2023-07-13 16:50:00
Was it a false alarm? This Thursday, July 13, 2023, RTBF indicated that the conditions for granting scholarships would soon change. The draft decree, which the future Minister of Higher Education Françoise Bertieaux (MR) is to inherit, presents, according to the public service media, a particularly delicate point. In view of the tight budget of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, study allowances would now only be granted to students or families who benefit from social integration income (RIS). The consequence ? A sidelining of many beneficiaries who do not depend on the CPAS, but whose financial income does not allow them to assume such tuition fees.
A flawed system
Like other actors in the field, the president of the Federation of Walloon CPAS, Luc Vandormael, has read this text. A letter dated July 12 was even sent to the Minister as well as to the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in order to express the concerns of the sector. “In the version of the text that I was able to consult, it was indeed a question of potential scholarship holders going to the CPAS to examine their right to the RISsays Luc Vandormael. I would point out that we are not the only ones to oppose this project, since the association has also joined in our dissatisfaction. I am thinking in particular of the Walloon network for the fight against poverty or the Brussels Forum for the fight against inequalities.
Luc Vandormael fears in particular that such a reform will increase the burden of the CPAS even a little more. “By forcing the applicant for study allowance to go through the CPAS, the social workers, already overwhelmed, risk being simply overwhelmed!”, he warns. Today, in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, just under 19,000 students benefit from the social integration income.
Our interlocutor also believes that such a system would be flawed, even illegal. “The integration income is a residual right, which means that it is granted when no other protection can be obtained, such as unemployment or, precisely, the study allowance.” However, in this case, the logic would be reversed. However, the integration income cannot, under any circumstances, constitute a prerequisite for opening the way to other rights.
“Not on the government table”
Contacted by us, the minister-president of the FWB, Pierre-Yves Jeholet (MR), denies these assertions. “The idea that only students and families who benefit from the integration income could qualify for a study grant is false, he said. I would also point out that the text has not yet been submitted to the government. We will not reveal the details at this stage, but consultations are still in progress. We will communicate later.”
A reaction welcomed this afternoon by the president of the Walloon CPAS. “If that’s the case, that’s good news! It means that our remarks have been heard. Our objective is obviously not to get angry with the office of the future minister. If this is true, we will not We could only thank her for her ability to listen…”
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