France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship

Master's scholars receive a monthly allowance of 1,200 euros. For doctoral scholars Campus France gives two figures from January 2026: 2,000 euros on its French rules page and 2,100 euros on its English programme page, so check the amount in your award letter.

Scholars are affiliated to French social security free of charge, and Campus France arranges free supplementary health cover once the social security paperwork is in. The programme contributes to the outbound flight and to a return flight within twelve months of the end of the award, and pays second-class rail or coach travel from the airport to the university city. Campus France offers housing in university or private residences, which scholars may decline, and a programme of cultural outings and activities.

Scholars are exempt from registration fees for national diplomas at public institutions. Other tuition and training costs, and fees at private institutions, are not paid. The allowance covers only time spent in France, apart from compulsory internships and exchanges built into the curriculum.

At master's level the award covers up to 12 months for a student entering the second year (M2), up to 24 months for the first year (M1), and up to 36 months for an engineering degree. If the student takes an intensive French course before the programme, one extra month of allowance from August can be paid, provided the file mentions it; the course itself is not paid for.

At doctoral level, 12 months (for students in the second or third year) or 18 months (first or second year) are open to all candidates, including those already on a co-supervised or cotutelle doctorate, and can be split into several stays in France of at least six months each, within three years. The 36-month award is reserved for students who are not already studying in France and are enrolling in the first year of a thesis; it cannot be combined with a cotutelle, and only a limited number are given.

Every scholar must begin in France between 1 September and 30 November of the award year, and awards cannot be deferred. At least half of the programme must be completed in France.

Each institution first chooses whom to put forward from the foreign students it has admitted, and must state the criteria it used. It may submit up to 40 files per field and per strand, and the head of the institution signs the list of candidates, which must reach Campus France by the deadline or the files are not considered.

A commission of seven expert panels, one for each field, then marks the files. Panel members cannot assess files from their own institutions. They judge the excellence of the candidate on their academic record and, for doctorates, the innovative character of the thesis; the institution's international standing and how well it welcomes international students; the opinion of the cultural and cooperation service of the French embassy in the candidate's country; and the ministry's cooperation policy, including priority countries.

The commission sets a threshold, gives at least 70 percent of the scholarships to the highest marks, and shares the rest among institutions that have not yet won one, from files above the threshold. It also keeps a reserve list for withdrawals.

Scholars must attend and sit all examinations, send an enrolment certificate at the start of each year and their social security documents within the set time, and supply academic progress reports twice a year. They must tell Campus France at least a week before any internship; optional internships and a gap year suspend payments, and a gap year needs two months' notice. Repeating a year, or taking an apprenticeship contract, ends the award, and a doctoral employment contract is incompatible with it.

The award is tied to one institution, one programme and one level, which cannot be changed. It cannot be combined with another French government scholarship, an Erasmus+ grant or a Francophonie agency scholarship.