Scholarships to Study in France for International Students

A popular study destination in Europe, France offers a top-notch educational experience and an environment rich in culture. Pursuing education with French public universities is subsidized which is another reason that has helped France scale the heights.

Despite such perks, the cumulative costs of tuition fees and living expenses can be burdensome for deserving candidates. Currently, pursuing studies in France with public universities and Grandes Ecoles costs anywhere around 3 to 31 lakhs. Given the high costs of tuition, one can consider opting for scholarships to study in France.

These scholarships granted generally for Master’s and Doctoral are offered by the French government, Universities in France, private organizations, and French Embassies. Apart from financial need, funding is also offered on the basis of country and academic merit. The award amount varies from 1,300 Euros a month to a 50% tuition fee waiver.

How to apply for scholarships to study in France?

Students planning to apply for financial aid to support their higher studies in French universities can visit CampusBourses, an online tool that contains a catalog of all available scholarships. The online catalog lists scholarships based on several criteria. These are Type of Grant, Level of Study, Subject Area, Nationality, and Organisations providing grants.

Prospective candidates can visit this site to check the scholarships that they can apply for. Generally, the scholarships to study in France are offered mainly by three different organizations- the French Government, French Embassy & various non-government institutions, and Universities in France.

While applying for scholarships in France, students should note the following-

  • In the case of scholarships by French Universities, students can directly apply for the same by visiting the ‘Scholarships and Financial Aid’ webpage of the concerned university. However, some universities also automatically evaluate a student for a scholarship based on their academic performance during admission.
  • Students cannot directly apply for scholarships under the Eiffel Program. In case they do, their applications will be rejected. Instead, the University they have applied to will preselect the candidates on their behalf and submit applications to Campus France.
  • Application for Excellence-Major Scholarship is also required to be submitted online by the heads of the French Lycee School
  • Candidates who are interested in applying for the ‘Make our Planet Great Again’ Scholarship can submit their application on the official website of Campus France.

To apply for the Erasmus Mundus, candidates must follow the steps below -

  • Go through the Erasmus Mundus Catalogue that contains information regarding the master’s programs that offer the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.
  • The list can be filtered by field of study, country, universities, or other participating organizations, year of intake, ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), and year of selection.
  • Candidates can choose up to three programs and apply directly to the higher education institute offering the program.
  • Erasmus Mundus will offer a scholarship to applicants only after they have been selected for their chosen program.

Government Scholarships in France for International Students

Government-funded scholarships are awarded to both national and international students looking for funding options. Award amounts vary according to the scholarship applied for. Some of the award amounts range from 1300 Euros to 1700 Euros a month.

Excellence-Major Scholarship to Study in France

Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs jointly offer Excellence-Major Scholarship as part of cultural diplomacy and promote French Higher Education worldwide.

The scholarship is awarded to foreign baccalaureate holders from the network of French Lychees. Under this program, 800 students from approximately 80 nationalities are offered scholarships for five years of higher studies in France.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarships to Study in France

French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs introduced Eiffel Excellence Scholarships to increase the popularity of PG courses from french higher education institutes. Objectives of this program are as follows -

  1. To train in French higher education institutions aspiring foreign policy-makers of the private and public sectors in three priority study areas: science, economics and management, and law and political science.
  2. To encourage applications by students from emerging countries, especially from Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the new EU Member States and, at the doctoral level, from industrialized countries

Criteria: Foreign students from developing and industrialized countries up to 25 years old can apply at the master's level and up to 30 years of age for Ph.D. level for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship. Candidates pursuing studies in the fields like Engineering (Masters), Sciences in a broader level (PhD), Law, Economics and Management, and Politics.

Award Amounts

Selected students will receive 1,181 Euros plus a maintenance allowance of 1,031 Euros and a stipend of 150 Euros for Master’s programs and 1,700 Euros as a monthly allowance in case of Doctoral programs. It should be noted that overseas students cannot directly apply for this scholarship. The French Higher institution they have applied to will preselect candidates and send an online application on their behalf to the Campus France website.

“Make Our Planet Great Again” Scholarships to Study in France

Make Our Planet Great Again Initiative was launched by the President of the French Republic on 8 June 2017. This was to encourage researchers, students, entrepreneurs and NGOs who wish to create projects to tackle climate change.

Criteria: International Students planning to pursue a master's degree program (first or the second year) at a French Institute of Higher Education can apply for a scholarship under this program. The prioritized study areas are earth systems, climate change and sustainability, energy transition, and societal challenges of environmental issues.

Eligibility Criteria: Students applying for this scholarship must meet the following parameters -

  • Have or be pursuing a French license or an equivalent undergraduate degree(bachelor)
  • Not have resided in France after April 1st, 2019

Documents Required: CV, Most recent Diploma, Statement of Purpose, Academic Transcripts, Letters of Recommendation (optional), Passport, and a signed letter of admission into a French master’s program

Award Amount

France’s Ministries of Europe and Foreign Affairs and of higher education, research, and innovation in collaboration with Campus France extends scholarships to international students planning to pursue a masters degree. Successful candidates will be given an excellence grant of 1,190 Euros per month for the duration of the course. Round-trip airfare and medical insurance will also be provided.

University-specific scholarships to study in France

Apart from Government-backed scholarships and financial aids, top universities in France also extend scholarships to eligible international students. Details of such scholarships to study in France can be found in the table below:

University Scholarship Name Value in Euros
Ecole Polytechnique Excellence Scholarship, Women in Science Scholarship 4,000/year paid in 10 monthly instalments
Université Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship 10,000/year for the duration of the academic year and 10 consecutive months
Sciences Po university Émile Boutmy scholarship Tuition grant between 3,600 - 13,000 (for three years of the undergraduate program) and 6,100 - 12,200 (For two years Master’s program)
Grenoble Institute of Technology Grenoble INP Foundation Scholarship program Up to 5,000/ semester for a maximum duration of two semesters
École Normale Supérieure International Selection 1,000/ month for three years and accommodation facilities at one of the ENS campuses
The ENS de Lyon Ampère Scholarships of Excellence MILYON Scholarship 1,000/month (two academic years) Variable
Universite de Paris MIEM Excellence Scholarship Science- 8000;
Health Faculty- 10,000;
SSH Faculty- 8000
IPGP- 10,000
HEC Paris HEC Paris MBA Scholarship for Excellence 50% of the tuition fee
ESC Clermont Groupe ESC Clermont Foundation scholarships Between 5% to 20% reduction of tuition fees

MBA Scholarships to Study in France

France is home to several international standard Business schools offering top-notch MBA Programs. Some of the Universities also offer scholarships to eligible applicants on the basis of academic merit as well as financial need. These have been mentioned below:

Name of the University Scholarship Name Scholarship Amount (EUR)
INSEAD INSEAD Witt Scholarship for South East Asia 15,000 to 25,000
ECAM Lyon 2,000 (International Mobility scholarship) 2,000
Kedge Business School KEDGE Achievement Scholarship 2000
KEDGE Excellence Scholarship 4000
Rennes School of Business Talent Scholarship 2000-5000
Unframed Scholarships
Paris ESLSCA Business School Academic Achievement Scholarship 10% to 25% off Tuition Fee
Sports Achievement Scholarship 35% to 15% off Tuition Fee
Montpellier Business School International Entrance Exam Scholarship 2,000
EMLYON Business School The Excellence Scholarship for students who have achieved a GMAT score of 650+ 30% off Tuition Fee
The Executive Women Scholarship 30% waiver on Tuition Fee
The Early Bird Scholarship 20% waiver on Tuition Fee
The Alumni Recommendation Scholarship 10% waiver on Tuition Fee
IESEG School of Management IESEG International Scholarship 10% to 50% as Tuition Waiver
Audencia Business School Early Application Solidarity Scholarship 30% to 50% on tuition fee in some M.Sc, Bachelor in Management and Business Marketing
Diversity Solidarity Scholarship 30% to 50% off on tuition fee
EDC Paris Business School EDC Merit Scholarship Variable

Also Check: Statement of Purpose for MBA

Scholarships to Study in France for Indian Students

Indian students make up a huge part of the international student population. It is for this reason that the French government has some specific scholarships for Indian students.

Scholarships offered by French Government

Some of the scholarships to study in France offered by the government to Indian students are:

  • The Charpak Scholarship Program: Offers a monthly living allowance of 700 Euros and a tuition waiver of up to 5000 Euros. It is available to Indian students below the age of 30.
  • Raman Charpak Fellowship: A fellowship support of 1500 Euros/month for daily expenses. It is offered to Indian students who have enrolled for Ph.D. in a recognized university or research institution in India.

Scholarships by Franco-Indian Trust

Students from India can also opt for scholarships offered by the Franco-Indian Trust, a joint initiative of Mr. Prashant. K Lahoti, Managing Trustee of Krishnakriti Foundation and co-founder of Kalakriti India and French Embassy in India.

The objective of this Foundation is to sponsor the mobility of faculty, researchers, students, and young professionals from India to France and vice versa through grants, scholarships, and fellowships. Some of the scholarships offered by this trust have been mentioned below:

  • UGAM Legrand Scholarship: It offers tuition fee waivers up to 10000 euros or stipend up to 7500 euros/academic year to cover living expenses; visa fee waivers. Offered to Indian Citizens from low-income families; should be less than 30 years of age at the time of application; must have secured admission in French Universities.
  • Shikhar Thales Scholarship Program: Offers a monthly stipend of 700 euros. It is offered to Indian citizens at least 18 years of age or above at the time of application.
  • Bahman Samandari Scholarship Program: A monthly stipend of 750 euros is offered to Indian citizens at least 18 years of age or above at the time of application

Co-financed Scholarship Schemes to Study in France

The French Embassy in India also provides scholarships in partnership with various industrial and academic institutions in the private and public sectors. Students who apply and get selected for these scholarships receive the status of French government scholarship holder and enjoy benefits such as Visa Fee exemption, social security, etc. Some of the co-financed scholarships are as follows -

  • Isae – Mbda
  • EDHEC Business School
  • Sciences Po
  • Rennes School Of Business
  • The Neemrana Music Foundation

Apart from the ones mentioned here, prospective candidates can also check with the local authorities for any available scholarships. Furthermore, students should weigh the pros and cons of all funding options available to them before applying for one.

Apart from scholarships, students may also consider getting work to supplement their finances. In France, international students have the right to work while studying in France up to 964 hours during the year. However, the income must be auxiliary. Students planning to work and study at the same time and not belonging to European Union must hold a student resident permit.

Students may also work within their host university. However, such work contracts last only for 12 months from September 1st to August 31st as a student job in French Universities are generally adapted to their classes and timetable. Consequently, students who have a job within their university cannot work more than 670 hours from September 1st to June 30th and no more than 300 hours between July 1st to August 31st.

Top Institutes To Study
HEC Paris
HEC ParisValence,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Sciences Po
Sciences PoValence,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Ecole Polytechnique
Ecole PolytechniqueValence,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Rennes School of Business
Rennes School of BusinessValence,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Audencia Business School
Audencia Business SchoolValence,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
EMLYON Business School
EMLYON Business SchoolLyon,Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

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