Government of France - Merit Scholarship

Merit aid (Aide au mérite)

You will receive 900 EUR per year, paid in nine monthly instalments of 100 EUR each. This is a grant from the French Ministry of Higher Education, awarded in addition to your means-tested student grant (bourse sur critères sociaux, a grant based on your family’s income). You can receive this grant for up to three academic years. You can also combine it with an international mobility grant and a one-off special grant.

Who can apply

• Existing grant: You are already receiving the means-tested French student grant or the annual special allowance for 2025-26.
• School results: You passed the French Baccalauréat (school-leaving certificate) with the top mark of ‘Très bien’ (Very Good).
• Study start: You will start your degree at the beginning of the 2025 academic year.
• Where you study: You’re studying at a university in France.
• Field of study: Any topic is fine.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• Repeating a year: You will lose your entitlement to the grant if you repeat an academic year, unless this is for medical reasons.

How to apply

There is no separate application form. You simply need to submit your Student Social File (Dossier Social Étudiant, DSE) via the ‘Mes Services Étudiants’ portal. If your application is accepted and you meet the eligibility criteria, the education authority will forward your name to the regional student finance office (CROUS), which will then inform you whether you are eligible for financial support.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is not competitive: there is no comparison with other applicants. If you are already receiving the means-tested grant, have passed your Abitur with a ‘Très bien’ grade and are starting a degree course in the year 2025, you are automatically eligible. The only real hurdle is achieving this top mark in your Abitur – so if you meet all three conditions, you’re basically already in.