol, distinguish between payment, exemption, and the certificate.

For students concerned, the CVEC procedure must be completed before administrative enrolment in an institution.

Even if you are exempt from payment, you must obtain and then present your CVEC certificate (attestation d'acquittement).

Step 1 — Understand the contribution and its amount

The CVEC is the Student and Campus Life Contribution, collected by the Crous.

It is used to support the social, health, cultural and sports welcome and support for students, as well as to fund prevention, health actions and student association initiatives.

The Crous collect the CVEC on the portal cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, then redistribute it to the beneficiary institutions to fund student life actions.

The projects funded depend on each area and each institution.

For the 2026/2027 academic year, the amount of the CVEC is €105.

If you enrol in several courses in the same academic year, the contribution is only due for the first enrolment.

Step 2 — Check if your course is concerned

The CVEC applies to students enrolled in initial training in a higher education institution in France, for each academic year.

The following are not concerned by the CVEC:

• If you are in a BTS, DMA or accounting course in a secondary institution (lycée, maison familiale et rurale), you are not concerned by the CVEC and you do not need to do anything for this contribution.

• If you are in continuing education, that is, when your course is paid for by an employer or a collecting body, you are not concerned by the CVEC and you do not need to do anything.

• If you are on an international exchange in France (through a programme like Erasmus+), and you do not pay tuition fees in France, you are not concerned by the CVEC and you do not need to do anything for this contribution.

• People enrolled for the purpose of obtaining an HDR are not concerned by the CVEC.

If you are on a professionalisation contract, you are not concerned by the CVEC: this contract is considered continuing education, where the course is paid for by an employer or a collecting body.

If you are on an apprenticeship contract, you are subject to the CVEC because this contract is considered initial training, except if you are enrolled in a BTS, DMA or accounting course in a secondary institution (lycée, maison familiale et rurale).

However, if you are on an international exchange in France and you pay tuition fees in France, you must pay the CVEC.

If you are in a CPGE, you must complete the procedure as part of your university enrolment; you may pay or be exempt depending on your situation.

Step 3 — Check if you are entitled to an exemption

Being exempt means you do not have to pay. Here are the categories provided:

• Students with means-tested grants managed by the Crous and recipients of an annual allowance granted as part of specific annual aid are exempt.

• Students with grants managed by the regions are exempt for paramedical, health and social courses.

• Students with French government grants are exempt.

• Refugee students are exempt; refugee status must be mentioned on the residence permit (titre de séjour).

• Students who are beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are exempt.

• Students registered as asylum seekers and who have the right to remain in France are exempt.

A grant from a foreign government or a grant paid by a private organisation, such as a foundation, is not one of the grants that entitle you to this exemption.

If you applied for a grant through the Student Social File (Dossier social étudiant, DSE) and received a conditional award notification, the exemption is automatic when you log in to the CVEC website.

Future Crous grant holders who have received their conditional award can download their certificate at the end of the online process, without paying or advancing the fee.

Tip: keep your grant notification with your other registration documents.

Step 4 — Obtain the certificate, by payment or exemption

The process is done on cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, before registering in higher education.

To obtain your certificate, select "Obtain my certificate" on the CVEC website.

If you are a grant holder with a conditional grant notification, first create your MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr account, then log in to the CVEC website.

If you are exempt and have a conditional grant notification, MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr automatically recognises your exemption and you can immediately download your CVEC certificate.

If you are a grant holder without a conditional grant notification, you must pay the CVEC after creating your MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr account, then request a refund.

For this case of a grant holder without a conditional notification, online payment allows you to download the certificate immediately.

Payment of the CVEC in cash is possible via the Nirio system.

To pay in cash, generate the payment notice on the CVEC website and download the Nirio app; scan the notice's QR Code with the app, then use the new QR Code it generates at a Nirio sales point to pay the CVEC.

Step 5 — Present the certificate when registering

For students concerned, the institution cannot finalise registration without the CVEC certificate.

You must present the certificate to your higher education institution at the time of registration.

• According to the page "CVEC: a must-do back-to-school procedure", for online registration, if the institution asks you for the CVEC certificate number, enter the 12 characters from the certificate.

• For in-person registration, present the certificate on your smartphone or printed out, depending on the institution.

If you change city or academic region, the CVEC certificate remains valid for all higher education institutions, even if the city shown does not match your final registration.

Tip: keep a legible copy of your certificate with your registration file.

Step 6 — Resolve a block without confusing the messages

If your certificate number is flagged as invalid, first check that you are entering the correct number in the institution's application.

An invalidity message can also be caused by a difference between the surname on the CVEC certificate and the one entered in the institution's application; these names must match.

If a problem with your INE number prevents you from obtaining the certificate, explain your situation to the MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr support team, in the "Compte messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr" category.

According to the page "CVEC: a must-do back-to-school procedure", after several failed payment attempts on the CVEC website, the PayFip service imposes a 24-hour delay before a new attempt.

In this case, the message "A similar payment has already been validated" does not mean you have already paid, but that your payment attempts have failed.

Step 7 — Check if you can request a refund

After payment, see which situation matches your case.

• A refund is available if you are enrolled in a course that does not require payment of the CVEC.

• A refund is available if you are a grant holder from the Crous, the region or the French government, or if you became a grant holder after paying the CVEC.

• A refund is available if you fall into an exemption category: refugee, beneficiary of subsidiary protection, or student registered as an asylum seeker and allowed to remain in France.

If you become eligible for an exemption during the academic year, you can get a refund of the contribution you already paid; apply on the CVEC website before 31 May of the relevant academic year.

If you are a grant holder without a conditional grant notification, you must provide the CVEC certificate to get your refund.

For grant holders, withdrawing your enrolment after paying the CVEC or interrupting your studies during the year does not entitle you to a refund of this contribution.

Tip: keep the documents explaining your change of situation along with your proof of payment.

Official resources

• “CVEC: a contribution for multiple actions” (etudiant.gouv.fr)
• “CVEC: an essential back-to-school procedure” (etudiant.gouv.fr)
• “Cost of enrolment in higher education – Grant holder” (Service Public)

And what about Pionra?

Pionra does not replace the Crous or your institution. It is a space to share your experience.

Have you just completed this procedure? Share your experience in a comment or in a note to help those who come after you.