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Last modified: 2026-09-24

# Scholarships in France: Eiffel, French Embassy Scholarships and University Awards

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The main French scholarships fund master's and doctoral study. The best known is France Excellence Eiffel: ≈ $1,364 (€1,200) a month for master's students and ≈ $2,273 (€2,000) for doctoral candidates, but only a French institution can nominate you, and nominations close in early January. The second pillar is French government scholarships awarded by French embassies country by country; in Russia, for example, the embassy master's scholarship pays ≈ $978 (€860) a month and waives the registration fee at public institutions, with applications from 24 November 2025 to 20 February 2026 in the last cycle. Eiffel's 2026 rules exclude no nationality other than French, so Russian citizens can be nominated. Some countries have joint programmes, such as Abai-Verne for Kazakhstan, and Russian doctoral students have the embassy's Ostrogradski research mobility programme. For bachelor's study there is almost no government funding; what remains are school awards such as the Émile-Boutmy scholarship at Sciences Po. None of these is guaranteed: embassies, the French foreign ministry or the institution decide.

This guide covers each programme's conditions, amounts and coverage, how Eiffel nominations work, what can be combined, why CROUS social grants and housing benefit are out of reach for newcomers, and a 2027/28 application calendar.

Dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 24 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1367).

The Salle Labrouste (1868) at the historic Richelieu site of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris. Photo: Chatsam / [source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salle_Labrouste_Jdp_2024_-_03.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

## Scholarships at a glance {#section-1}

| Programme | Decided by | Level | Allowance | Other benefits | Last cycle | Eligible |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| France Excellence Eiffel | French foreign ministry via Campus France | Master, Doctorate | ≈ $1,364 (€1,200) a month (master), ≈ $2,273 (€2,000) (doctorate) | Travel, insurance, housing help, public tuition waiver | Institutions nominated by 8 Jan 2026; results from 30 Mar 2026 | Foreign nationals up to 29 (master) or 35 (doctorate), not French dual nationals |
| French embassy scholarships (BGF) | French embassy in your country | Mostly master's | Russia: ≈ $978 (€860) a month for 9 months | Russia: insurance, free visa, Études en France without fee, public tuition waiver, CROUS room assistance | Russia: 24 Nov 2025–20 Feb 2026 | Set by each embassy; in Russia Russian nationals only |
| Abai-Verne | Kazakhstan's science ministry and French foreign ministry | M2, doctorate | ≈ $1,023 (€900) a month × 10 months (M2) | Free visa, registration fee and CVEC waiver, CROUS access | Until 17 May 2026 | Kazakh second-year master's students |
| Émile-Boutmy, Sciences Po | Sciences Po | Bachelor's, master's | Tuition reduction; master's: ≈ $21,029 (€18,500) a year | — | With the Sciences Po application | Non-EU first-time applicants |
| Bolashaq | Government of Kazakhstan | Master's, doctorate | Per programme rules | — | Per programme rules | Kazakh citizens; French institutions on the programme list |
| Erasmus Mundus joint master's | University consortium | Master | Per consortium | Study in at least two countries | Per consortium | Any nationality |
| Ostrogradski programme | French embassy in Russia | Doctoral students | ≈ $1,307 (€1,150) a month, June–December 2027 | Visa, insurance, flights | 25 Sep 2026–17 Jan 2027 | Doctoral students at Russian universities with an invitation from France |

Older articles still mention a Vernadski programme. The French Institute in Russia's scholarship page listed three programmes on 24 September 2026: the master's scholarship, Ostrogradski and Mechnikov (for researchers); Vernadski was not among them.

## France Excellence Eiffel {#section-2}

Eiffel is run by Campus France for the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to help French institutions attract top international master's and doctoral students.

Only institutions apply. A French institution selects candidates among students it has admitted and submits their files to Campus France. One candidate, one institution: a file sent by two institutions is rejected.

Conditions under the 2026 session rules:

- any nationality except French (French dual nationals are excluded); the rules contain no country exclusions;
- master's: aged 29 or under at selection (born after 31 March 1996 for 2026); doctorate: 35 or under;
- master's candidates must not already be studying in France; doctoral candidates may be, but those abroad have priority;
- the programme must be state-accredited and confer the master's grade, engineering degrees included; MSc programmes only if labelled by the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE);
- off-shore, distance, apprenticeship and professionalisation programmes are excluded;
- a candidate rejected at a given level cannot reapply at that level, even through another institution;
- holders of another French government scholarship are not eligible.

Seven fields: biology and health; ecological transition; mathematics and digital; engineering sciences; French history, language and civilisation; law and political science; economics and management.

What it pays:

- master's: ≈ $1,364 (€1,200) a month (from January 2026), for 12 months in M2, up to 24 months from M1 and up to 36 months for an engineering degree;
- doctorate: ≈ $2,273 (€2,000) a month for 12, 18 or 36 months;
- return travel, domestic travel, insurance, housing search support and cultural activities;
- exemption from registration fees at public institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education.

Eiffel does not pay tuition (frais de formation) at private or business schools. The allowance covers periods spent in France, and arrival must be between 1 September and 30 November of the award year.

Selection. Expert panels score files on published grids: academic record, research originality for doctoral candidates and the institution's international policy. French embassies comment on candidates from their country, and the ministry takes priority countries into account. At least 70% of awards go to the highest scores; the rest go to institutions without a laureate.

Timing. For the 2026 session, the call opened on 1 October 2025, institutions submitted by 8 January 2026 and results came from 30 March. Internal selection at institutions happens earlier, in the autumn. On 24 September 2026 the 2027 rules had not yet been published, so plan on last year's pattern: contact international offices in September–October and apply to programmes in October–November, asking to be considered for Eiffel.

## French government scholarships through embassies {#section-3}

French embassies award government scholarships (bourses du gouvernement français, BGF) with their own rules, amounts and calendars. Campus France advises checking with the Campus France office in your country. The Russian programme shows what such a scholarship can include:

- Russian nationals only, no age limit, a Russian higher education degree (at least a bachelor's, or graduating this year), admitted or awaiting admission to a master's at a French public or state-recognised institution, a language certificate;
- ≈ $978 (€860) a month for 9 months, student insurance, a free long-stay visa (visa centre services extra), the Études en France procedure without fee, a public registration fee waiver and help with a CROUS room;
- a "social cover" award for strong runners-up: the same benefits for 10 months without the monthly allowance;
- excluded: alternance master's, doctoral study, programmes with an exchange semester outside France, and — the embassy states — double degrees with Russian universities, since new joint Franco-Russian projects are suspended.

Documents for the Russian programme: the list of institutions from your Études en France file (a screenshot is accepted), a language certificate (DELF, DALF, TEF, TCF or CCIP diplomas for French; IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC or BULATS for English), two recommendation letters, a CV, a one-page motivation letter, a copy of your degree with a French or English translation certified by a notary or your university (final-year students send a full transcript), a student card or employment certificate, a passport copy and the Excel form. Each document goes as a PDF of up to 2 MB to candidatures.bourses@ifrussie.ru, and an incorrect or falsified translation voids the application.

Selection and obligations. The embassy assesses academic results, level of study and how well the programme fits your project. If a laureate enrols in a programme other than the one in the application, the embassy may withdraw the award, and a scholar who gives up the scholarship after payments have started must repay them. The social cover award is still worth having: it removes the ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) public master's fee and the visa fee.

Holders of a French government scholarship are exempt from public tuition automatically.

## Eiffel or the embassy scholarship in Russia: comparison {#section-4}

| Criterion | Embassy scholarship (Russia) | Eiffel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who applies | You | Only the institution |
| Allowance | ≈ $978 (€860) a month, 9 months | ≈ $1,364 (€1,200) a month, 12–24 months for a master's |
| Age limit | None | 29 for a master's |
| Fields | Any | Seven priority fields |
| Nationality | Russian only | Any except French |
| Alternance | No | No |
| Can be combined with the other | No | No |

You may apply for both, but you cannot hold two French government scholarships at once. If your programme is in a priority field and the institution is willing to nominate you, start with Eiffel; otherwise the embassy scholarship is the main route.

## Kazakhstan: Abai-Verne and Bolashaq {#section-5}

Abai-Verne is a joint Kazakh-French programme. The 2026/27 call offered 35 master's and 3 doctoral places. Master's candidates must be Kazakh citizens in the second year of a master's at a Kazakh university with an M2 offer in France. Master's scholars receive ≈ $1,023 (€900) a month from September to June; doctoral candidates receive ≈ $2,103 (€1,850) a month for six months a year over three years. Both also get a free visa, registration fee and CVEC waivers, CROUS access, free top-up health cover and the Visale guarantee. It does not cover private tuition.

Bolashaq, Kazakhstan's state scholarship, lists five French institutions according to Campus France Kazakhstan: ENS Lyon, Université Paris-Saclay, PSL, Sorbonne University and Université Paris Cité. Conditions and dates are published on bolashaq.gov.kz.

Campus France Kazakhstan's catalogue also lists other programmes, for example in mathematics (Excellence Lebesgue) and ecology (Make Our Planet Great Again — Master); their conditions are published separately for each call.

## For researchers in Russia: Ostrogradski and Mechnikov {#section-6}

The Ostrogradski programme funds research stays for doctoral students (aspiranty) at Russian universities and research organisations. You need Russian citizenship, doctoral student status and an invitation from a French host. Applications for 2027 run from 25 September 2026 to 17 January 2027; the award is ≈ $1,307 (€1,150) a month between 1 June and 31 December 2027, plus a Schengen visa, insurance and a return flight. The Mechnikov programme supports researcher mobility. The embassy stresses that both fund individual mobility projects only, not inter-university agreements.

## University scholarships and European programmes {#section-7}

Émile-Boutmy (Sciences Po) is for non-EU first-time applicants whose household does not file taxes in the EU. At bachelor's level it gives a full exemption or a ≈ $10,799 (€9,500) reduction a year; at master's level a ≈ $21,029 (€18,500) reduction for each of the two years. One-year master's and some dual degrees are excluded, and deferring admission forfeits the award. See our page on [Sciences Po](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-sciences-po).

Other institutions publish their own awards; Campus France recommends asking the international office and searching the Campus Bourses catalogue by nationality, level and field. French regions and cities also fund students on their territory.

Erasmus Mundus joint master's degrees require study in at least two countries and offer scholarships to top applicants worldwide; each consortium sets its own rules.

## A tuition waiver is also support {#section-8}

Without a scholarship, a public university can still reduce your fee from ≈ $3,299 (€2,902) or ≈ $4,490 (€3,950) to the national ≈ $202 (€178) or ≈ $290 (€255). Since Decree 2026-385, waivers are granted only on request and on personal, mainly financial, grounds, and are capped at 30% in 2026/27 and 25% in 2027/28. See our guide to the [cost of studying in France](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-cost-of-studying-in-france).

## What newcomers cannot count on {#section-9}

- CROUS need-based grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) require at least two years' residence and a tax household in France.
- APL housing benefit: since 1 July 2026, non-EU students receive it only with a CROUS social grant, a job, or an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. French government scholarships are not on Service-Public's list; scholars should check with the CAF.
- First-year bachelor's funding from the state: Eiffel and embassy programmes target master's and doctoral study.

## 2027/28 application calendar {#section-10}

Based on the last cycle; check new calls on Campus France and embassy websites.

| When | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| September–October 2026 | Shortlist programmes in Eiffel fields and contact international offices; Russian doctoral students apply for Ostrogradski |
| October–November 2026 | Apply to programmes and ask to be nominated for Eiffel; take language tests |
| November 2026 | Open the Études en France file where applicable; watch for your embassy's call |
| By early January 2027 | Institutions submit Eiffel nominations |
| By end of January 2027 | Études en France master's deadline in Russia (last cycle: 30 January) |
| By 20 February 2027 | Working deadline for the Russian embassy scholarship, based on the last cycle |
| From late March 2027 | Eiffel results |
| May 2027 | Embassy results (Russia: second half of May); Abai-Verne deadline for Kazakh applicants |

For the admission side, see our guide to [master's degrees in France](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-masters-in-france).

## How to build a strong file {#section-11}

- A project, not generalities. Embassies and Eiffel experts assess the link between your past studies, the programme and your plans.
- Referees who know your work. The Russian embassy asks for letters from people able to describe your study or work in detail.
- Accurate certified translations. An incorrect or falsified translation voids an embassy application.
- A language certificate at programme level. Without one, the Russian embassy does not admit the application.
- Early contact with institutions. Eiffel is decided inside institutions in the autumn.

See also our overview of [scholarships abroad](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-scholarships-abroad-2026).

## Common mistakes {#section-12}

- Waiting for the general admission answers in April before looking for funding.
- Writing to Campus France to "apply for Eiffel" yourself.
- Choosing an MSc without the CGE label and hoping for Eiffel.
- Expecting a scholarship to pay private tuition.
- Applying for the Russian embassy scholarship with an alternance programme or a double degree with a Russian university.
- Counting on CROUS grants or APL in the first year.

## How StudyU helps {#section-13}

Only the initial consultation is free. Selecting programmes that fit scholarship rules, a scholarship calendar, motivation letter, CV and translations, and application support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Scholarships are awarded by embassies, the French foreign ministry, governments or institutions, not by StudyU, and no one can guarantee the outcome. See also our overview of [studying in France](https://www.studyu.org/en/country-france).

## FAQ {#faq}

### Who can get the Eiffel scholarship?

Under the 2026 rules, any foreign national who is not also French, aged up to 29 for a master's or 35 for a doctorate, nominated by one French institution for a master's-grade or doctoral programme in one of seven fields. The 2027 rules had not been published on 24 September 2026.

### Can a Russian citizen get the Eiffel scholarship?

Under the 2026 rules, yes: the programme is open to any foreign nationality except French, with no country exclusions. Check the 2027 rules when Campus France publishes them.

### How much does the French embassy scholarship in Russia pay?

≈ $978 (€860) a month for 9 months, plus insurance, a free visa, the Études en France procedure without fee and a registration fee waiver at public institutions.

### Does Eiffel cover tuition?

It exempts you from registration fees at public institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education, but it does not pay private or business school tuition.

### Are there scholarships for a bachelor's in France?

Hardly any from the state. School awards, such as the Émile-Boutmy scholarship at Sciences Po, and university tuition waivers remain.

### Can I hold two scholarships at once?

Not two French government scholarships. Other combinations depend on each programme's rules; the Boutmy award, for example, cannot be combined with other Sciences Po awards.

### When should I apply for September 2027?

From autumn 2026: Eiffel nominations are decided in October–December and embassy calls typically run over the winter.

## Sources {#section-15}

- [Campus France: Eiffel programme](https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/le-programme-de-bourses-d-excellence-eiffel), [2026 application guide](https://www.campusfrance.org/system/files/medias/documents/2025-09/guide_depot_candidatures_eiffel_2026.pdf) and [2026 scholarship rules](https://www.campusfrance.org/system/files/medias/documents/2025-12/reglementation_bourse_eiffel_2026_FR_V2.pdf) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [French Institute in Russia: embassy master's scholarship 2026/27](https://institutfrancais.ru/ru/vysshee-obrazovanie/stipendii/programma-magisterskih-stipendij-posolstva-frantsii-v-rossii/), [FAQ](https://institutfrancais.ru/ru/vysshee-obrazovanie/stipendii/chasto-zadavaemye-voprosy/), [list of programmes](https://institutfrancais.ru/ru/vysshee-obrazovanie/stipendii/) and [Ostrogradski 2027](https://institutfrancais.ru/ru/vysshee-obrazovanie/stipendii/stipendialnaya-programma-ostrogradskogo-mobilnost-molodyh-uchenyh/) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Campus France Russia: scholarships](https://www.russie.campusfrance.org/ru/stipendii) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Campus France Kazakhstan: Abai-Verne](https://www.kazakhstan.campusfrance.org/ru/stipendialnaya-programma-abay-vern), [Bolashaq](https://www.kazakhstan.campusfrance.org/ru/stipendialnaya-programma-bolashaq) and [Eiffel](https://www.kazakhstan.campusfrance.org/ru/stipendialnaya-programma-eiffel) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Sciences Po: Émile-Boutmy scholarship](https://www.sciencespo.fr/students/en/fees-funding/bursaries-financial-aid/emile-boutmy-scholarship) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Campus France: scholarships for international students](https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/bourses-etudiants-etrangers) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Campus France: tuition and waivers 2026/27](https://www.campusfrance.org/en/tuition-fees-France) and [ministry FAQ on Decree 2026-385](https://www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/fr/faq-droits-d-inscription-differencies-pour-les-etudiants-extra-communautaires-103043) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [Service-Public: APL for international students from 1 July 2026](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F12006) — checked 24 Sep 2026
- [ECB euro reference rates](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html) — 24 Sep 2026, €1 = $1.1367

[During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.](https://www.studyu.org/en/apply)

## Next steps

- [Master's in France: Master, MSc and Grandes Écoles — How to Apply for 2027](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-masters-in-france)
- [Cost of Studying in France in 2026/27: Tuition, Compulsory Fees and a Full-Year Budget](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-cost-of-studying-in-france)
- [Scholarships abroad 2026: where international students study for free](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-scholarships-abroad-2026)
- [Studying in France for international applicants](https://www.studyu.org/en/country-france)
- [Sciences Po (Paris Institute of Political Studies): Admission, Fees and Scholarships](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-sciences-po)
- [Bachelor's in France: Licence, Private Bachelor Programmes and Admission After School](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-bachelors-in-france)

Updated: September 2026