France Eiffel Scholarship 2027 Is Open: Who Qualifies and How to Get Nominated
Your next master’s degree or PhD in France could come with French government funding. The France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 2027-2028 intake helps outstanding international students pursue eligible postgraduate programmes, with a monthly allowance, travel support and health coverage. The 2027 call for Eiffel scholarship is now open.
Are you applying from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas or Oceania? Do you have strong academic results and a course in France that fits what you want to do next? Then Eiffel is worth checking—but a scholarship announcement alone will not get your application submitted.
You need a university nomination, the right admission route and a clear understanding of which costs remain yours. Should you secure admission first? Can two universities nominate you? What if your university does not provide class rankings? This guide answers those practical questions and takes you from checking eligibility to preparing a nomination-ready application.
Your Route to an Eiffel Scholarship Nomination for the Class of 2027
01 Do You Meet the Eiffel 2027 Eligibility Rules?
You need an eligible course, foreign nationality and the correct age and study-location profile. Meeting these rules allows consideration; academic excellence determines how competitive your application is.
- Master’s: You must be born after 31 March 1997. Applicants already studying in France are ineligible.
- Doctorate: You must be born after 31 March 1991. Applicants studying abroad receive priority; being in France does not automatically exclude you from the shorter doctoral routes.
- Nationality: French nationality excludes you, including when you also hold another nationality.
- Other funding: You cannot combine Eiffel with another French government scholarship, Erasmus+ or an Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie scholarship.
Eiffel covers seven subject areas: biology and health; ecological transition; mathematics and digital sciences; engineering sciences; French history, language and civilisation; law and political science; and economics and management. A relevant subject alone is insufficient: ask whether the exact degree is eligible and supported by the institution.
Back to your Eiffel application guide
02 What Does Eiffel Pay, and What Must You Budget For?
Eiffel provides a living allowance and supporting services, but it does not pay every university fee. The current regulations specify €1,200 monthly for master’s-level recipients and €2,000 for doctoral recipients, alongside travel, insurance and accommodation-search support under programme rules.
Eligible French government scholarship holders receive registration-fee exemptions for national diplomas and recognised engineering diplomas at qualifying public institutions. Other registration charges and programme tuition are not automatically covered. Ask your institution for the amount you would owe after exemptions.
Accommodation assistance means help finding housing, not a promise of free rent. Before accepting a nomination, compare the allowance with the university’s local housing estimate and your remaining fees.
Funding lasts up to 12 months for Master 2, 24 months for Master 1 and 36 months for an engineering diploma. Doctoral awards can cover 12, 18 or 36 months. The 36-month route is for newly arriving first-year doctoral students; shorter routes depend on doctoral year and joint-supervision arrangements. For 12 or 18 months, establish the international joint-supervision arrangement and funding for the rest of your doctorate. The 36-month route is not compatible with a cotutelle, a formal joint PhD agreement.
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03 What Should You Prepare Before Contacting a University?
Prepare proof of academic performance and a clear reason for choosing the specific course. Requirements differ between institutions, so use this preparation list before following your university’s exact checklist.
| Evidence | Useful preparation |
|---|---|
| Academic record | Collect transcripts, awarded degrees and an official class-ranking certificate where requested. Ask your registrar early. |
| CV and career plan | Connect your previous study and relevant experience to the chosen programme and your intended work afterwards. |
| Identity and language evidence | Prepare your passport or accepted ID and the language evidence required by the course. |
| Doctoral dossier | Secure supervisor support and prepare the research project, funding plan and expert assessment required by your institution. |
Europass is an optional CV format, not a universal Eiffel requirement. Follow the host institution’s template or page limit first.
Make your career plan specific. As an illustrative approach, an environmental applicant could connect a previous water-quality project to a named course module and a future role in water management. Use your actual experience: the point is to show a logical academic progression.
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04 How Do You Get Your Eiffel Application Submitted?
Follow your chosen institution’s Eiffel procedure and its admission instructions separately. There is no single student application portal covering every French university.
- Choose the exact programme. Check the official Eiffel programme information, then confirm that your degree is eligible and that the institution is accepting nominations for it.
- Identify the correct first step. At Paris-Saclay, master’s applicants contact the programme coordinator. At the University of Toulouse, master’s applicants submit the linked pre-application form without contacting the coordinator beforehand. For doctoral study, secure supervisor support. Here is the full list of Universities in France offering admissions on Eiffel scholarship programme.
- Build the institution’s requested dossier. Use its checklist, accepted languages, file format and document limits. Some institutions collect an initial file, then request further evidence from shortlisted applicants.
- Complete the required admission route. Ask whether you need a university portal, Études en France or another procedure for your nationality, residence and course. An Eiffel pre-application does not replace ordinary admission unless the institution explicitly says so.
- Coordinate one nomination. Confirm which institution will represent you and follow its restrictions on scholarship applications elsewhere. The institution submits the final dossier to Campus France.
- Wait for national selection. University support gets you considered; it does not guarantee funding. Keep your admission application active while awaiting the scholarship decision.
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05 The Eiffel Questions Applicants Actually Need Answered
Do I need an admission offer before requesting Eiffel consideration?
No single sequence applies to every institution. Some use an Eiffel pre-application before normal admission is finalised. Paris-Saclay requires scholarship applicants to complete regular admission too; Toulouse has its own preliminary selection. Follow the scholarship procedure now rather than waiting automatically for an offer.
Can I apply to several universities?
Admission applications and Eiffel nominations are different. Only one institution may nominate you for Eiffel, and some hosts also restrict multiple scholarship pre-applications. Read those local rules before submitting several Eiffel requests; never allow two institutions to submit your candidacy.
Do I need a particular GPA or a top-10% ranking?
The official information reviewed does not establish one universal GPA or top-10% cutoff for every applicant. Academic excellence matters, and institutions may impose their own thresholds. A grade that meets admission requirements does not necessarily make you competitive for nomination.
What if my university does not issue class rankings?
Ask the French institution what it will accept before treating your file as complete. Toulouse requests ranking evidence “if available”, while other hosts request an official certificate. You can ask whether a registrar’s explanation, grading scale or documented academic distinctions will help; acceptance is the host’s decision. Do not calculate an unofficial rank and present it as certified.
Is Eiffel available without IELTS or French?
There is no single IELTS score covering every eligible programme. Your course determines the language evidence and permitted exemptions. English-taught study may be possible without French, but a previous English-medium degree only replaces a test if the institution accepts it.
Is it fully funded, with free tuition and accommodation?
Do not assume that a social-media label guarantees every cost is paid. Check the fee exemption and housing arrangements described above. Ask for a written breakdown of remaining fees and estimated rent before deciding whether the award makes your course affordable.
Can I reapply after rejection, or move from an Eiffel master’s award to a PhD?
A previously unsuccessful Eiffel application at the same level cannot simply be resubmitted through another institution. A former Eiffel master’s recipient may be proposed for doctoral funding. Disclose your previous submission or award so the host can check the relevant rule.
Does university nomination mean I have won? Can I postpone the award?
No: national selection follows nomination. A waiting-list place is also not a confirmed award. Eiffel funding is tied to the award year and cannot simply be deferred to the next intake; confirm your readiness to start before accepting.
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06 Which Eiffel 2027 Deadline Should You Work Towards?
The last date for French institutions to submit nominations for the France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship, offered by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and managed by Campus France, is 6 January 2027. Your institution must select you before that national submission stage.
For applicants, confirmed examples include 6 November 2026 at Université de Rennes—12 noon Paris time for its PhD route—and 26 November 2026 for Paris-Saclay master’s applicants. At the University of Toulouse, master’s pre-applications close on 15 November 2026 and PhD pre-applications on 29 November 2026. These are institution-specific dates, not a common deadline for all applicants.
The University of Toulouse’s current call lists national results for the week of 12 April 2027. Your institution will communicate the outcome of its nominated applications.
Your next move: choose an eligible programme, open its current Eiffel instructions and request any academic evidence that takes time to obtain. Then submit through the prescribed route while completing admission requirements. Give the university a complete case it can assess and support.