The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France Excellence Eiffel) is the French government’s flagship award for international students coming to France for a master’s degree, an engineering degree or a PhD. Master’s winners receive EUR 1,200 a month and doctoral winners EUR 2,100 a month, plus return travel, health insurance, help finding housing and cultural activities. You cannot apply to Campus France yourself: a French university or school nominates you, and you apply through that institution.
The 2027 call opened on 2 October 2026. French institutions must file their nominations with Campus France by the Deadline of 6 January 2027 at 23:59 Paris time, and results come out in the week of 12 April 2027. Universities close their own internal rounds much earlier, often in November 2026, so the date that matters to you is your chosen university’s.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 at a glance
| Item | Master’s and engineering | PhD |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance | EUR 1,200 | EUR 2,100 |
| Maximum length | 12 months (M2), 24 months (M1), 36 months (engineering degree) | 12 to 36 months, depending on the approved doctoral arrangement |
| Age limit | 29 or younger on 31 March 2027 (born after 31 March 1997) | 35 or younger (born after March 1991) |
| Who applies | The French institution, on your behalf | The French institution, on your behalf |
| Extra benefits | International and domestic travel, health and supplementary insurance, housing search help, cultural activities | Same |
| Tuition | Not paid by Eiffel (see the exemption below) | Not paid by Eiffel |
Figures checked on 25 October 2026 against Campus France’s 2027 call, the Campus France application portal and university Eiffel pages.
Key dates for the Eiffel scholarship 2027
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Call opens for institutions | 2 October 2026 |
| Internal university deadlines | Usually November 2026 (examples: Paris-Saclay doctoral round 6 November; Université Grenoble Alpes master’s round 16 November) |
| University shortlists chosen | Late November to mid-December 2026 |
| Deadline for institutions to file with Campus France | 6 January 2027, 23:59 Paris time |
| Results to winners and institutions | Week of 12 April 2027 |
| Scholarship starts | From September 2027 (1 September for doctoral awards) |
One line on Campus France’s announcement page mentions 8 January 2027, while the same page and the official application portal say 6 January. Work to the earlier date, and in practice to your university’s internal date.
Your real deadline is in November
Campus France only accepts files from institutions. If your university closes its Eiffel round on 9 or 16 November 2026, a file sent in December will not be considered, however strong it is. Email the master’s coordinator or doctoral school this week.
What the Eiffel scholarship covers
- Monthly allowance: EUR 1,200 for master’s and engineering students, EUR 2,100 for doctoral students (rates in force since January 2026).
- International travel: your trip to France and back, under the Eiffel rules.
- Domestic travel within France linked to your programme.
- Health and supplementary insurance.
- Housing search help through Campus France.
- Cultural activities organised for scholars.
- An intensive French course before your programme may be arranged if it is requested in the application.
Tuition fees
Eiffel does not pay tuition. However, French government scholarship holders are exempt from registration fees for national diplomas (master’s, doctorate) and accredited engineering degrees at public institutions, under article R719-49 of the French education code. At a private school or for a school’s own diploma, you or the school still pay the fees, so ask your institution what you will be charged.
Rules on breaks and time abroad
- You cannot defer the scholarship to a later year.
- A gap year can suspend payments and benefits.
- Payments continue during time outside France only for a compulsory internship or mobility period that is part of your curriculum.
Eiffel scholarship eligibility
- Nationality: you are a foreign national. Dual nationals who hold French nationality cannot apply.
- Age: master’s candidates must be 29 or younger on 31 March 2027; doctoral candidates 35 or younger.
- Programme: you are applying for a master’s, an engineering degree, or a PhD (including joint supervision or co-direction with a foreign partner institution) at a French institution that takes part.
- Field: your programme falls in one of the seven priority fields below.
- Where you live now: master’s candidates already studying or living in France are not eligible. Doctoral candidates in France may apply, though priority goes to those studying abroad.
- First attempt: if you applied for a master’s Eiffel before and were not selected, you cannot apply again, even through another school or in another field. Past master’s winners cannot apply again at the same level.
- One nomination: only one French institution may put you forward.
- No double French funding: Eiffel cannot be combined with another French government scholarship, an Erasmus+ grant or an AUF scholarship.
Older guides, including the Scholars4Dev page, still quote age limits of 25 for master’s applicants from developing countries and 30 for PhD applicants. Those limits are out of date. The 2027 rules allow master’s candidates up to 29 and doctoral candidates up to 35.
Priority study fields
| Area | Fields |
|---|---|
| Science and technology | Biology and health; Ecological transition; Mathematics and digital sciences; Engineering sciences |
| Humanities and social sciences | History, French language and civilisation; Law and political science; Economics and management |
Priority countries
The Eiffel regulations give weight to candidates from priority countries, and some universities apply that through where your last diploma was obtained. Université Paris-Saclay, for example, names Cameroon as a priority country for its master’s round. Ask your target institution whether your country is a priority before you put in the work.
How to apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship: step by step
- Choose a programme: search English-taught programmes on Campus France’s Taught in English catalogue (taughtie.campusfrance.org) and French-taught master’s on its master’s catalogue (cataloguelm.campusfrance.org).
- Confirm the school takes part: look for an Eiffel page on the university’s international site, or ask the international relations office whether it nominates candidates for 2027.
- Apply for admission: the Eiffel file does not replace the normal master’s or doctoral application. Meet the school’s own entry rules and deadlines.
- Get the institution’s Eiffel form: read the Eiffel 2027 regulations and fill in your sections. At Université Grenoble Alpes, for example, the master’s form is in French and has three parts: your information, the presentation of your application (the coordinator completes the assessment) and the institution’s section.
- Prepare your PDFs: clearly named files under the size limit (UGA asks for 3 MB per file and names like Transcript_LASTNAME_Firstname.pdf).
- Send it to the right person: the master’s coordinator, the faculty international office or the doctoral school, before the internal deadline.
- Wait for the shortlist: the school ranks its candidates and files the chosen ones with Campus France by 6 January 2027.
- Results: Campus France informs winners and institutions in the week of 12 April 2027.
Documents most schools ask for
| Document | Master’s | PhD |
|---|---|---|
| Passport or ID | Yes | Yes |
| CV (Paris-Saclay asks for 1 to 2 pages on the Eiffel template) | Yes | Yes |
| Transcripts and diplomas (often the last three years) | Yes | Yes |
| Motivation letter and professional project | Yes | Yes |
| Proof of current enrolment | Often | Yes |
| Language certificate | If the programme requires it | Often at the preselection stage |
| Thesis project (1 to 5 pages) and cotutelle agreement or proof of a planned cotutelle | No | Yes, at schools such as Paris-Saclay |
| Thesis financing plan and an expert opinion on the project | No | Yes, at schools such as Paris-Saclay |
An incomplete form is the fastest way out. UGA warns that a single blank field stops the file being validated on the Campus France platform. For your CV, our Europass CV guide explains the format French schools recognise.
PhD candidates: read your university’s rules
Doctoral Eiffel awards vary by institution. Université Paris-Saclay, for example, supports only international cotutelle projects for 2027 and funds 12 to 18 months, so you need a financing plan for the rest of the thesis. Its internal deadline was 6 November 2026, with preselection results by 10 December 2026. Other schools fund co-directed theses for longer. Ask the doctoral school what length it will request before you build your plan.
How Eiffel candidates are selected
Selection has two stages. Your institution first ranks its own candidates, and its coordinator writes an assessment of you inside the form. Campus France’s Eiffel committee then compares the files sent by all institutions. The criteria are academic excellence and a coherent academic and professional project, read alongside the priority fields and countries.
Writing the motivation letter and professional project
Selectors want to see a future decision-maker, so link the degree to a job you plan to do, ideally in your home country. Structure the letter in four short parts: what you have done so far (results, research, work), why this programme at this school, what you will do after it, and why France. Use numbers where you can.
A short example opening: “As a junior engineer at a regional water utility, I spent two years tracing why 30% of treated water never reaches customers, and the hydraulic modelling taught in this master’s is the skill my team lacks.” Avoid general praise of France; name courses, labs or staff instead.
Common mistakes
- Emailing Campus France directly. Files from students or foreign institutions are declared ineligible.
- Missing the university’s November deadline while watching the January date.
- Applying through two French institutions at once.
- Applying from inside France for a master’s award.
- Reapplying after an unsuccessful master’s Eiffel attempt, which is not allowed.
- Leaving fields blank in the French-language form.
- Forgetting that the normal admission application is separate.
Eiffel compared with other scholarships in France
| Scholarship | What it pays | Who it suits | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Excellence Scholarship | EUR 1,200 or 2,100 a month plus travel and insurance | Master’s, engineering and PhD candidates in priority fields | This page |
| Emile Boutmy Scholarship (Sciences Po) | Up to full bachelor’s tuition, or EUR 18,500 a year off a master’s | Non-EU students admitted to Sciences Po | Emile Boutmy Scholarship |
| École Polytechnique scholarships | EUR 8,000 MSc&T Foundation awards and bachelor’s awards of EUR 4,800 a year | Science and engineering students at Polytechnique | École Polytechnique scholarships |
| Ampère Excellence Scholarship (ENS de Lyon) | EUR 1,000 a month for 12 months | International master’s students at ENS de Lyon | Apply through ENS de Lyon |
You can apply to several schools’ own scholarships at the same time as Eiffel, but you may hold only one French government scholarship. More options are in our list of scholarships in Europe.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you have strong grades, a clear career plan in one of the seven fields, and a French programme that nominates Eiffel candidates. I would ask two or three target schools in October or early November which of them will put you forward, then commit to the one with the best fit.
Skip Eiffel this year if you are already studying in France for a master’s, if you are over the age limit, if you hold dual French nationality, or if you were turned down for a master’s Eiffel before. Look at the schools’ own awards instead.
FAQ
Can I apply for the Eiffel scholarship directly?
No. Only French higher education institutions can submit Eiffel applications. You apply through the school’s own process, and the school decides whether to nominate you.
What is the age limit for the Eiffel scholarship 2027?
Master’s candidates must be 29 or younger on 31 March 2027, meaning born after 31 March 1997. Doctoral candidates must be 35 or younger.
Does the Eiffel scholarship pay tuition fees?
No, but Eiffel scholars are exempt from registration fees for national master’s and doctoral diplomas and accredited engineering degrees at public institutions. Private schools may still charge.
When are the Eiffel 2027 results released?
Campus France informs winners and their institutions in the week of 12 April 2027. Your university’s own shortlist decision usually comes in December 2026.
Sources and updates
This guide uses Campus France’s 2027 call announcement and Eiffel programme page, the Campus France application portal for the 2027 master’s session (dates and age limits), the Université Grenoble Alpes Eiffel page (eligibility, durations, form and rules on breaks), Université Paris-Saclay’s 2027 Eiffel details as reported by Cameroon Desks, and Campus France Nigeria’s programme page. The Scholars4Dev listing was the starting point; its age limits and dates were outdated and have been corrected. Last checked 25 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
