The new ceilings allowing you to benefit from the back-to-school allowance have been revealed for 2026. Here are the new conditions to be met.
Paid in August, the back-to-school allowance (ARS) concerns school children aged 6 to 18 and covers part of the essential back-to-school costs: notebooks, school bags, back-to-school clothing or even a canteen. This allowance, automatically paid by CAF and MSA, remains an essential boost when returning to class. Who can benefit from it and what are the amounts paid according to the age of the children?
Date of payment of the back-to-school bonus
The back-to-school allowance is paid each year in August, generally two weeks before the start of classes. In 2025, the back-to-school allowance was paid on August 5 in Reunion and Mayotte. For mainland France, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique, the payment was paid on August 19, 2025.
Back-to-school allowance: what amounts depending on the age of the children?
Here are the amounts for the 2025 school year:
| Age of child | Amount of ARS as of April 1, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Child aged 6 to 10 | 423.48 euros |
| Child aged 11 to 14 | 446.85 euros |
| Child aged 15 to 18 | 462.33 euros |
The ceilings not to be exceeded to receive the back-to-school allowance
The back-to-school allowance is subject to means conditions. To be eligible, families must have income below certain thresholds. For the 2026-2027 school year, the income received in 2024 (year N-2) is taken into account. According to a decree published in the Official Journal on December 22, 2025, the resource ceiling “is set at €22,274 for the period from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. It is increased, for the same period, by €6,682 per dependent child from the first child”. Here is the resource ceiling not to be exceeded depending on the number of dependent children for this year:
| Number of dependent children | Ceilings not to be exceeded |
|---|---|
| 1 child | 28,956 euros |
| 2 children | 35,638 euros |
| 3 children | 42,320 euros |
| 4 children | 49,002 euros |
| Additional child | 6,682 euros |
Who is entitled to the back-to-school allowance?
To touch back-to-school bonusparents must meet certain conditions:
- Have children in your care, aged between 6 and 18 years oldwho are schooled in a French public or private school, or apprentices or supported in a specialized reception establishment.
- Have income which do not exceed the resource ceilings in force (see table above).
- Complete the general conditions of the CAF or the MSA, depending on the fund you belong to.
What are the steps to take to benefit from ARS?
Depending on the age of the child, certain steps must be taken to be able to benefit from the ARS. Here are the 3 scenarios:
► If your child enters CP when he or she is not 6 years oldsimply send your Caf a schooling certificate. This document must be collected from the school.
► For children aged 6 to 15 at the start of the school year (born between September 16, 2008 and December 31, 2020 inclusive), you do not need to do anything. The back-to-school allowance is paid automatically to families already receiving benefits who meet the conditions.
► For children aged 16 to 18 at the start of the school year (born between September 16, 2008 and December 31, 2020 inclusive), you must provide a sworn declaration to Caf indicating that he or she is still in school or in apprenticeship.
Up to what age is the back-to-school allowance paid?
The back-to-school allowance is paid to beneficiary parents until their child turns 18. If the child has not yet turned 18 before September 15 of the year of the start of the school year, the ARS can be paid one last time to the parents who are responsible for the child. Beyond the age of 18, student grants take over to cover tuition fees.
Who receives the back-to-school allowance in the event of divorce?
When parents separate, and in particular in the event of shared custody, the back-to-school allowance continues to be paid only to one parent. In fact, the amount is not shared between the two parents. It is then the person who requests it first who will receive this financial assistance. This is an exceptional case since other types of family allowances can be shared at the request of the parents. Therefore, the person receiving this aid is expected to take care of the expenses related to the child’s education. It is then up to parents to agree on back-to-school costs.
Please also note that in the event of placement of the child by a child welfare judge, this back-to-school allowance is then blocked in a savings account at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. When the child reaches the age of majority, he or she will be able to make a request to recover this amount.
- Revaluation of the back-to-school allowance for 2025: everything you need to know. Site info.gouv.fr: https://www.info.gouv.fr/actualite/revalorisation-de-lallocation-de-rentree-scolaire-pour-2025-tout-ce-quil-faut-savoir
- Back-to-school allowance (ARS). Service-public.fr website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1878
