Financial aid
In the event of financial difficulty, do not hesitate to assess your eligibility for the various forms of support available. You can check the conditions for these services below:
Cantonal grants
At the earliest, applications can be submitted during the summer preceding the start of the academic year and within six months after the start of your training.They must be submitted exclusively online.
Monthly scholarships, emergency assistance, complementary mobility assistance, health access support
The HES-SO Genève is proud to support its student community. In collaboration with the University of Geneva, the institution offers a financial support system aimed at guaranteeing a minimum income for disadvantaged students, while taking into account the specific needs of HES students.
This scheme is based on several types of support:
- monthly scholarships awarded each semester and emergency assistance to cover essential needs, available throughout the academic year.
- Support is also available to facilitate access to the health services of the HES-SO Genève and the University of Geneva, or to certain extra-academic activities.
- Finally, students accepted for an outgoing exchange can benefit from complementary mobility assistance, under certain conditions.
Academic year 2025-26:
Applications for monthly financial aid, included via private funds, can be submitted via the dedicated online form on the University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service web pages from August 1 to September 30, 2025. For the spring semester: from January 15 to February 28, 2026. Don't miss the deadlines!
Important: only complete applications will be processed. If the application is incomplete, it will be returned to the student for revision and resubmission. Consult the list of required documents.
Information desk at the University of Geneva:
If you have any difficulties obtaining documents, filling in the form, or have any general questions, don't hesitate to go to the Financial Aid Service “Campus Life” desk every Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm and every Thursday from 2 pm to 4 pm on the 1st floor of Uni Dufour.
The service can also be contacted by e-mail at aides-financieres@unige.ch. A hotline is available on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 am and Thursdays from 2 to 4 pm on 022 379 77 79.
Monthly scholarships
To apply, you must meet the following conditions:
- Be enrolled at UNIGE or HES-SO Genève in a Bachelor or Master's program;
- Have an annual income (N-1) less than 20'000 CHF;
- Have a fortune less than 20'000 CHF;
- For students under 25 and/or dependent, the income and wealth of the family group must not exceed the scales;
- Not be eligible for a cantonal scholarship (SBPE) or have been refused for it.
All applications are evaluated according to established criteria drawn from public or private funds, including those of the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. Applications are processed in chronological order of submission to ensure fair treatment.
1. Monthly scholarships from the HES-SO Genève:
Monthly financial scholarships follow a flat-rate model (993 CHF or 627 CHF per month) depending on two income levels. An additional amount is granted to students with dependent children.
The specific criteria for granting HES-SO Genève and University of Geneva funds are set out in the Directive sur les aides financières estudiantines. Grants are paid in 10 monthly instalments, retroactively if the decision is made after September.
2. Monthly scholarships granted by private funds:
If you do not meet all the criteria for financial aid, the University of Geneva and the HES-SO Genève may also award grants from private funds, according to their own criteria. Only requests submitted within the application deadlines are taken into account.
The following foundations support students enrolled at HES-SO Genève:
- Hans Wilsdorf Foundation
- Barbour Foundation
- Florence Montandon Foundation (for students enrolled at HEM)
- Fondation Philanthropia (Fonds Memorial Marc Birkigt - for students enrolled at HEPIA)
- Albatros Foundation
- Société philanthropique Carigest
How to apply:
Applications for monthly scholarships should be submitted using the online form available on the University of Geneva’s Financial Aid Service pages (using your AAI login) within the following deadlines:
- Autumn semester: 1 August to 30 September
- Spring semester: 15 January to 28 February
Only complete files submitted within the time limits are processed by the Financial Aid Service.
Response times from the Financial Aid Service can be a few weeks or even months. Thus, if, at the start of the academic year, you are waiting for a response to your application for monthly financial aid and are having difficulty paying your HES tuition fees on time, you may request an extension by contacting the “Direction des Finances” of the HES-SO Genève at: facturation.hes@hesge.ch .
Emergency assistance (from the first year of study)
Application criteria:
- Be enrolled at the UNIGE or HES-SO Geneva in a Bachelor's or Master's program;
- Prove that you are experiencing temporary and unforeseen financial difficulties of the types listed below;
- Not have sufficient savings and/or assets to cover your needs for the next three months.
Types of assistance available:
- Loss of employment
- Food aid
- Housing aid
- Cost of study materials and HES study fees (for HES-SO Genève students only)
- Medical expenses in Switzerland (not covered by health insurance), including urgent dental costs and expenses for sanitary health and contraception
Material costs are considered to be: material resources on presentation of supporting documents and a certificate signed by the school's Head of Teaching Coordination or by the Study Advisor (books, computers, printers, internet subscriptions, telephones, art materials, provided that access to these resources is not offered by the school).
The study fees represent the amount of the HES study tax. Although HES students cannot benefit from an exemption, one-off assistance may be granted in the event of unforeseen proven financial difficulty.
How to apply:
Applications should be submitted using the online form available on the University of Geneva’s Financial Aid Service pages (using your AAI login) within the following time limits :
- Autumn semester: 1 August to 20 December
- Spring semester: 15 January to 30 June
Applications will be processed in chronological order of submission to ensure fair treatment. Only complete files submitted within the time limits are processed by the Financial Aid Service. Consult the list of required documents.
Health access support
HES-SO Genève students have free access to a dedicated Espace Santé HES. Take advantage of primary care consultations, advice on your physical and mental health and psychological assessments, with or without an appointment!
Depending on your needs, nurses at the Espace Santé can refer you to various professionals in Geneva's healthcare network for direct and rapid care: doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. To help you finance these external consultations, the HES-SO Genève has set up an ad hoc health access scheme, in collaboration with the University of Geneva.
This support is also available for speech therapy consultations at the UNIGE's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, with the possibility of paying up to CHF 500 for an assessment.
Application criteria:
- Be enrolled at HES-SO Genève;
- For external consultations at the Espace santé HES (max. amount up to deductible): justify the need for consultations for health reasons by means of a prior assessment with the Espace Santé;
- For logopedic consultations at the UNIGE's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences (max 500 CHF per academic year): justify the need for an assessment by means of prior validation by the specific needs advisor at your school.
The University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service will assess the application according to the individual's financial situation.
How to apply:
Applications can be submitted via the online form available on the University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service pages (via your AAI login) by selecting the following type of aid “punctual aid”, then “health access support”. Applications must be accompanied by a certificate signed by the Espace Santé HES, an insurance certificate and a current benefits statement.
Support for extra-curricular activities
Support for extra-curricular activities helps students with limited resources to get involved in sport, culture and languages. The aim: to promote their well-being and social integration.
Activities supported:
- Sports activities
- Cultural activities
- Language courses at the Maison des Langues UNIGE
Application criteria:
- Be enrolled at UNIGE or HES-SO Genève;
- Demonstrate financial need.
How to apply:
- Register for the chosen activities or courses;
- Submit an application using the online form available on the University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service pages (via your AAI login).
Complementary mobility assistance
Application criteria:
- Be enrolled at UNIGE or HES-SO Genève and have paid the study fees up to the semester preceding the request;
- Be enrolled in a first Bachelor or Master's program in a coherent academic path;
- Have validated at least one year of studies in a recognized higher education institution in Switzerland in the same curriculum;
- Have validated the required credits during the past year, in accordance with the modalities specified by the study regulations of the training. A certificate from the study advisor may be required;
- For national mobility, the destination must be outside French-speaking Switzerland and the language of the host institution must not be the student's mother tongue;
- Justify a job of at least 4 months in the year preceding the request until departure;
- Have a detailed budget of expenses on site provided by the host institution.
All award criteria are detailed in the directive, which is binding.
How to apply:
The registration period begins on 1 August for the following academic year. Applications should be submitted via the online form available on the University of Geneva’s Financial Aid Service pages (using your AAI login), no later than one month before the departure date, but under no circumstances before August 1. If the student leaves during the summer to start the academic year, he/she must inform the Financial Aid Service of his/her intention to submit an application for a mobility already underway.
Retraining
Ehrahrdt-Hornung Fund Grants
It is intended for:
- Geneva and Confederate students who are regularly domiciled in Geneva;
- Students whose parents have been domiciled or taxpayers in the canton of Geneva for at least one year;
- Foreign students who, over the age of 18, have been domiciled and taxpayers in Geneva for three years before undertaking the training for which they are requesting assistance, provided that during this period they have continuously been engaged in a minimum of part-time paid activity.
For more information, contact Student Affairs by email: etu.hes@hesge.ch.
Florence Montandon Fund Grants (reserved for HEM students)
The Florence Montandon Foundation offers a donation to support housing assistance for HEM students. To benefit from this aid, students must submit their request to the University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service, respecting the procedure and deadlines for emergency assistance, and clearly indicating the reason.
Birkigt Fund scholarship (reserved for HEPIA students)
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Successful completion of the Federal Certificate of Competence (CFC) and a vocational diploma in one of HEPIA's teaching areas, or successful completion of a first bachelor's degree year at HEPIA (conditional on the payment of the scholarship from the start of the first year or start of the second year respectively), or, for master’s degrees, completion of a bachelor's degree at HEPIA.
- Minimum annual average of 4.5 out of 6 throughout the course of academic study.
- Paid activities do not exceed fifteen hours per week during the first two years of study. Annual report provided of the experience and learning acquired during the year to the University of Geneva's Financial Aid Service in the form of a testimonial.
Applications should be submitted using the online form available on the University of Geneva’s Financial Aid Service pages (using your AAI login), clearly indicating the scholarship concerned and according to the following deadlines:
- Autumn semester: 1 August to 30 September
- Spring semester: 15 January to 28 February
For all academic questions related to your application, e-mail Mr Tony Mangone or Ms. Anne-Catherine Rinckenberger, Head of Teaching Coordination at HEPIA.
Health scholarship - 1st year Nursing bachelor's degree
New specific support for the HEdS Bachelor's degree in Nursing
First-year students enrolled in the Bachelor's degree in Nursing may qualify, under specific conditions, for new financial support introduced as part of the federal Strong Nursing initiative, approved on November 28, 2021.
This new fund is designed to assist students experiencing financial hardship and complements existing financial aid solutions.
Eligibility criteria include the following:
(As outlined in the directive on complementary financial aid for nursing studies at HEdS Genève)
1. Applicants must fall within the following groups:
- Students who have been denied or received insufficient support from existing schemes in Geneva (Service cantonal des bourses et prêts d'études “SBPE,” HES-SO Genève funds, private funds).
- Students undergoing professional retraining who have received inadequate support (denied or partially supported under SBPE retraining grants).
- Students denied or inadequately supported by other cantons or by France (for those domiciled in France).
2. Additionally, applicants must:
- Be enrolled at HEdS Genève in their first Bachelor's degree program in nursing.
- Be exclusively pursuing a Bachelor's in nursing.
3. Income limits are as follows:
- CHF 35,000/year for single students.
- CHF 20,000/year for married students.
- CHF 10,000/year for students living with parents.
4. Asset limits are CHF 82,040 for singles and CHF 164,080 for married couples.
5. Applicants must be domiciled in Geneva or in France with cross-border commuter status (or have at least one parent with this status). This requirement applies to both Swiss and foreign nationals.
6. Foreign nationals residing in Geneva must hold a valid residence or settlement permit that allows them to study in Geneva, be admitted to the canton provisionally, or be granted temporary protection.
To apply for this nursing-specific financial support, students must submit their application through the online form available exclusively on the University of Geneva's Financial Aid department (DIFE) web pages. An application for a cantonal grant through the Service des bourses et prêts d’études (SBPE) must also be submitted at the same time.
Students must apply for both the SBPE and DIFE scholarships by the following deadlines:
- Fall semester: August 1 to September 30
- Spring semester: January 15 to February 28
Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered.
Office hours at the University of Geneva
If you have any difficulties obtaining documents, filling in forms or have any general questions, please visit the Financial Aid Service every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm and every Thursday from 2pm to 4pm at the “Campus Life” desk on the 1st floor of Uni Dufour. The service can also be contacted by e-mail at aides-financieres@unige.ch. A telephone hotline is available on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. on 022 379 77 79.
For all inquiries concerning this new financial support, students can contact the HEdS Nursing program advisors, office 165, at:
Sarah-Emmanuelle Hoang-Tho
sarah-emmanuelle.hoang-tho@hesge.ch
Direct +41 22 558 51 85
Gabriel Mulvey
Direct +41 22 558 74 56
Annual training cheque (Chèque annuel de formation - CAF)
As an HES student meeting certain conditions, you may be eligible to receive an annual training cheque up to a maximum of CHF 750. The cheque may be used to finance all or part of a course that supports your training with a minimum duration of 40 hours (language or IT courses, for example). The grant conditions and process are available online: https://www.ge.ch/beneficier-cheque-annuel-formation.