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Fund your language course using a government training budget (CPF or other finance options available)

Alpine French School’s parent company, Gallico LCE, offers students the possibility to fund their language course with us using a government training budget. In France, everyone is entitled to have access to professional training to develop their professional skills. When you work in France, you or your employer pay contributions to the funds that finance this and in return, you have the possibility to finance your training courses.

The government training budget can cover part of or the total cost of your course.

There are different types of budgets available depending on your professional status. Employees, business owners and auto-entrepreneurs are all entitled to a training budget. There are various training budgets available, the most common are:

All employees and most business owners have a CPF account. Your CPF account is credited each year between 15th January and 15th June with your credits from the previous year. This can amount to up to 500 euros. The money accumulates in your account until you use it. You can choose a course on the CPF platform that suits your budget and what you would like to study. It is worth mentioning that at some point in 2024, the French government will be bringing in a new system where you have to pay a contribution of around 10% to use your CPF. So if you are thinking of using your CPF, it is better to register sooner rather than later to avoid having to pay 10% of the cost of the course. Apart from the 10% fee, the CPF platform pays us directly for your training, so you don’t have anything to pay.

2. AGEFICE / FIFPL / Chambre des Métiers

As a business owner, you receive a document each year to state how much you have paid into the professional training funds. This is called an ‘Attestation de Versement de Contribution à la Formation Professionnelle’. With this document, we can tell you what your budget entitlement would be for the current year and any criteria that have to be respected in order to use the budget. If you don’t use your budget in a given year, it isn’t carried over like the CPF, so it is ‘lost’. You have to pay for your course and get refunded but we apply and get the approval in advance of the course, so you know you will get your money refunded in full before you start and pay for your course.

3. OPCO

As an employee on a French contract, your employer pays into a training fund with their ‘OPCO’ which is their professional training organisation. Using their contributions, they can choose to finance a course for you that is related to their business. This must be organised through your employer.

For all of the above options, we offer a free help and advisory service, from advising about the most suitable budget to use, then helping throughout the application and refund process.

Please contact us for more information and we will be happy to help!

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