Applications are currently being received for the French Government Scholarship (Eiffel Scholarship). The scholarship program was established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to enable French higher education institutions to attract top foreign students to enroll in their master’s and Ph.D. programs. The program gives an opportunity to future foreign decision-makers of private and public sectors, in priority areas of study and supports applicants up to 30 years old from developing countries at Master’s level, and applicants up to 35 years old from developing and industrialized countries at a Ph.D. level.
For master’s degree applicants, the Eiffel scholarship is awarded for a period of: (i) A maximum of 12 months when enrolling in M2; (ii) A maximum of 24 months for enrollment in M1; (iii) A maximum of 36 months for the preparation of an engineering degree. It is awarded on the condition that the student has met the academic obligations for each year of the course. For the doctoral level, the Eiffel scholarship is awarded for a maximum period of 18 months in France. The doctoral scholarship is only accessible to students applying for the 1st year of PhD studies. As an exception, the 12-month scholarship in France may, after agreement with the selection committee, be split into a maximum of three stays. Each stay in France cannot be less than 6 months. In any event, the scholarship cannot extend beyond 36 months, including periods outside France.
For the two parts of the program, the scholarship is awarded for the academic year corresponding to the call for applications. The start of the stay must be between September 1 and December 31 of the year in which the scholarship is awarded. No postponement of the scholarship is possible. The stay is financed by the scholarship only for periods taking place in France, except in certain cases for periods of internships or exchanges. If the scholarship holder (part 1) follows a preliminary intensive language training, he will be able to benefit from the Eiffel scholarship for a maximum period of 2 months during this training, if it was clearly indicated in his application.
Programme Details
- Host Institution: French Universities and Academic Institutions in France.
- Fields of Study: Please check the list below.
- Number of awards: Not specified.
- Duration: 12 months for a M2, 24 months for a M1, 36 months for the preparation of an engineering degree and 18 months for the PhD.
- Target group: Open to International Students.
French Government Scholarship Benefits
For Master’s level studies, the Eiffel scholarship includes a monthly allowance of €1,181, to which is added the direct payment of several services.
For PhD level studies, the Eiffel scholarship holders receive a monthly allowance of €1,700. In addition, the scholarship offer following benefits to both master’s and PhD degree students.
- a round-trip international ticket Country of origin – France;
- a train ticket to the first study location; a train ticket from the last study location to the airport for the return to the country of origin;
- reimbursement of the trip between the airport or train station and the first study location (taxi or public transport);
- The cost of airfare incurred by recipients will be reimbursed in an amount up to 50% of the rate determined by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for travel from the country concerned;
- Health insurance by Campus France, for the time needed to register to French Social Security, for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA);
- Mutual health insurance;
- Cultural activities
- Housing : Campus France offers recipients a choice of housing in student dormitories managed by CROUS (the national student housing agency) or in private homes. Recipients may choose to decline Campus France’s offer and to make their own housing arrangements instead.
Note : Tuition fees are not covered by the Eiffel Program. However, recipients of French government scholarships are exempt from tuition charges for programs leading to a national diploma (master, doctorate) or accredited engineering degree in public institutions of a scientific, cultural, or professional nature overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, in accordance with article R719-49 of the national education code.
Fields and Levels of Study
The two disciplinary fields of the Eiffel scholarships cover the following seven areas and are available for master’s and doctoral studies:
Science and technology:
- Biology and health
- Ecological transition
- Mathematics and digital sciences
- Engineering sciences
Human and social sciences:
- French history, language and civilization
- Law, Political science
- Economics, Management.
French higher educational institutions which present candidates for the Eiffel program undertake to register them:
- either in courses leading to a master’s degree. Only the training courses accredited by the French State are eligible;
- either in an engineering degree;
- either as a doctorate within the framework of joint supervision or co-supervision of a thesis with a partner foreign higher education institution.
French Government Scholarship Eligibility
To apply for the French Government Scholarship, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
- Nationality: This program is reserved for candidates of non-French nationality. Candidates with two nationalities, one of which is French, are not eligible.
- Age: For master’s level, candidates must not be older than 25 on the date of the 2024 Campaign, that is, students born after March 1998. At the Ph.D. level, candidates must be not older than 30 on the date of the 2024 Campaign, that is, students born after March 1993.
- Origin of applications: only applications submitted by French educational institutions are accepted. These institutions commit to enrolling scholarship holders in the academic program for which they have been selected. Applications submitted by any other means shall not be considered. Furthermore, any candidate nominated by more than one institution shall be disqualified.
- Courses of study: Scholarships are for students wishing to enroll on a master’s course, including at an engineering school, and for Ph.D. students. The Eiffel Program does not apply to French-run master’s courses abroad. It does not apply to training under an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract either.
- Scholarship incompatibilities: foreign students who, at the time of application, have already been awarded a French government scholarship from another Program, are not eligible, even if the scholarship only covers health insurance.
- For Eiffel Master Scholarship: No application will be accepted for any student who applied previously but was rejected, even if the application is submitted by a different establishment or in another field of study. Students who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship at the master’s level are not eligible to re-apply at the master’s level.
- For Eiffel PhD Scholarship: Establishments may nominate a candidate who was previously awarded an Eiffel scholarship at the master’s level for a scholarship at the PhD level. Candidates who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship once during their PhD cannot be awarded it for a second time. No application will be accepted for any student who applied previously but was rejected, even if the application is submitted by a different establishment or in another field of study.
- Language skills: When preselecting non-French-speaking candidates, establishments must make sure that their language skills meet the requirements of the relevant course of study.
- Geographical location: For the master’s level, candidates currently studying in France are ineligible. For the doctorate level, applicants studying abroad have priority over those already residing in France.
Note : The doctoral component is open solely to doctoral candidates who will begin their first year of doctoral study on or after September 1, 2023.
Similar opportunities
- UK Government Chevening Scholarships for Foreign Students;
- Korean Government Scholarship;
- Mohamed Bin Zayed University Scholarships.
How to Apply to the French Government Scholarship
Those interested in this government scholarship must first apply to a French higher education institution. Please contact the institution that will submit your application, to know their internal deadline. Applications directly from students are not accepted.
Institutions will complete and submit the application files online. They must ensure that they submit files that meet the criteria defined for the program.
The deadline for institutions to submit application files to Campus France is . Please note that this date does not apply to students who must contact French institutions to find out their deadline for receipt of applications. For more details on the French Government Study Scholarship (Eiffel Scholarship), please consult the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Je veux étudier en France !