France pledges to replace Parcoursup by 2028 with €4 bn school loans package

France's government promised Monday to replace Parcoursup, the university admissions platform used by a record 1.05 million applicants this year, with a new system by 2028, alongside billions in education spending aimed at ending weeks of student protests that have since been joined by workers demanding relief from the rising cost of living.

Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said the platform would undergo "substantial change" in 2027 before the replacement launch. For the coming admissions round, institutions would publish more detailed selection criteria and explain rejections to applicants. A committee of students and teachers is to recommend further reforms by end of November; the government said it would legislate if necessary.

The package includes 15,000 additional higher education places across 2027 and 2028, mainly in vocational programmes. Student grants would rise in line with inflation from the 2027 academic year. Some first-year secondary classes would be capped at 28 pupils from 2027, starting in disadvantaged schools. Planned cuts to secondary teaching posts would be cancelled and 500 additional jobs created.

Up to €4 billion in low-interest loans would support school renovations until 2030, with a separate €1 billion university renovation programme running until 2029.

Student representatives gave a divided response after meeting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Nathanaël Combary of Renouveau Lycéen said the government had addressed "some of the students' demands," adding: "I emphasise the word 'some'." Clément Vieillot of Mouvement Cachan 94 called the package "crumbs," contrasting protesters' demand for 250,000 more university places with the government's pledge of 15,000. The replacement admissions system has yet to be designed, and its 2028 launch will fall to whichever government follows President Emmanuel Macron after next year's election.