The online course registration platform will be opened before your arrival, which will allow you to choose the classes you want to attend. It will reopen at the end of the first week of classes to allow you to make changes to your choices by adding or removing classes. The course selection is made every semester.

You can indeed! The courses catalogue for international students can be viewed here. There is a variety of classes taught in English, French and some in Spanish. The course catalogue for the next academic year is published in July.

International exchange students and free mover students can follow French language courses if they want to (this is not compulsory but recommended for everyday life in France). There are 8 Groups, each one corresponding to a different level from complete beginner to advanced.

There is indeed an Orientation week for international students at the start of every semester. The first day is the Welcome Meeting where we will provide you with some information about Sciences Po Lille, life in the city and the International Students' Office will give you some useful tips. During the rest of the week, you will be able to attend 6 hours of French classes and 6 hours of methodology class. These classes are not mandatory and will not grant you any ECTS. Make sure to check the full calendar here to know the exact dates.

If you are registered as an international exchange student, you will not have to pay any tuition fees to Sciences Po Lille.

If you come to Sciences Po Lille as a free mover, your tuition fees will be calculated when you register and range from 180€ to 4000€.

If you are registered as a Master's students in Sciences Po Lille, tuition fees will depend of program of your choice and your parents' income. The exact amount will be calculated during registration.

We have detailed the average cost of goods, services and transportation in our International Students' Guide (under Financing). Make sure to check it out to get an estimation of your living expenses when you are in Lille.

You should open a bank account when you arrive in France as this is mandatory for Social Security reimbursements and Housing Aid (APL). Campus France has a short but self explanatory guide on how to open a French bank account, make sure to read it here.

If you come from any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, you can ask for a European Health Insurance Card from your national health insurance provider, which will allow you to benefit from the same reimbursement as French citizens during your stay in France. Make sure to ask for it before your arrival.

If you come from outside of these countries, you will need a valid individual or university insurance covering you for medical expenses, travel and repatriation. You will also have to register to the French Social Security system by visiting this link which will allow you to get the same reimbursements for your health expenses as French citizens. 

There are several ways to find accommodation in Lille, the most useful ones are listed here. The International Students' Office may also be able to give you some tips to find a good apartment!

Be careful when browsing Facebook or ad websites such as Le Bon Coin (which is the most popular in France) as there can be a lot of scamming attempts there. In general, if somebody is requiring you to pay in advance, is asking for a Mandat Cash payment or if the ad seems too good to be true, this should raise red flags...

The prices vary depending on the location and the type of room you wish to rent. However, be prepared to pay up to two months' rent before moving in (one month rent in advance and a one-month "security deposit").

When browsing for an apartment, you may find that you sometimes need a guarantor and a security deposit, which can be a problem... Fortunately, there is a no cost solution called VISALE which should ease the procedure. A detailed article on how to apply for VISALE can be read here. 

You can apply for the “Aides au Logement” (national accommodation subsidy). This is a subsidy from the French state. Once you have signed your accommodation contract, you can apply through the CAF (French administration in charge of processing the applications) website. Please note that you will need to stay at least 8 months in your accomodation in order to benefit from this financial support. If you want to estimate the amount that you could receive, make sure to try the CAF simulator.