Study Abroad in Paris: Housing & Meals

Housing

Paris students have two options for housing – homestays or independent living. Students can live in a homestay as described in the catalogue. Homestay accommodation is included in the program fee. The other option is to choose independent living, finding an apartment through a reliable Housing Agency.

Parisian Homestay

In Paris you can be a paying guest in a Parisian home, where you will have a double or single room in an apartment. You will have a key and can come and go as you wish. There is privacy for study, yet a certain amount of contact with the Parisian hosts. You are likely to be housed with a single woman or professional couple. Students are seldom housed with families with young children.

In many homes, you will only have the use of the bedroom, bathroom and limited use of the kitchen. Parisian hosts do not usually allow free use of the entire apartment. It is important to understand the differences between American hospitality to foreign students and renting a room from a host in Paris. Most Europeans provide housing to foreign students for commercial reasons. Students should not assume they will be included in the daily life of their Parisian hosts.

The fee is based on a twin-bedded room shared with another AIFS student. If you want a single room must pay an advance supplement of $800 per quarter or semester.

AIFS always arranges the best accommodation available for students. Changes in housing will be considered only in the event of health and safety issues.

Students staying for the semester are allowed to remain in their homestay during the Christmas and/or spring vacations. However, most students take advantage of these breaks to travel.

Independent Living in Paris

If you are an independent living student, you will receive a rebate on the AIFS program fee. If you are interested in this option, you must contact the AIFS Admissions Office to find out the exact amount of the rebate. Please note that the rebate is only available to students who notify AIFS of their independent living prior to the payment date.

Apartments are fully furnished. We advise students to share the cost of the apartment with two or three AIFS roommates.

There are various specialized agencies for short term lets which include "Paris Attitude," "NYhabitat," and "Lodgis," which offer furnished apartments to both foreigners and French. Prospective tenants browse apartments on the web, selecting according to budget, location and size.

AIFS always recommends that students take an apartment no more than 30-40 minutes from the Sorbonne (and/or the Catholic University), in any of the 20 Parisian districts.

AIFS does not have any direct involvement in making own living arrangements. The contact is between the student and the agency.

AIFS will not chose an apartment or confirm details on a student's behalf.

If interested, you can visit the following websites:
www.parisattitude.com
www.nyhabitat.com
www.lodgis.com

Meals

Students on the AIFS Paris programs can enjoy French cooking throughout the semester. Homestay students receive daily breakfast in their homes, and all students participate in several special meals included in the program fee, including welcome and farewell dinners. AIFS staff also arrange several cuisine events, including a Tea & Cakes session and a Wine & Cheese session, as well as a themed dinner such as crêpes or fondue. In addition, students receive vouchers for two snack lunches (sandwich and drink) per week at bakeries and small restaurants throughout the city, as well as two vouchers for three-course meals during the semester.

AIFS also offers three meal plan options for an additional fee:

AIFS restaurant vouchers You can pay a supplement for restaurant vouchers which can be exchanged at selected restaurants or snack bars throughout France. Semester students receive 56 vouchers and quarter students receive 48 vouchers (four per week). The cost of approximately $1,000 for the semester or $860 for the quarter is payable to AIFS prior to departure. Since the exchange rate varies, AIFS will determine the price of meal vouchers in dollars just prior to the start of the semester.

If you do not use all four vouchers in any one week, you may use them in subsequent weeks. Many restaurants in the city accept these vouchers. If you spend more than the value of the voucher, then you pay the difference. If your purchase is less than the total value of the voucher, you do not get change. There is no cash rebate for unused vouchers in Paris.

If you choose this option, you must sign up and pay for the meal plan once you have been accepted onto the program. The meal plan is non-refundable.

Meal vouchers are not included for vacation periods nor during the last week of the semester since students may leave early once they finish final exams.

You should consider budgeting extra funds for meals to gain flexibility. It costs about 8 euros for a sandwich and coffee and 25 euros and up for a three course meal.

Cafeteria meal tickets If you are on a tight budget, you may prefer to purchase University cafeteria tickets instead of restaurant vouchers. The price is approximately 8 euros per meal. If you select this option, you can purchase these tickets directly at the cafeterias.

Dinner with families Some of the Parisian hosts who provide housing for AIFS students agree to offer four dinners a month for a supplementary fee. This is a good opportunity to have more contact with your Parisian hosts and to practice French. If you would like to take advantage of this option, you will pay the supplementary fee for the entire quarter ($260 for 12 meals) or semester ($340 for 16 meals) to AIFS prior to departure.