Aide de solidarite polytechnicienne / Bourses d'excellence Fulgence Bienvenüe (Fondation de l'Ecole polytechnique)

What you get

The Fondation de l'École polytechnique offers two separate grants to international students in the Cycle Ingénieur polytechnicien, the four-year engineering programme in Palaiseau, France.

• Fulgence Bienvenüe excellence scholarship: 800 EUR per month for 36 months (the first three years), awarded for top academic results. About 20 go to each intake. It is renewed each year based on your grades and conduct.
• Polytechnicienne solidarity aid: 290 EUR per month for 31 months (September of year one to March of year three), awarded on financial need. About 26 go to each intake, starting with the 2026 intake.

Neither grant covers tuition fees.

Who can apply

• Programme: You are admitted to the Cycle Ingénieur polytechnicien at École polytechnique.
• Who it is for: You are an international student. French engineering students hold military status and a salary, so they cannot apply.
• Admission route: You can apply whether you came in through the French preparatory-class exam (CPGE) or a university route.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply, as long as you are not a French student.
• For the Fulgence Bienvenüe grant: You are chosen on academic merit, based on your entrance exam results and the quality of your application.
• For the solidarity aid: You are chosen on financial need. You cannot hold it alongside another full living-cost scholarship (such as a full Fondation, foreign-government or Eiffel grant). Double-degree students who are already exempt from tuition fees cannot apply. You can combine it with a partial grant, the CROUS state grant, or a need-based tuition waiver.

How to apply

For the solidarity aid there is no separate application. You are considered automatically if you filed a complete need-based tuition-waiver request. A selection panel meets at the end of July and emails those chosen. For the Fulgence Bienvenüe grant, a panel pre-selects candidates and then emails them the terms of their award.

How realistic are your chances?

Both grants target a narrow group: you must already be admitted to one specific engineering programme and be an international student. The Fulgence Bienvenüe grant turns on your entrance-exam results and application quality, so strong grades decide it. The solidarity aid depends on documented financial need. If you clearly fit the criteria for one of them, your prospects are reasonable.