Spotlight on a program : the living-expense grant

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Corinne Berty

10.06.2025

Spotlight on a program : the living-expense grant

Housing, food, transport, healthcare… For many scholarship students, these everyday expenses weigh just as heavily as tuition fees. It is to address this often invisible reality that the emlyon Foundation created the living-expense grant.

When tuition fees are no longer the real obstacle

At emlyon business school, CROUS scholarship students have benefited, since September 2022, from a reduction in tuition fees of up to 100%, depending on their scholarship level — a scheme extended to the Global BBA since the 2024 intake.

But reducing tuition fees is not enough. For a scholarship student, the real difficulty often lies elsewhere: how to pay rent, eat properly, access healthcare, or simply get around, without these pressures eating into the time and energy devoted to their studies?

Without support, the consequences are very real: constant financial stress, having to take on excessive part-time work alongside classes, reduced involvement in student life and academics, difficulty settling in and building a network — and, for some, simply giving up on joining or continuing at a Grande École altogether.

Understanding CROUS scholarship levels

The emlyon Foundation's living-expense grant primarily targets the most financially vulnerable CROUS scholarship students. To understand who it's for, here's a useful reminder:

The means-tested state scholarship, paid by the CROUS, has 8 levels, from 0 bis to 7, determined by household income, the number of dependent children, and the distance between the family home and the place of study. The higher the level, the more precarious the family's financial situation:

Level 0 bis: the entry level of the scholarship, for modest household incomes just above the lowest thresholds.
Level 7: the highest level, reserved for families with an annual income below roughly €5,000. This is the most socially difficult level — and the one that concentrates the highest number of talented young people held back by their background.

It is primarily students at the higher levels (4 to 7) that the emlyon Foundation focuses its action on.

The impact of the living-expense grant

The living-expense grant covers around 50% of a CROUS scholarship student's annual living expenses. It is awarded after review of an application file, and benefits students in both the Grande École Program and the Global BBA, across all years.

"My name is Noémie, I'm 19, and I'm in my second year of the Global BBA.
This grant was above all very helpful in preventing me from having to draw on my student loan, so I was able to set that money aside. It was also very useful for everyday small expenses like food, or unexpected housing or last-minute travel costs, without having to worry about dipping into my loan.
I want to thank all the donors, for easing my financial situation and the stress of managing money when you're a student living alone in Lyon — and, on top of that, a scholarship student with no income."

"I study at emlyon business school and I'm doing a dual degree in private law with the University of Lyon 2. I love sport and constantly learning new things; I like being intellectually and constantly stimulated, which is why I chose this dual track, on top of another qualification and an intense sporting discipline!
This grant allowed me to seriously consider continuing my studies abroad in order to sit the American bar exam!
I simply want to say thank you to the donors. Because without you, students like me wouldn't be able to reach their professional goals for lack of sufficient funding. For me, saying thank you is the best reward there is!"

C. Significant needs, still limited resources

The 2025 figures give a sense of the scale of the need — and the gap that remains to be closed:

1,067 students are currently CROUS scholarship holders at emlyon.
Of these, around 90 joined the School in 2025 at level 7, the most precarious level (household income below €5,000/year).
Only 70 students, at levels 4 to 7, were able to receive a €5,000 living-expense grant from the Foundation in 2025.

In other words, fewer than 1 in 15 CROUS scholarship students was able to be supported by the Foundation in 2025. Most students facing financial hardship still have to cope with these essential expenses on their own, as resources remain too limited to extend the program to a larger number of students.

Every grant awarded changes a life path: a student who can quit an evening job to focus on their studies, another who can finally find decent housing, a third who can plan their course of study with peace of mind and build their professional network.

"Your support is a gift from heaven and a ray of hope. There is no greater reward for us than to feel supported in pursuing our dreams."

O. Our goal

€500,000 = 100 students supported = 100 secured paths.

In 2025, 70 young people were able to be supported. With more donors mobilized, dozens of other talented students, currently left to cope alone with structural difficulties, could be supported as early as next fall.

I support a living-expense grant

The four emlyon Foundation programs you can support : living-expense grants, the emergency fund, fragile health & disability grants, and the Tour de France des Oraux.

Spotlight on a program : the living-expense grant

2025-10-06 12:00:00

www.emlyon-alumni.com

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2026-08-20 11:46:35

2026-07-21 13:22:47

Corinne Berty

Housing, food, transport, healthcare… For many scholarship students, these everyday expenses weigh just as heavily as tuition fees. It is to address this often invisible reality that the emlyon Foundation created the living-expense grant.When tuition fees are no longer the real obstacleAt emlyon business school, CROUS scholarship students have benefited, since September 2022, from a reduction in tuition fees of up to 100%, depending on their scholarship level — a scheme extended to the Global BBA since the 2024 intake.But reducing tuition fees is not enough. For a scholarship student, the real difficulty often lies elsewhere: how to pay rent, eat properly, access healthcare, or simply get around, without these pressures eating into the time and energy devoted to their studies?Without support, the consequences are very real: constant financial stress, having to take on excessive part-time work alongside classes, reduced involvement in student life and academics, difficulty settling in and building a network — and, for some, simply giving up on joining or continuing at a Grande École altogether.Understanding CROUS scholarship levelsThe emlyon Foundation's living-expense grant primarily targets the most financially vulnerable CROUS scholarship students. To understand who it's for, here's a useful reminder:The means-tested state scholarship, paid by the CROUS, has 8 levels, from 0 bis to 7, determined by household income, the number of dependent children, and the distance between the family home and the place of study. The higher the level, the more precarious the family's financial situation:Level 0 bis: the entry level of the scholarship, for modest household incomes just above the lowest thresholds.Level 7: the highest level, reserved for families with an annual income below roughly €5,000. This is the most socially difficult level — and the one that concentrates the highest number of talented young people held back by their background.It is primarily students at the higher levels (4 to 7) that the emlyon Foundation focuses its action on.The impact of the living-expense grantThe living-expense grant covers around 50% of a CROUS scholarship student's annual living expenses. It is awarded after review of an application file, and benefits students in both the Grande École Program and the Global BBA, across all years."My name is Noémie, I'm 19, and I'm in my second year of the Global BBA.This grant was above all very helpful in preventing me from having to draw on my student loan, so I was able to set that money aside. It was also very useful for everyday small expenses like food, or unexpected housing or last-minute travel costs, without having to worry about dipping into my loan.I want to thank all the donors, for easing my financial situation and the stress of managing money when you're a student living alone in Lyon — and, on top of that, a scholarship student with no income." N."I study at emlyon business school and I'm doing a dual degree in private law with the University of Lyon 2. I love sport and constantly learning new things; I like being intellectually and constantly stimulated, which is why I chose this dual track, on top of another qualification and an intense sporting discipline!This grant allowed me to seriously consider continuing my studies abroad in order to sit the American bar exam!I simply want to say thank you to the donors. Because without you, students like me wouldn't be able to reach their professional goals for lack of sufficient funding. For me, saying thank you is the best reward there is!"C.Significant needs, still limited resourcesThe 2025 figures give a sense of the scale of the need — and the gap that remains to be closed:1,067 students are currently CROUS scholarship holders at emlyon.Of these, around 90 joined the School in 2025 at level 7, the most precarious level (household income below €5,000/year).Only 70 students, at levels 4 to 7, were able to receive a €5,000 living-expense grant from the Foundation in 2025.In other words, fewer than 1 in 15 CROUS scholarship students was able to be supported by the Foundation in 2025. Most students facing financial hardship still have to cope with these essential expenses on their own, as resources remain too limited to extend the program to a larger number of students.Every grant awarded changes a life path: a student who can quit an evening job to focus on their studies, another who can finally find decent housing, a third who can plan their course of study with peace of mind and build their professional network."Your support is a gift from heaven and a ray of hope. There is no greater reward for us than to feel supported in pursuing our dreams." O.Our goal€500,000 = 100 students supported = 100 secured paths.In 2025, 70 young people were able to be supported. With more donors mobilized, dozens of other talented students, currently left to cope alone with structural difficulties, could be supported as early as next fall.I support a living-expense grantThe four emlyon Foundation programs you can support : living-expense grants, the emergency fund, fragile health & disability grants, and the Tour de France des Oraux.