France has some of the best universities in the world, and the cost of attending them is usually much lower than you might expect. For international students and French citizens, there are numerous scholarship opportunities available to help you fund your education without having to take out any loans.
We’ve compiled a list of our favorites scholarships in France here, so check them out to see if one of these seven scholarships in France might be the answer to your financial problems!
List of Scholarships in France for all Students
The ANCF French scholarships
To encourage international students, France offers a number of scholarships and grants through its National Association for French Students Abroad (ANCF). Each year, it awards approximately 4,000 scholarships valued at around 3,500 euros each to college students who wish to study in another country. While that amount may not seem like much, it adds up quickly when you consider that these grants cover most of a semester’s tuition at public universities outside of Paris.
You can apply for an ANCF scholarship between September 1 and October 31 every year. To do so, you must be enrolled as an undergraduate or master’s level student in a recognized French university or school.
The Sykes Scholarship
The Sykes Scholarship is awarded to high-achieving, non-French citizens from around the world, who wish to pursue a postgraduate degree at one of France’s elite Grandes Écoles.
In order to be eligible for these scholarships in France, students must have completed an undergraduate degree and gained entry into a postgraduate program. There are two separate scholarship programs:
Short courses, which take place during June or July; and
Long courses, which last several months.
Additionally, you can only apply for one type of scholarship in any given year (either long or short).
The UNAFE/UNAD African scholarship
The UNAFE-UNAD African scholarship one of 7 scholarships in France and offers ten awards of up to $13,000 for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in any discipline. The scholarships are open to students from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Niger as well as students who have completed their first year of a Master’s programe.
The scholarship is awarded on merit alone, and candidates must demonstrate academic excellence. Candidates must also be eligible for a valid Schengen visa and willing to travel to France.
The President Francois Hollande grant fund
The President Francois Hollande grants fund is one of 7 scholarships in France, which aims to help French students and foreign students of French origin. The scheme is being offered by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education and Research, as well as Minister Delegate for Cultural Affairs.
In addition to scholarships for those who wish to study at public schools in France, there are also scholarships that target students from Africa, Asia and America. These funds cover tuition fees only but not living expenses. Apart from these international scholarships for citizens of developing countries, there are also national scholarships on offer.
You can also apply for the NYS Excelsior Scholarship
The CNED Scholarships and Grants Program
The CNED scholarship and grants program is one of 7 scholarships in France every student should know about. The program allows students to take part in study programs that have been developed by CNED, a school division of INRP (Institut National de Recherche Pédagogique).
In order to be eligible for these scholarships and grants, you must first apply to certain study programs at participating French higher education institutions. This means that, if you are accepted into a program sponsored by CNED and you wish to participate in it, you can do so even if you are not French. These scholarships and grants provide up to 15 thousand euros per year for French residents and between 8 and 12 thousand euros per year for non-French residents.
Chevening awards
The Chevening Award is one of 7 scholarships in France for students with leadership potential who want to study a one-year postgraduate course in any subject, from more than 130 partner institutions worldwide.
Awarded by the UK government, it offers up to £15,160 (around $25,000) towards fees and living costs. To be eligible, you need to be a citizen of a country outside of Britain or Northern Ireland and have studied at least two years of your degree program in a higher education institution recognized by UK NARIC, if you don’t have previous academic qualifications or work experience.
These scholarships are highly competitive, so you will need good grades or excellent extracurricular activities and good references. Being multilingual is also seen as an advantage.
Erasmus Mundus Masters Scholarships
Erasmus Mundus is also one of 7 scholarships in France for students who want to study abroad and gain international experience. The scholarship offers you funding for studies and living expenses.
You can take courses at one of more than 300 partner universities and choose from a wide range of fields, including business administration, communication, computer science, and engineering. If you succeed in passing an eligibility test, you will be sent an invitation letter to apply for an Erasmus Mundus Masters Scholarship.
As long as your university is part of Erasmus Mundus, you can apply even if it is not listed on your national country list. However, you must still fulfill all other requirements that are specific to your home country.
Additional Tips: How to Apply for a Scholarship in France
Here’s how to start applying for scholarships in France. These steps will help you get started:
- Find out what program you are eligible for.
- Review a list of scholarship providers on websites,
- look up scholarship or bursary on search engines, or ask your country’s embassy in Paris.
- Complete applications and submit them by their deadline date (if required).
Once you have applied, be patient while you wait for a response; it might take some time.
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