A resource for students from orientation to graduation and beyond, the Student Life office is both the center of student activities and a support network that helps students navigate the many practical aspects of life in Paris. In addition to hosting a wide range of activities on-campus and off-campus, including costume balls, art benefits, museum tours and other cultural activities, Student Life staff helps students obtain residence permits and advises on practical matters such as banking, phones, transportation, insurance and medical referrals. Student Life also provides organizational support for the Student Council and the on-campus internship program, and provides students with a free, confidential, anglophone counseling service.
Held in the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, orientation is a comprehensive, week-long introduction to life as a student at Paris College of Art . Through a series of lectures, museum visits, dinners, walking tours, and other activities, new students have the opportunity to discover the French capital and establish themselves as temporary residents. During orientation, students register for classes, open bank accounts and phone contracts, sign up for health insurance, and most importantly, meet the staff, faculty and fellow students who form the school community.
Orientation is mandatory for all incoming students. Late arrival can negatively impact your adjustment to life in Paris and your registration for classes. If you are unable to attend any part of orientation, please notify the Admissions Office at admissions@paris.edu.
For students who are new to Paris, finding a place to live in Paris can be both exciting and challenging. The Student Life office provides several different housing options, designed to accommodate students of different needs, preferences and budgets. Whether students wish to live in dormitory housing, in homestays or in independent apartments, Student Life provides individualized support to both incoming and current students in securing housing and settling in Paris.
Dormitary Option
Choosing to live in dormitory housing both facilitates the housing search and creates a sense of community among incoming students. During the fall semester students may choose to live in St. John's La Maison Mère Dormitory located in the 6th Arrondissement, three stops away from the school's Letellier Campus. The rooms are equipped with AC, WiFi and Ethernet, electronic keys and digital phones. Open to students 18 and older, the St John's residence building has 24/7 security and receptionist, an on-site Residence Director and Residence Advisor, a library, lounge, computer lab and printers. The rooms are double occupancy and students share with other PCA students.
Independant Living
PCA students are independent and cosmopolitan, so it is not surprising that many choose to find their own individual housing, whether in studios or shared apartments throughout the city. Student Life provides numerous resources to students in their apartment search, including a housing placement service through a partner agency, and relations with a number of agencies that cater to international students. Upon acceptance to PCA, students receive information on the housing search process, including everything from how to sign a lease to a guide of Paris's different neighborhoods.
Meals
Paris is renowned for its food, and most PCA students take advantage of the city's vast culinary offerings by preparing meals at home, eating in local restaurants or from take-away shops in the neighborhood of the school. Additionally, through the CROUS, a public establishment of the French Ministry of Education, students have access to four restaurants and twenty university cafeterias where they can have a three-course meal for lunch or dinner for as little as 3.10 euros. See the CROUS website for more information about university cafeterias.
Students from outside of the European Community must apply for and receive a student visa before entering France. Paris College of Art accepts several types of student visas, depending on the length of a student's stay. Students must apply for a visa in their country of origin and are encouraged to do so as early as possible, as the process can take up to several months. More information about the visa application process can be found on the Campus France website.
Upon arrival in France, students studying for more than one semester are required to apply for a one year, renewable resident permit called a carte de séjour.
The Student Life office guides students through each step of the visa and resident permit process, streamlining the process and responding to student questions.
French law requires all foreigners studying in France to have medical coverage that meets the minimum requirements set forth by the French government. To this end, Paris College of Art allows its students to choose from two French health insurance providers specialized in student health care. Generally, both insurers offer similar refund rates for hospitalization, prescription drugs, and out-patient medical services.
Students are automatically enrolled in Paris College of Art ‘s health insurance except those students who timely show proof that they are either French citizens with French Social Security coverage, EEC citizens with a European Health Insurance Card or an E-111 or E-109 form giving them reciprocity with the French Social Security, or covered by an international insurance policy recognized as valid by the French Social Security.
