The distinction between apprenticeship contracts and professionalization contracts alone determines the obligation to pay the CVEC. Apprentices in apprenticeship programs fall under initial training and must pay the contribution. Those on professionalization contracts, linked to continuing education, are not subject to it.
Initial training vs. continuing education: the determining criterion for the CVEC in alternating programs
Each new academic year, we observe misinterpretations on this point. The training regime takes precedence over the employment contract itself. An apprentice enrolled in a higher education institution follows an initial training program, even if they receive a salary and work in a company part of the week. The apprentice in initial training is subject to the CVEC, just like a traditional student.
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The professionalization contract follows a different logic. The employee in professionalization depends on the continuing education regime. This distinction, long unclear in the communications from institutions, has been clarified since 2024 by several universities on their registration pages.
The University of Bordeaux, for example, now indicates that all students in initial training (including apprentices on apprenticeship contracts) must pay the CVEC, while those under continuing education (including apprentices on professionalization contracts) are not subject to it. When discussing the payment of the CVEC in alternating programs, it is this relationship between status and training regime that generates the most administrative confusion.
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CVEC exemption for scholarship apprentices: mandatory certificate nonetheless
An apprentice holding a social criteria scholarship or receiving an annual allowance under specific aid is exempt from payment. The exemption does not relieve them from the administrative process.
Even if exempt, the student must obtain and present their payment certificate at the time of registration in the institution. Without this document, registration cannot be finalized, whether the process is online or in person.
Here are the categories of students exempt from payment but required to provide the certificate:
- Social criteria scholarship holders from Crous or beneficiaries of an annual allowance under specific aid
- Refugee students and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection
- Asylum seekers with the right to remain in French territory
The certificate can be obtained on the platform cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr after authentication. For scholarship holders, the status is verified automatically, and the certificate is issued without payment. We recommend downloading it as soon as the scholarship notification is received, without waiting for the registration period.
BTS in high school and non-subject training: the trap of the enrolling institution
The type of institution radically changes the situation. A student enrolled in a BTS in a high school is not subject to the CVEC and has no steps to take. No payment, no certificate to provide. This rule also applies to DMA and accounting programs offered in high schools.
The trap occurs when the same diploma is prepared in two types of structures. A BTS in alternating training prepared in a CFA linked to a higher education institution may trigger the obligation, while the same BTS prepared in high school is not subject to it.
We also observe hybrid situations in private schools. Some schools linked to a higher education institution require the CVEC for their apprentices, while others, which do not have this link, do not request it. It is the status of the institution that determines the obligation, not the diploma being prepared.
CVEC reimbursement and change of situation during the year
An apprentice who has paid the CVEC and then receives a scholarship during the academic year can request a reimbursement of the contribution. The request is made directly on the Crous platform, by providing the final scholarship notification.
Another concrete case: a student who changes contracts during the year, moving from an apprenticeship to a professionalization contract (or vice versa), sees their situation evolve. Transitioning to a professionalization contract during the year does not automatically generate a reimbursement if the CVEC has already been paid for the current year.
Reimbursement is also possible in the following cases:
- Withdrawal from the program before the end of the academic year, under certain conditions set by Crous
- Payment error (double payment or payment when the student fell under an exempt category)
- Late acquisition of refugee status or subsidiary protection after the initial payment
Status verification and common errors during registration
The most common error concerns apprentices who believe they are exempt from any process. An apprentice on an apprenticeship contract enrolled in higher education must provide a CVEC certificate, whether they are exempt or not. The absence of a certificate blocks registration, even if the institution is aware of the student’s status.
Another source of confusion: the platform cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr asks to select the enrolling institution. If the institution does not appear in the list, it is generally because it is not subject to the obligation. In this case, no CVEC process is required. Before paying, we recommend checking directly with the academic services whether the institution is indeed among those collecting the contribution.
The CVEC is collected every academic year. An apprentice engaged in a two or three-year program must renew the process each new academic year, including verifying their potential exemption. The scholarship status is not automatically carried over from one year to the next for the CVEC: the certificate must be requested again after each scholarship notification.