At least 25 additional students received deregistration notices from the University of Strasbourg at the end of March. She criticizes them for not having managed to pay the new increased registration fees, reserved for foreigners coming from countries outside the European Union.
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Thibault Vetter
“It’s absolutely catastrophicâ€deplores Elsa Rambaud, lecturer in sociology at Sciences Po Strasbourg. On behalf of an inter-union bringing together 10 organizations, she denounces the unregistrations of foreign master’s students in Strasbourg, sometimes a few weeks before obtaining their diploma: “We have already identified 25 cases, but there are surely some that remain under the radar.”
The people concerned received a letter signed by the presidency of the University of Strasbourg (Unistra) on March 31, announcing their unsubscription. Unistra criticizes them for not having paid the fees of 3,941 euros that foreign students who come from countries outside the European Union are supposed to pay. These new fees come from a national regulation dated 2019, and have started to be applied by the University of Strasbourg since the year 2023-2024, with exemptions for students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. This is why these unsubscriptions concern people at master’s level.
A petition launched
Many made requests for exemption which were not accepted. For those who come from the Maghreb or sub-Saharan countries for example, 3,941 euros represents a very significant sum, which is added to other costs of living. “They risk losing everything they invested in coming to study in Francesummarizes Elsa Rambaud, from the Snesup union. This happened to those who were unsubscribed in December. We no longer have any news from some of them.” Rue89 Strasbourg had already reported a wave of 37 unsubscriptions at the end of 2025.
“These students were selected for the quality of their applications, have been engaged for seven months in the preparation of a demanding diploma and are continuing their studies in difficult and sometimes dramatic material and psychological conditions, recalls the inter-union in a press release. These administrative decisions are unbearably violent and resemble exclusions. They do not honor an international university proud of its welcoming tradition and its humanism.”
“At Sciences Po, we have six master’s students involved. Some passed their first semester with flying colorssays Elsa Rambaud. Fundraisers were opened by their comrades to support them.” For its part, the University of Strasbourg indicates “to apply the law” after having granted a payment deadline in February to 47 students concerned. The presidency indicates that it proposed to the inter-union a meeting to discuss the situation of students, a « proposition restée sans réponse ».
The inter-union launched a petition which obtained more than 2,000 signatures on Thursday April 2. She demands « la réinscription immédiate des étudiants désinscrits » et “the realignment of the rights of so-called extra-community students (coming from countries outside the European Union, editor’s note) with the rights” from the rest of the students.
“These differentiated fees respond to a logic of national preference and selection by money, déplore Elsa Rambaud. That’s not how I see my job.”
