Bourses Talents (Talents Scholarship Program)

Bourses Talents (Talents Scholarship Program)

You get 2,000 EUR or 4,000 EUR per year from the French state. The money helps you prepare for the entrance exams (called concours) that decide who gets a public-service job in France. The amount depends on where you prepare. If you are enrolled in a special preparation class called a Prépa Talents, you receive 4,000 EUR. These classes are run by universities, political-studies institutes (like Sciences Po, IPAG or CPAG) or public-service schools. If you prepare anywhere else, you can apply for 2,000 EUR. The money is paid in two instalments: one by the end of November and one between March and May. Funding lasts one year and can be granted at most twice in total.

Who can apply

• What you are preparing: You are getting ready for a French public-service entrance exam (concours) at a real preparation organisation. Distance-learning courses do not count.
• Your situation: You are a student, an employee on a short-term or part-time contract, or without a job and retraining. Registered jobseekers and welfare recipients count too. Civil servants are generally excluded.
• Where you live: You live in France during your preparation. If you live abroad during that time, you cannot apply.
• Nationality: You are a national of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland. Other nationals with legal residence can apply if the exam they target has no nationality requirement.
• Qualification: For a category B exam you need at least the Bac (French school-leaving diploma). For a category A exam you need at least a three-year higher-education degree (Bac+3).
• Income: Your household income must stay under a limit. It starts around 35,086 EUR per year and rises if you have children or live far from your preparation centre.

How to apply

If you are in a Prépa Talents class, you do not apply yourself. Your school reports you to the regional prefecture and the grant is assigned automatically. Everyone else applies online through the "démarches-simplifiées" platform. For 2025-2026 the window ran from 17 July to 19 September 2025. Regional prefectures handle the applications and notify you by the end of November.

How realistic are your chances?

If you are enrolled in a Prépa Talents class, the 4,000 EUR grant is automatic once you meet the income limit, so your prospects are strong. Outside those classes, each region has a limited number of grants. When there are more applicants than places, files are ranked by merit and motivation. Applying early and showing a clear plan for entering public service helps your case.