Top 10 Scholarships In France for International Students in 2024

Top 10 Scholarships In France for International Students in 2024

Scholarships in France are the olive branch that many need to complete their dream of studying in France! Many students find the fees or travelling expenses to cross their budget, and this is where the scholarships in France come into play; they not only help reduce the tuition fee costs, but some scholarships even pay for your flight tickets, accommodation costs, and more! With so many scholarships in France, we have made a list of the best scholarships in France that will help you complete your dream of studying in France! There are many scholarships in France, some partially and some fully funded! To make it easier for your search, we have created a list of the best partially funded and fully funded scholarships in France with their eligibility criteria!

Partially Funded Scholarships In France

Partially funded scholarships are specific types of financial aid that only cover a portion of your tuition fees; it is like getting a discount on your fees! Here are the best partially funded scholarships in France!

1. École Normale Supérieure Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: €1000 per month

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You must be under 26 years of age.
2. You must've not applied to the international selection before.
3. You must've not lived in France for more than ten months during the academic year of the selection!

École Normale Supérieure Scholarships is a financial aid issued by École Normale Supérieure (ENS) every year and selects the most promising international students in the fields of Science or Arts and Humanities to pursue a Master's degree in their university! You can pursue various courses, like Biology, Earth Science, Anthropology, Archeology, Classical studies, Cinema, and more, making ENS scholarships one of the best scholarships in France for international students!

2. INSEAD MBA Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: Up to €25,000

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Need-based scholarship: You need to demonstrate your need for financial aid.
2. Merit-based scholarship: You must show your academic merit, gender, professional background, leadership abilities, field of previous studies, and more! 

If you are going to study MBA, then the best college to study MBA would be INSEAD! If you feel INSEAD would be expensive, don't worry; they have MBA scholarships to help you cut your fees! INSEAD aims to attract the best and smartest to their school, irrespective of your background or financial situation! This makes it one of the best scholarships in France!

3. Ampère Excellence Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: €1,000 per month for one year

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You must be 26 years of age or lower.
2. For admission to a Master's degree in the first year, you must show that you have a Licence, i.e. equivalent to 180 ECTS European credits or an equivalent diploma/level.
3. For admission in your year 2 of Master's, you must show that you reached Masters Year 1 level or have attained an equivalent diploma/level, i.e. equivalent to 240 ECTS European credits.

Ampère Excellence Scholarships are among the many scholarships in France provided by ENS de Lyon! In the Ampère Excellence scholarship, if you are selected, you can pursue one eligible Master's Program at ENS de Lyon. Various courses are available in the Arts or the Human and Social Sciences departments and Exact Sciences. If you do well in the first year of your Master's degree, you can renew this scholarship for the next year!

Remember that you must apply for a French student visa as it is an official document you might be asked to show for a scholarship!

4. MILYON Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: €1000 per month for ten months

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You must apply to one of the MILYON Master or Licence 3 programs!

MILYON scholarship is one of the best scholarships in France for international students, especially for those interested in studying Mathematics and Computer Science, with a chance to renew this scholarship after ten months of evaluating your performance in the subject. MILYON scholarships are among the best partially funded scholarships in France.

5. HEC Paris MBA Scholarship For Excellence

Scholarship Amount: 50% of your tuition fees

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You are automatically considered for the merit-based scholarship once admitted to HEC Paris.
2. If you are sponsored by a company or the government for the rest 50% of your tuition fees, then you become ineligible.

If you are considering studying MBA in Paris, then HEC Paris is the best college to study, and their business schools in France will convince you to do the same! With 50% off on your tuition fees, you have to consider that with a good academic score and some merit, you can study in one of the best business schools in France at half the price, making this French scholarship one of the best! 

6. Rennes Business School Talent Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: €5000 /month

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You must have a strong academic record and have a clear professional merit.

Rennes Business School is another renowned business school in France that offers a great partially funded scholarship in France that helps you save around €5000 on your tuition fees! This talent scholarship is only awarded to those students who have a clear professional merit and show that they are ready to contribute to all aspects of the program. This French scholarship is only available for students who apply for a Master's program there!

Fully-Funded Scholarships In France

Now, we come to the cream of the crop. These scholarships in France will cover your tuition fees and other costs, such as your flight tickets, accommodation, a stipend, and more! These scholarships are some of the most wanted scholarships in France, so be ready for a competition to get them! 

1. Erasmus Mundus Joint Scholarship

Scholarship Amount: Entire tuition fees, a monthly allowance, travel costs

Eligibility Criteria: 

1. You must have a Bachelor's degree or in your last year.
2. If you are in your last year, you must graduate before your Master's program starts.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Scholarship is THE scholarship in France that you want! This fully funded French scholarship will not only cover your entire tuition fees but also give you a monthly allowance of €1100 to €1500 and will also cover your travel costs as long as you keep all the costs under €49,000! This merit-based scholarship is something you need to keep an eye out for! 

2. Sophie Germain's Master's Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: €11,000 per year, accommodation costs

Eligibility Criteria:

1. You must apply for the Mathematics and Applications Master's degree at the University Paris Saclay or Institut Polytechnique de Paris.
2. You must have a strong academic record.

Sophie Germain's Master's Scholarship is a scholarship in France only offered to students interested in pursuing a Mathematics course at the University Paris Saclay or Institut Polytechnique de Paris. It covers your accommodation costs and gives you €11,000 per year, making it one of the best scholarships in France.

3. Université Paris-Saclay Scholarships

Scholarship Amount: €10,000 per year, €1,000 for travel and visa

Eligibility Criteria: 

1. You must apply for a Master's program at Université Paris-Saclay, which AgroParisTech, CentraleSupelec, ENS Paris-Saclay, INSTN-CEA, IOGS, UEVE, UPSaclay, UVSQ offer.
2. You must be 30 or less of age during the year of selection.

Université Paris-Saclay Scholarships is probably the best scholarship in France that offers €10,000 per year to help you cover all your expenses. You also get €1,000 for travel and a visa that will be given to you once you reach France! Students are selected on their merit, so be ready for a hard fight! 

4. International Fashion Academy Full Scholarships in Paris

Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees

Eligibility Criteria: 

1. You must meet all the entry requirements for the course of your choice.
2. You must meet all the English Language entry requirements, i.e. TOEFL or IELTS
3. This scholarship is only applicable to new students and not current ones.

International Fashion Academy (IFA) Paris is among France's best fashion schools that many want to study at! It is one of the most prestigious universities in France, and with fees that some can't afford, they have a fully funded scholarship that covers the entire tuition fee! Other scholarships in France cover some of your tuition fees if you don't get the full scholarship.

Difference between Grants and Scholarships in France

In France, scholarships and grants serve as essential financial aids for international students pursuing higher education. Scholarships typically entail financial support awarded based on academic achievement, merit, or specific criteria set by institutions, organisations, or governments. These scholarships often cover tuition fees, living expenses, or both. On the other hand, grants in France for international students encompass a broader spectrum of financial assistance. They can stem from various sources, including governmental bodies, educational institutions, or private organisations. 

Grants may be need-based, focusing on assisting students from low-income backgrounds, or they could target specific fields of study, research, or cultural exchange programs. Some notable grants included in the class of French Government Scholarship are Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, designed for outstanding international students, the Charpak Scholarship for students from India, and the Erasmus+ program offering mobility grants for students across Europe. The René Cassin Foundation's Human Rights Grants target students engaged in human rights studies

Applying for a scholarship is very easy. Many scholarships have their own site, while there are a few in which you are directly entered once you are admitted to the university that provides said scholarship! You can visit their site to get the exact information on how to apply for the scholarship.

These were the best scholarships in France for international students that you can choose from! Now, you will finally be able to experience French culture and traditions in full swing once you reach your university without worrying about your finances! So, what is the wait? France is waiting for you! Also, check out our blog on some common international scholarship myths that would blow your mind!