Emmanuel Macron, meets at the Élysée Palace with Nawaf Salam, on April 22, 2026. (Credit: Photo published on the X account of the Embassy of Lebanon in France/@AmbLibanFrance)
BEIRUT — French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to exempt Lebanese students enrolled in French public universities from registration fees for the next academic year starting in September 2026, the Lebanese Embassy in Paris announced.
Macron made this decision during his meeting Tuesday at the Élysée Palace with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the embassy added in a message on its X account published Saturday.
No reason was specified in the message, but Paris has repeatedly stated recently that it "stands with" Lebanon, which is once again embroiled in a war that has killed nearly 2,500 people since March 2. France was excluded by Israel from negotiations with Beirut, held in Washington over the past two weeks, that resulted in a fragile cease-fire.
The announcement of this exceptional measure, which has not yet been officially announced, comes as, more generally, registration fees for foreign students in France could significantly increase.
