CROUS halls application

Although my halls are private, reserved for IUFM students, I'm going to talk to you about CROUS, the public halls, dotted around the whole of France, and one of the first things students choose. If someone's reading this looking for some information even though they aren't coming to Orléans, you'll just have to change the search, changing it to your city and then following the same steps.

In general the halls are located on Campus and if you're going to study there and don't like getting up early or taking transport then it's definitely the best option. There are also loads of uni restaurants where you can eat for as little as 3€ (not decently, as not eating between leaving home and coming back isn't that long).

The price of the room depends on what you get given, there are rooms for around 230€, 9 metres squared (with a bathroom), and rooms for about 320€ (with bathroom and kitchen). In terms of bills, unlike what I did, paying monthly, here they offer you two options; pay in two lots (each semester) or for the whole year in one go. In some of the halls, electricity is paid for separately, costing about 100€ a semester and the internet costs about 20€ a month, they give you a cable to connect to your laptop/computer. If you're the kind to lay in bed messing around on your laptop then I recommend bringing a longer cable, as the one they give you only reaches up to the desk, maybe a bit further.

You've got until the 30th April to apply, there are people that do it a bit later and have got a place, but that's a gamble if you know you have a place, apply as soon as possible.

To apply you should follow these steps.

1. Go to this page: http://www.crous-orleans-tours.fr/index.php or search for 'CROUS Orléans' and it'll be the first result.
2. Click on à suite de l'article 1, that will open another page, then click on: Connectez-vous sur la plateforme de saisie du dossier social étudiant en cliquant ici et complétez les renseignements demandés.
3. On this new page, click on the second link: Saisir votre dossier social étudiant sans le n°INE
4. Choose a password (you have to repeat it)
5. Tick the third option: Vous êtes scolarisé à l'étranger.
6. Choose Espagne (or your country) and tick: Ressortissant d'un Etat membre de l'Union Européenne ou Islande, Liechtenstein, Norvège et Suisse, justifiant d'une situation particulière (travailleur communautaire, durée du séjour,... )
7. Select Orléans.
8. Select: Logement, and what you're studying.
9. Select your university.
10. Next you'll see all the halls for you to choose where you want to stay. They are going to give you the most popular ones, or rather, it doesn't matter what order you put them in, they are going to put you where they want.
11. On the last page they give your INE (student number), take a screenshot and save it as you're going to need it to see how your application goes.

After one or two weeks you'll get a letter you'll need to sign and send back to where they ask. Also, you have to attach last year's income statement, a cheque for 6€, your registration receipt and a photocopy of your DNI.

I applied as I didn't know they had accommodation here, and looking for a room while you're still in Spain is crazy, they accepted me without any problems even though I eventually rejected it.

When you accept they will send you an email, and if for some reason you have any problems with the forms etc, all you have to do is go through all the emails or give them a ring and you'll find out.