What is the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program?
The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program is run by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It helps French higher education institutions bring in strong foreign students for master's and PhD programs. The award targets future decision-makers from the private and public sectors in priority study areas.
The programme is not a general fund for any international applicant. It is a tool that French institutions use to recruit the students they want, which is why the application route runs through the institution rather than through a student portal.
Our full listing is on the Eiffel Scholarships in France for International Students page. Current openings and related awards are in the filtered list for this page.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host institutions | French universities and academic institutions |
| Level of study | Master's degree, engineering degree, or doctorate (including joint supervision or co-direction with a partner foreign institution) |
| Target group | International students |
| Master's allowance | €1,200 per month, awarded for 12 to 36 months |
| PhD allowance | €2,100 per month, awarded for a maximum of 12 to 36 months |
| Also covered | International transportation, national transportation, health insurance, housing searches, cultural activities |
| Not covered | Tuition fees |
| Application route | Submitted by French higher education institutions only |
Open scholarships that match
FranceEiffel Excellence Scholarships in France for International Students
French Government
Fully funded
FranceHEC-Eiffel Scholarships for MBA Students from Developing Countries
EGIDE/HEC
Which fields of study does Eiffel cover?
The Eiffel scholarships cover two major disciplinary fields at master's and doctorate level. Your project should sit inside one of them before you approach an institution.
Science and technology
- Biology and health
- Ecological transition
- Mathematics and digital
- Engineering sciences
Humanities and social sciences
- French history, language and civilization
- Law and political science
- Economics and management
If your subject falls outside these areas, browse the List of Any field of study Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students or the Scholarships in France page for alternatives.
Who is eligible for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?
The listing says to inquire about eligibility criteria with the French higher education institution you are applying to. The programme-level guidance is clear on age and nationality, and the institution adds its own academic requirements.
- You must be an international student, not French.
- At master's level, the programme encourages applicants up to 29 years old.
- At PhD level, it encourages applicants up to 35 years old.
- You must be admitted to, or in the process of being admitted to, a participating French institution.
- Your field must fall within the science and technology or humanities and social sciences areas listed above.
- You cannot apply directly. Applications sent by students or by foreign institutions are declared ineligible.
Age limits and admission rules are set out in the Eiffel Scholarships 2026 Regulations on the official site. Read them before you contact an institution.
What does the Eiffel scholarship pay?
At master's level the Eiffel scholarship includes a monthly allowance of €1,200 and can be awarded for 12 to 36 months. At PhD level it includes a monthly allowance of €2,100 and is awarded for a maximum of 12 to 36 months.
On top of the allowance, the programme meets international transportation, national transportation, health insurance, housing searches and cultural activities.
Tuition fees are not covered
The Eiffel Programme does not pay tuition fees. However, recipients of French government scholarships are exempt from tuition charges for programmes leading to a national diploma (master, doctorate) or an accredited engineering degree in public institutions of a scientific, cultural or professional nature overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, under article R719-49 of the national education code. Check your institution's status before you budget.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship deadlines and timeline
Two deadlines matter, and they are not the same date. The first is internal to the French institution. The second is the Campus France cut-off.
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| Contact the French institution and prepare your admission file | Well before the institution's internal cut-off |
| Deadline for applications to participating French institutions | Around November to December 2025 |
| Deadline for applications to Campus France | 8 January 2026 |
| Studies begin | October 2026 |
| Listing deadline shown | January 6, 2027 included |
In a normal cycle the institution collects files in late autumn and Campus France closes in early January, so treat the autumn as your working window. The official page has the current dates for the next round.
How to apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, step by step
Applications are currently closed. When they reopen, the sequence below is the one that works.
- Choose the French higher education institution and the master's, engineering or doctoral programme that fits your project.
- Visit the institution's website or email or telephone its office of international relations to learn how to apply for admission, including the date by which your application must be received.
- Tell them clearly that you wish to be considered for an Eiffel scholarship.
- Complete the institution's admission process and meet its requirements. This is the condition for being considered for the award.
- Prepare the documents the institution asks for and submit them before its internal deadline, which falls around November to December 2025.
- Confirm that the institution has entered your file with Campus France ahead of the 8 January 2026 deadline.
- Read the Eiffel Scholarships 2026 Regulations and use the official website to check the online application form and detailed instructions.
Documents and selection: what institutions look for
The institution submits your file, so it decides what goes in it. Ask the international relations office for its exact document list, and expect the following to be part of the conversation.
- Admission file for the chosen programme, completed to the institution's standard
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- CV and statement of purpose or motivation letter
- Research project or thesis proposal for doctoral applicants, including the joint supervision or co-direction arrangement where relevant
- Language evidence required by the programme
- Passport or identity documents
Selection is competitive and the ministry funds candidates the institutions put forward. A strong academic record, a project that fits one of the priority fields, and a clear link to decision-making roles in the private or public sector are what the programme says it targets. The official page carries the current selection details.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship for MBA study at HEC Paris
There is a separate Eiffel route for MBA candidates. The HEC-Eiffel Scholarships in MBA for Developing Countries award is for students from developing countries who have already been admitted to the full-time MBA at HEC Paris.
It pays a monthly allowance of approximately €1,100 and covers travel, health insurance and cultural activities. Tuition fees are not included. Applicants must be 30 years old or younger and must not be French; dual nationals with French citizenship are not eligible. Only admitted candidates can apply, and the deadline is within one week of admission.
Who the Eiffel scholarship suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits you if
- You are an international student aiming at a master's, engineering degree or doctorate in France.
- Your field sits in science and technology or in the humanities and social sciences areas the programme lists.
- You are within the age guidance: up to 29 at master's level, up to 35 at PhD level.
- You can win a place at a French institution that takes part and is willing to put your file forward.
Look elsewhere if
- You want to apply on your own. Direct student applications are ineligible.
- You need tuition covered. The Eiffel Programme does not pay tuition fees.
- Your subject is outside the listed fields. Try the List of Engineering Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students, the List of Health Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students or the List of Economics & Finance Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students.
- You are set on another country. Compare the Scholarships in Germany, Scholarships in the Netherlands and Scholarships in Belgium pages.
Common mistakes with Eiffel applications
- Sending an application yourself. Applications sent directly by students or by foreign institutions are declared ineligible. The French institution must submit.
- Missing the institution's internal date. The Campus France deadline of 8 January 2026 is not the date your institution needs your file. Its own cut-off falls around November to December 2025.
- Assuming tuition is paid. The allowance and travel costs are covered, tuition is not. Plan for fees unless the tuition exemption applies to your programme.
- Ignoring the age guidance. Up to 29 at master's level and up to 35 at PhD level. Check before you build a plan around the award.
- Not telling the institution you want Eiffel. If you do not say so, your admission file may never be entered for the scholarship.
- Skipping the regulations. The Eiffel Scholarships 2026 Regulations set the rules. Read them on the official site.
Other funding to combine with or use instead of Eiffel
Eiffel is one route into France and it does not cover tuition. Build a funding plan that stacks other awards or country options alongside it.
- Scholarships in France for the wider national picture
- List of Science and Technology Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Social Sciences Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Law and Public Policy Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Environmental Management Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of MBA Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Natural Sciences Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Development Studies Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Information Technology (IT) Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Humanities Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Medicine Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Political Science Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Education Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Peace Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Human Development Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- List of Journalism Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students
- Scholarships in Italy, Scholarships in Switzerland and Scholarships in Sweden for nearby options
- Scholarships in United Kingdom, Scholarships in United States, Scholarships in Canada, Scholarships in Australia, Scholarships in Japan, Scholarships in Singapore and Scholarships in New Zealand if you widen the search
For background on preparing a strong file, see the Scholarship tips and the All guides index. You can also browse the scholarship finder and Scholarships by country.