France's budget bill for 2026 passes, allocating €32bn for higher education and research

The French government passed into law the budget for 2026 on 20/02/2026, with €31.6bn research and higher education. The "Investir pour la France de 2030" mission, which brings together all investment programmes in research, innovation, strategic sectors and in support for industrialisation, is set to receive €4.4bn.

The budget bill also plans to limit access for non-European foreign students to scholarship recipients only, starting on 01/07/2026.

The budget for higher education and research is slightly higher for 2026, up from €30.9bn in 2025, mainly to compensate higher employer costs for social benefits and pensions and to pay for an affordable meals programme in university canteens.

However, "Investir pour la France de 2030" loses a fifth of its budget, down from €5.3bn in 2025.

Like in 2025, the French parliament took four months to pass the bill, mainly due to political instability and divisions in its institutions. A special law was adopted in December “to ensure the continuity of national life and the performance of public services”. While this enabled government services to…