Jersey students to get first dibs on student accommodation in Caen

Sunday 25 March 2018

Jersey's Acting Education Minister has signed a co-operation agreement with Caen University in Normandy to give Jersey students priority for on-campus accommodation.

As part of the agreement, Jersey students will also receive a range of support, including ongoing French tuition.

The agreement was signed earlier this week at this year's Higher Education Fair, which was attended staff from Caen University. Deputy Anne Pryke, Acting Education Minister, said: “This is the first agreement of its kind and we hope it will encourage some Jersey students to consider this prestigious French university as an option because it not only gives them a recognised degree but they also leave with international connections and a high level of proficiency in a second language.”

Caen University offers a variety of undergraduate courses in Languages, Law, Economics, Health, Sciences and others. The courses are low-cost for undergraduates, as students are only asked to pay a registration fee of about £170 and to register for mandatory health insurance which costs around £190 a year. 

Pictured: Caen University in Normandy.

Last year, the Education Department announced it would be funding a £2,500 one-year course at Caen University to enable Jersey students who wish to study there to acquire the necessary level of French. An A Level standard in French is required to attend the university and the language barrier had previously been identified as an issue.

The course includes language lessons, as well as an introduction to French culture. The then Education Minister Deputy Rod Bryans said that by the end of the course, students would have 'enough' French to carry on with a French degree.

The Education Department will also provide support with immigration issues and has partnered with the Maison de la Normandie et de la Manche in Jersey to help fill in the lengthy application forms.