The CAF..-

France, besides having the best medical -social security- and public health insurance in the world, also has a very sweet subsidies system to help all those in need, and lucky for us that include the students!

This subsidies apply for all residents no matter where they're from and for all ages they depend only on your "social/financial" status. (i.e. student, unemployed, underpaid, etc)

The CAF (Caise d'Allocation Familial) it's a governmental institute that supports economically families in France, specially those who earn less than the minimum wedge and those with many kids. On the early stages of life, the CAF also help students, whom parents don't benefit already from it, - which I'm sure is not your case -.

This was a big surprise for me when I moved to France. I was living at a residence and even there, were the monthly rent wasn't elevated at all I got "money back" from the CAF. They ended up paying for almost 30% of my rent.

To know if you "apply" for this kind of benefit go to their website "www.caf.fr" and fill in the -dossier- on line, once you've finished, print it and collect the necessary documents (usually photocopy of your carte de Séjour or visa de long Séjour, photocopy of your passport, attestation de scolarite -I will dedicate a post for this important certificate soon-,  the attestation de logement or quittance de loyer and a RIB*). Send it out to your nearest CAF or simply go and drop it personally.

• For all of you out there who are not familiar with the term RIB - relevé d'identité bancaire. It is your bank account's ID for all transactions. You will be asked for the RIB when you buy a cell phone with a monthly plan, or when you open your account for the utilities once you move out of the residence, in order to be able to charge you the bills  monthly. 
  
  
  In this case the CAF asks for your RIB so they can deposit money in your account every month.

Note: Once you drop your dossier at the CAF it will take them aprox. 3 weeks to process. After those 3 weeks you will receive a letter indicating your "Numero d'allocataire" which will be your number for all inquiries and transactions as well as a code. Now you can log in the site and see your dossier 's status.

I'd say maybe 2 weeks after you receive your card you will be receiving a letter indicating the amount of your monthly subsidy and since the CAF works retrospectively they will « return » you the money since your second month in France, so this amount will also be indicated on that letter. 

Ex.:  Let's say you arrive in France in September, you start paying your rent normally, and you receive your carte de sejour in February. Submit your CAF papers right away and around April or May you will be payed for:  October to April subsidy at once, and after that you will get your monthly payment. (Please note that no matter when you submit the dossier the CAF only pays the first week of every month)

Re-check your budget !

T-