When the school announces a school trip costing 400 euros per child, the first reaction is often to seek additional funding. Families receiving benefits naturally think of the CAF, but the main scheme, the children’s holiday aid (AVE), does not directly cover traditional school trips. Understanding what the CAF actually finances and identifying other available resources helps avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of payment.
School Trips and AVE: A Boundary Families Discover Too Late
It is often assumed that any overnight trip organized by the school falls within the scope of the AVE. In practice, the CAF of Seine-et-Marne explicitly excludes sea, snow, and discovery classes from the scheme. Most CAFs apply the same rule: the AVE funds summer camps and holiday stays, not school trips.
The distinction lies in the organizer. An AVE stay must be offered by a VACAF-approved structure, booked during school holidays, and detached from the educational framework of the institution. A school trip, on the other hand, is managed by the teacher, included in the school’s project, and often takes place during term time.
For families who discover CAF assistance for a school trip along the way, this nuance changes the funding strategy. It’s better to know this before counting on a reimbursement that won’t come.
Social Funds of Colleges and High Schools: An Underutilized Lever for Funding a School Stay
Schools have social funds managed internally, funded by the National Education. These funds can cover all or part of the costs of a school trip (transport, accommodation, activities) for students in financial difficulty.
The request is made to the school’s social worker or directly through the secretariat. No family quotient ceiling is set at the national level: it is the head of the institution who assesses the situation on a case-by-case basis, in committee.
This scheme is distinct from the CAF and can be combined with other aid. However, it remains underutilized because families are unaware of its existence or hesitate to apply. In practice, one fills out a quick application, attaches proof of income, and the response usually arrives within a few weeks.
How to Increase Your Chances of Obtaining Coverage
- Submit the request as soon as the trip is announced, not the day before departure. Funds are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis in many institutions.
- Attach the latest tax notice and, if possible, the CAF family quotient certificate. The more complete the application, the fewer back-and-forth exchanges.
- Explicitly mention other aid already received or refused: the committee takes into account the actual remaining costs.
ANCV Holiday Vouchers: An Increasingly Accepted Supplement by Schools
Holiday vouchers, distributed by the National Agency for Holiday Vouchers (ANCV), are a payment method accepted by many tourism providers. What is less known is that some schools accept holiday vouchers to pay for a school trip, provided that the final provider (accommodation, transport) is ANCV-approved.
The CAF does not directly issue holiday vouchers, but it can direct families to holiday departure assistance schemes that include them. Company committees and some local authorities also distribute them. For a school trip, it is first checked with the school manager whether this payment method is accepted.
Responses vary on this point: some administrations refuse due to unfamiliarity with the scheme, while others integrate it without difficulty. A letter from the ANCV confirming the provider’s eligibility can resolve the situation.
Associations and School Cooperatives: Complementary Funding Not to Be Overlooked
School cooperatives (managed by the OCCE in primary education) and socio-educational centers (colleges, high schools) have their own budgets funded by voluntary contributions from families, cake sales, and fairs. These funds are specifically used to finance class projects, including school trips.
Some local associations or foundations also offer occasional scholarships for educational stays. Municipalities, through the CCAS, can supplement funding for the most modest families. One can then combine the school’s social fund, municipal aid, and cooperative contributions to reduce the remaining costs to just a few dozen euros.
Creating a Multi-Funding Application: The Ground Method
Start by listing the accessible aids in order of the quickest processing. The school’s social funds respond within a few weeks. The school cooperative often validates in class council. Municipal aids sometimes require a review by the CCAS committee, which takes longer.
The teacher organizing the trip can provide a certificate detailing the cost per student and the educational program. This document facilitates each application, regardless of the interlocutor.
AVE Conditions in 2026: Check Eligibility for Holiday Stays
Even though the AVE does not cover school trips, it remains useful for families wishing to send their children to camp during the holidays. In 2026, the scheme was strengthened with a budget increased to 38 million euros and coverage extended to all CAFs through the VACAF network. Approximately 4 million children are now eligible.
The access conditions remain stable:
- Have received a CAF benefit (family allowances, APL, RSA, AAH, activity bonus) for October 2025 and January 2026.
- Have a family quotient of 950 euros or less in January 2026.
- Have at least one dependent child under 18 years old as of January 1, 2026.
No action is required: beneficiaries are informed by email in their Mon Compte space on caf.fr, usually in February. If no notification appears, the right is not granted.
The amount of the AVE depends on resources and the number of children. It is calculated after deducting any other aids (company committee, municipal aid). The stay must be booked with a VACAF-approved organization, for a duration varying according to the CAF, generally from 2 to 15 days per child per year.
For families whose school trip is not covered, combining the school’s social funds, school cooperative, and municipal aids remains the most effective strategy. The AVE, on the other hand, retains its relevance for providing a holiday departure at a controlled cost, outside the school framework.
