The Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports wants schools to offer every pupil access to culture. Therefore, the Ministry has launched the Culture Pass in partnership with the Ministry of Culture.  As of January 2022, the Culture Pass has been available to all pupils from grade 8 to the final year of secondary school (grade 12) in public and state-funded private education. 

The objective is to enable pupils to be gradually introduced to culture in a way that will help them develop their independence until they reach the age of legal majority. An overall amount of 200 € per student (spread over 5 years of schooling) will allow each student to benefit from individual or group outings accompanied by their teachers. The aim is to reach 100% of pupils concerned by an artistic and cultural education action each year. This Pass will complement the Culture Pass currently offered to all 18-year-olds.

The Culture Pass will have two complementary and progressive components:

A collective share, which will enable a teacher to finance artistic and cultural education activities (EAC) for his/her class.  The amount of the collective share is fixed for each school, in proportion to the number of pupils enrolled:

• €25 per pupil in grade 8 and grade 9
• €30 per pupil in grade 10 and in the two-year programme which prepares for the professional aptitude certificate (CAP)
• €20 per pupil in grade 11 and grade 12

An individual share, paid to each pupil aged 15 to 17 to finance activities, outings or purchases of equipment (cinema, concert or theatre tickets, museum entrance tickets, books, etc.) or digital goods of their choice. The amount of the individual share is fixed at: 

• €20 per student aged 15
• €30 per student aged 16 and 17

Each pupil has a personal digital account enabling him/her to acquire cultural goods directly online and to benefit from cultural services. The personal digital account is credited every year. The sums paid are personal and cannot be transferred. The amounts must be used before the age of 18 and unspent amounts cannot be carried over to the next school year.

More information:

• Décret n° 2021-1453 du 6 novembre 2021 relatif à l'extension du « pass Culture » aux jeunes en âge d'être scolarisés au collège et au lycée
• Arrêté du 6 novembre 2021 portant application du décret n° 2021-1453 du 6 novembre 2021 relatif à l'extension du « pass Culture » aux jeunes en âge d'être scolarisés au collège et au lycée
• Un pass Culture pour les collégiens et les lycéens sur le site du ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de la Jeunesse et des Sports 

Source:  Eurydice Unit France