Scholarships in France

Scholarships

General situation in terms of scholarships

Scholarships in France are funded from a variety of sources. By far the biggest single provider is the national government and various regional councils. Government scholarships are in two categories: Those for students who are French or permanent French residents and those for international students. Different ministries are responsible for these two different categories, and for international scholarships administration may be through French embassies. Some universities and schools also have their own scholarship schemes for both national and international students. Private funding is also available, chiefly for higher-level programmes involving research.

Type of scholarships and granting institution

The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, called the Ministère de l’Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, administers almost all state-funded scholarships for French students. These state grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) are managed by the CROUS network, and you apply through the Dossier social étudiant (DSE) on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr. The same scholarships are available for foreign nationals who have been resident for tax purposes in France for at least two years and under some circumstances for EU nationals in general. These may be awarded on the basis of needs, merit or affirmative action for certain social groups or fields of study. Doctoral students are often supported by being made effective employees of the Ministry.

International scholarships are controlled by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Individual Higher Education Institutes administer scholarships that they provide directly.

Availability and conditions for getting a scholarship

The conditions and requirements vary considerably for the different levels of degrees. Fees are often included, but may not be, or must be paid first and then reimbursed. The state CROUS grant is paid over 10 months of the year (September to June) and, depending on your échelon, ranges from €1,454 to €6,335 per year, up to a maximum of €633.50 per month.

To be eligible for a CROUS scholarship, students must normally be under 28 at the time of their first application (assessed on 1 September), with no age limit for students with a recognised disability. They must have been accepted by the HEI they wish to study at. EU and EEA students do not require a visa, but in some cases must have established residency for a minimum period of time. International students normally require a visa, which is applied for at the French embassy in their own country. Such students must have their qualifications recognised as being sufficient to enter the level of programme they are applying for.

French students pay for health insurance as part of their tuition, but for non-French nationals the situation is different. EU students use the European Health Card to access care, which is paid for by their own country. International students may need private insurance.

Doctoral students are normally supported for the research by a research grant, which is actually a salary paid by the Ministry of Research as a fixed-duration work contract for three years. These students must be under 30, French or EU and must have fulfilled their military obligations, or have a two-year deferment. The doctoral studies director makes the application on behalf of the student. The doctoral contract (contrat doctoral) is a fixed-term employment contract (CDD) with a duration of three years, concluded between a public higher-education or research institution and a doctoral candidate, and it must be signed at the latest in the year following the first doctoral enrolment. Doctoral candidates on a contrat doctoral count as non-tenured public-sector employees (contractuels) and receive all the social benefits of a public employment contract. At the EHESS, for the 2026 call the gross salary of the three-year doctoral contract is €2,200 per month, with the contract starting on 1 October 2026.

Housing support also matters for international students. From 1 July 2026, non-EU students without a recognised scholarship are excluded from French housing benefit (Aide Personnalisée au Logement, APL), a monthly payment managed by the CAF that reduces rental costs. This change is part of the 2026 Finance Act and, depending on the city, means a loss of roughly €100 to €300 per month for those affected, with around 100,000 students losing their entitlement. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland remain eligible, as do scholarship holders (such as CROUS and Eiffel recipients) regardless of nationality.

Local scholarships for foreign students

International students have a variety of scholarships available from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, which offers more than 100 million euro in support through a large number of scholarship schemes. These are administered locally in France and also through the French embassies in each country. Scholarships awarded by the various Grandes Écoles and some other Higher Education Institutions are administered directly by the schools themselves. In addition, some particular scholarships, again government administered, are available for countries which have signed agreements with France.

Typical scholarships in France

The majority of French students utilise the government grant system to access scholarships. Among the largest government scholarship programmes for foreign students are the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, the Major Excellence Programme, the Erasmus Mundus Programme, Cooperation Scholarships and the Ile-de-France Masters Scholarship.