The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program was established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Its aim is to enable French higher education institutions to attract top foreign students to enroll in their masters and Ph.D. programs.

It gives the opportunity to the future foreign decision-makers of the private and public sectors, in priority areas of study, and encourages applicants up to 30 years old from developing countries at the master’s level, and applicants up to 35 years old from developing and industrialized countries at the Ph.D. level.

Level/Field(s) of study:

Master’s degree program, in an Engineering program, or in a Ph.D. program (in a cotutelle or joint doctoral thesis supervision, in partnership with a foreign higher education institution) in four major fields:

• Law.
• Economics and management.
• Engineering sciences at Masters’ level, sciences in the broad sense for the Doctorate/Ph.D. level (engineering science; exact sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry, and life sciences, nano and biotechnologies, Earth, space and environmental sciences, information sciences and technologies and communication);
  • political sciences.

Scholarship value/inclusions/duration:

For Master’s level studies, the Eiffel scholarship includes a monthly allowance of €1,181 (a maintenance allowance of €1,031 and a monthly stipend of €150) and can be awarded for 12-36 months.  For Ph.D. level studies, the Eiffel scholarship includes a monthly allowance of €1,400 and is awarded for a maximum of 12 months.

In addition, the program meets various expenses including international return trips, national and local transport, health insurance, and cultural activities. Scholarship holders may also receive an additional housing allowance, under certain conditions.

Tuition fees are not covered by the Eiffel Programme. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs expects the educational institutions, whose international influence is enhanced by this program to make sure students receive the best financial support. Students admitted to public educational institutions are, as French government scholarship holders, exempted from enrolment fees.

Eligibility:

• Candidates with two nationalities, one of which is French, are not eligible.
• For the master’s level, candidates must be not older than 30 on the date of the 2020 Call of Applications, that is, students born after March 1989. At the Ph.D. level, candidates must be not older than 35 on the date of the 2020 Call of Applications, that is, students born after March 1984.
• Only applications submitted by French educational establishments are accepted. These establishments undertake to enroll scholarship holders on the course for which they have been selected. Applications submitted by any other means shall not be considered. Furthermore, any candidate nominated by more than one establishment shall be disqualified.
• Scholarships are for students wishing to enroll in a master’s course, including at an engineering school, and for Ph.D. students. The Eiffel Programme does not apply to French-run master’s courses abroad. It does not apply to train under an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract either.
• Foreign students who, at the time of application, have already been awarded a French government scholarship under another program are not eligible, even if the scholarship in question does not include social security cover.
• No application will be accepted for any student who applied previously but was rejected, even if the application is submitted by a different establishment or in another field of study. Students who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship at the master’s level are not eligible to re-apply at the master’s level.
• Establishments may nominate a candidate who was previously awarded an Eiffel scholarship at the master’s level for a scholarship at the Ph.D. level. Candidates who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship once during their Ph.D. cannot be awarded it for a second time. No application will be accepted for any student who applied previously but was rejected, even if the application is submitted by a different establishment or in another field of study.
• When pre-selecting non-French-speaking candidates, establishments must make sure that their language skills meet the requirements of the relevant course of study.

Students undertaking a course of study abroad take priority over those already living in France.

How to apply for Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program 2020?

Applications are NOT accepted from students directly. Applications for EIFFEL scholarships are submitted by French Higher Education Institutions. You must apply and meet the requirements of the French Higher Education Institution in order to be considered for the scholarship.  The deadline for applications to Campus France is 9 January 2020. Application deadline to participating French Institutions is earlier and falls around November-December 2019.

Please read Eiffel Programme Guide and visit the official website to access the online application form.