Grants, subsidies and loans
Cantonal grants
All Swiss cantons have an organisation responsible for awarding study or learning grants.
You should send your application for a cantonal grant to:
- The canton where you have your primary residence if you are over the age of majority and are financially independent, or
- The canton where your parents live, or
- Your canton of origin if your parents live abroad, or
- The canton to which you have been assigned.
In Vaud canton, the relevant body is the Office cantonal des bourses d’études et d’apprentissage (OCBE).
Please note that students in receipt of a study grant from the canton are not entitled to apply for a partial waiver of course enrolment fees at UNIL, since these are included in the amount of the cantonal grant.
How to ask for a cantonal grant?
All the information can be found in the following documentsCanton of Vaud
Office cantonal des bourses d’études et d’apprentissage (OCBE)
Rue Cité-Devant 14
1014 Lausanne
Tel.: 021 316 33 70
Fax: 021 316 33 78
Website
Canton of Geneva
Service des bourses et prêts d'études (SBPE)
Case postale 428
Rue Prévost-Martin 6
1211 Genève 4
Tel.: 022 388 73 80
Website
Canton of Fribourg
Service des subsides de formation
Rue St-Pierre Canisius 12
Case postale
1701 Fribourg
Tel.: 026 305 12 51
Website
Canton of Neuchâtel
Office des bourses
Case postale 752
Espace de l'Europe 2
2002 Neuchâtel
Tel.: 032 889 69 02
Fax: 032 889 60 29
Email
Website
Canton of Jura
Service de la formation postobligatoire - Section des bourses
Route de Moutier 16
2800 Delémont
Other cantonal support
Complementary benefits (PC) to the AVS (old-age and survivors' insurance) and the AI (disability insurance) provide assistance when pensions and other income are insufficient to cover basic needs.
There are two categories of benefits:
- The annual supplementary benefit, paid monthly
- Reimbursement of sickness and disability costs
The Office for the Recovery and Advance Payment of Alimony (BRAPA) intervenes at the request of a separated or divorced person (or an adult child of separated or divorced parents) who is not receiving, or is only partially receiving, the alimony or child support due.
The support provided by BRAPA staff is entirely free of charge. BRAPA is attached to the Department of Health and Social Action of the State of Vaud. The person calling on BRAPA must be domiciled in the canton of Vaud and hold a residence permit.
Individual housing assistance (AIL) is granted in 11 communes in the canton. It provides direct financial support to families who :
- have sufficient means to meet their needs,
- have to pay too high a rent in relation to their income,
- do not receive either the "revenu d'insertion" (Vaud social assistance) or supplementary AVS/AI benefits.
The AIL is calculated on the basis of the household's family situation, income and rent. The criteria for granting the AIL are defined at cantonal level by its regulations (RAIL) and its decree (AMCAIL). Some communes have supplemented these legal bases with specific conditions.
AIL is granted for a renewable period of 12 months.
The Canton of Vaud can finance part or all of your compulsory health insurance premiums depending on your income and assets. This financial support is called a subsidy. It does not apply to supplementary insurance.
The purpose of the subsidy is to limit the cost of health insurance premiums to 10% of your qualifying income. The qualifying income is an amount calculated on the basis of income and assets. The reference premium is determined on the basis of the average cantonal premium, the household income and the premium region.
For more information, please visit the website of the Canton of Vaud.
Other assistance
FAE (Federation of Student Associations) has a solidarity fund for students. In this way, FAE aims to help disadvantaged students.
With a maximum amount of 580 francs per academic year and per person, this assistance is intended for students registered at UNIL, and is granted in exchange for a payment slip directly concerning the assistance requested. FAE only enters into the matter after prior consultation with Social Affairs and Student Mobility Office.
Consult (in French) : https://fae-unil.ch/aide-financiere
Single students who are dependent on their parents and who live in the Canton of Vaud may qualify for the family reduction, which consists of a reduction in university fees of CHF 150. Registration fees are reduced for 2 or more children (including the student).
The family reduction is only granted to regular students (i.e. not to students on leave or those already benefiting from other reductions) in the first and second cycles (Bachelor's and Master's).
Applications for a family reduction must be made by completing the family reduction application form and returning it to the Admissions Office together with the supporting documents by the deadline (30 September for the autumn semester and 28 February for the spring semester).
The reduction cannot be granted retroactively, for past semesters, even if the conditions were met.
If you are studying at UNIL, without gainful employment or engaged in gainful employment in parallel to your studies, you can also receive allowances on certain conditions.
See :
To find out if you’re entitled to family allowances :
A helping hand with child-care costs
The Equal Opportunities Office can, on request, offer parents who are students, PhD students, junior lecturers, SNF researchers junior or senior at UNIL* financial support for pre-school children, namely :
* Registered with UNIL or under contract with UNIL.
A contribution to the additional costs of caring for a child for a conference or other academic activity planned in advance. Note : in the case of an unexpected event (a last-minute professional obligation, or if the child or the person who usually looks after them is sick), refer to the emergency care service.
Type of expenses refunded :
- travel expenses for one or more children during a conference or research stay
- travel expenses of the person accompanying the person requesting financial assistance during a conference or research stay
- Additional costs of childcare for one or more children at a conference or other scientific activity
Example: You are a PhD student and you need to spend two weeks abroad in the field as part of your research. As the mother of a single-parent family, you have to take your 3 year-old child with you, who usually goes to a nursery in Lausanne. You can ask for a contribution towards your child's travel costs and the costs of a nursery abroad.
You may submit a request at any time, using the form below. Emergency financial assistance can be requested multiple times by the same parent, up to a total maximum amount of CHF 2’500 per family. Assistance is granted within the limits of the money available.
Before sending us your request, please read the conditions for obtaining the assistance below.
Conditions for obtaining financial assistance for childcare
Complete (can be done in English) :
- Application form (PDF)
Students registered at the University of Lausanne may apply for a restricted or complete semester leave during their studies. A semester leave is a period of one or two semesters during which a student follows no teachings at the University of Lausanne but remains registered.
A semester leave may be granted in the following cases:
- attending courses at another Swiss or foreign university, outside of a mobility programme;
- completion of a practical placement;
- preparation for an examination;
- special commitment to the university community;
- military or civilian service;
- pregnancy, maternity or a duly certified medical reason.
Students on semester leave will be exempt from part of the course registration fee and the semester fee: they will only have to pay CHF 210 for restricted leave and CHF 130 for full leave.
For more information on applying for a semester leave, see the Admissions Office website.
Caritas support
Caritas' Groceries cards provide people in financial difficulty with access to 23 Caritas grocery shops throughout Switzerland on presentation of a purchasing card.
Caritas Groceries offer a wide range of products at very low prices. The range includes basic foodstuffs, fresh products, hygiene articles and all the essentials of impeccable quality.
UNIL students in precarious situations can obtain a Caritas' Groceries card from the SASME in order to benefit from this support.
Caritas’ Culture card (KulturLegi) promotes the integration into society of people affected by poverty and prevents social isolation. Thanks to the personal pass, people on a tight budget get reduced-cost or free access to culture, sport, education and health.
Any student benefiting from a health insurance subsidy (excluding specific subsidies) is entitled to a KulturLegi.
For more information and to apply for a KulturLegi, please visit KulturLegi's website.
Loans
EDUCA SWISS is a Swiss foundation that offers loans to students looking for a way to finance their studies. The foundation works to promote and finance education by supporting motivated people in implementing their education plans, offering them free assistance in planning and budgeting their studies, and granting them education loans tailored to their needs at attractive interest rates.
Conditions for obtaining a loan:
- Be over 18
- Have a clear professional objective
- Be resident in Switzerland
To benefit from a loan, simply register on the EDUCA SWISS website. Registration is free and gives you access to a coach who will contact you to advise you and help you complete your profile with a realistic budget and a clear objective. Once the profile has been completed, you will gain access to EDUCA SWISS lenders and will be able to receive educational loans.