You have just signed your contract, and now you need to live close to the company or the training centre. Rent is a work-study student's biggest expense, and often the least anticipated. The good news: in 2026, several schemes can be combined to lighten the bill, starting with AIDE MOBILI-JEUNE®, worth up to €1,100 per training year. Here is how to claim it before the new term, with SuperAlternant.
Mobili-Jeune: up to €100 a month off your rent
Action Logement's Mobili-Jeune aid is a grant (there is nothing to pay back) that covers part of your rent during your work-study programme.
| Key facts |
In 2026 |
| Amount |
€10 to €100 per month |
| Cap |
€1,100 per training year (11 monthly payments) |
| Duration |
up to 2 training years, consecutive or not |
| Calculation |
on rent including charges, after APL housing benefit is deducted |
| Processing time |
around 7 working days (longer in September and January) |
Am I eligible?
You must meet all of these conditions:
- be under 30;
- hold an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract with a company in the private, non-agricultural sector;
- earn a gross monthly salary at or below 120% of the SMIC (French minimum wage);
- have no Mobili-Jeune application already in progress;
- rent your home to move closer to your employer or training centre, with either a distance of more than 70 km (or more than a 40-minute commute) from your previous address, or a double rent burden.
The home can be a rental, a flatshare, a furnished let, a hostel, a social residence or a boarding-school room. Guest rooms, holiday cottages and tourist residences are excluded.
The trap to avoid: the deadline
This is the number one mistake. The application must be filed no earlier than 3 months before and no later than 5 months after the contract start date (or the contract's anniversary date). A contract starting on 1 September 2026? Your filing window opens on 1 June 2026. Don't let it pass: everything is done online on the Action Logement platform, application and supporting documents included.
Visale: the free guarantor that unlocks your application
No guarantor? That is often what gets a rental application rejected. The Visale guarantee, also from Action Logement, acts as your surety free of charge with the landlord.
- Open to all young people aged 30 and under, whatever their situation: student, work-study student or employee.
- It covers unpaid rent and charges for the first 3 years of the lease: up to 36 monthly payments in the private sector, 9 in the social sector.
- It also covers rental damage, up to 2 months' rent (private sector).
The visa is issued within a few working days. Request it before your viewings: turning up with an already-approved file puts you ahead of other applicants.
Loca-Pass advance: pay the deposit without draining your savings
The security deposit lands at the worst possible moment, just before your first pay slip. The AVANCE LOCA-PASS® lends you up to €1,200, interest-free, to cover it. You repay in instalments once you are settled in and being paid.
What about APL?
The CAF housing benefit remains the foundation: apply online as soon as you move in. Do it first, because Mobili-Jeune is calculated after APL is deducted. A concrete example from Action Logement: for rent of €350 including charges with €220 of APL, the aid paid is €100; with €280 of APL, it drops to €70. If your remaining cost is under €10, no aid is paid.
Good reflex: these three Action Logement schemes can be combined with each other and with APL. Together, they easily add up to more than €2,000 over a year of work-study.
Your roadmap before the new term
- Secure the contract first. No signed contract, no Mobili-Jeune. Still looking? Apply the complete method for finding a work-study placement, and remember you can start the course and keep 3 months to sign. No offer elsewhere? Work-study is still your plan B.
- Work out your real budget. Compare your future rent with your work-study pay in 2026, then top it up with our student aid and money-saving tips.
- Apply for Visale, then go to viewings with a rock-solid file.
- File Mobili-Jeune and the Loca-Pass advance within the 3-months-before / 5-months-after window.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mobili-Jeune only for apprentices? No: professionalisation contracts also qualify, in the private, non-agricultural sector.
Can I claim it in a flatshare? Yes. Only your share of the rent and charges is taken into account.
Do I have to pay it back? Mobili-Jeune is a grant: nothing to repay. Only the Loca-Pass advance is repaid (interest-free).
What if I train in the agricultural sector? An equivalent scheme exists: AGRI-MOBILI-JEUNE®.
Take action
Funded housing means a calmer start to your work-study year. Still missing the company or the school? Browse work-study offers and training programmes on SuperAlternant, target the sectors hiring the most in 2026, polish your CV and cover letter and prepare your interview. And remind future employers that they receive apprenticeship hiring subsidies: recruiting you costs them less than they think.
Sources: Action Logement (AIDE MOBILI-JEUNE®, Visale guarantee, AVANCE LOCA-PASS®), amounts and conditions in force in 2026.
