The Emile Boutmy Scholarship is Sciences Po’s main award for students from outside the European Union. It is a tuition fee exemption: bachelor’s students get either a full exemption or EUR 9,500 off their fees, and master’s students get EUR 18,500 off in each of the two years. With 2026-27 fees at EUR 14,900 for a bachelor’s and EUR 20,640 for a master’s, a master’s winner pays about EUR 2,140 a year. It does not pay living costs. You request it inside your Sciences Po admission application, and only first-time applicants admitted to an eligible programme are considered.
For 2027 entry, the first master’s scholarship committee closed on 18 October 2026, but the second closes on 29 November 2026. Bachelor’s applicants from secondary schools outside France have until 13 January 2027, well before the 1 March 2027 admission deadline. If you want the Emile Boutmy Scholarship, the scholarship date is the one that counts.
Emile Boutmy Scholarship amounts
| Level | Award | Covers living costs? |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s (Undergraduate College) | Full tuition exemption, or a EUR 9,500 tuition exemption | No |
| Two-year master’s | EUR 18,500 tuition exemption in each of the two years | No |
The award is named after Émile Boutmy, who founded Sciences Po in 1872, and goes to students entering their first year at the school. Bachelor’s holders keep the exemption during the compulsory third year abroad. Sciences Po says the amount can be recalculated if tuition fees change, and you lose the award if you fail to validate an academic year.
What you still pay after the scholarship
Non-EU students pay a fixed fee at Sciences Po, with no adjustment for family income. These are the 2026-27 figures, set against each level of the award:
| Programme | Fee (non-EU, 2026-27) | Emile Boutmy exemption | You pay in tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s, full exemption | EUR 14,900 a year | EUR 14,900 | EUR 0 |
| Bachelor’s, partial exemption | EUR 14,900 a year | EUR 9,500 | EUR 5,400 a year |
| Two-year master’s | EUR 20,640 a year | EUR 18,500 | EUR 2,140 a year |
The 2027-28 fees had not been published when I checked, so expect a small rise. One-year master’s degrees cost more (EUR 24,000 to 26,000) and are not eligible for the scholarship anyway. Even a full exemption leaves you to fund rent, food, insurance and your visa in Paris or on one of Sciences Po’s regional campuses.
Who is eligible for the Emile Boutmy Scholarship
- You are applying to Sciences Po for the first time.
- You are a citizen of a country outside the EU, and your household does not file taxes in an EU country.
- You are admitted to an eligible bachelor’s or two-year master’s programme.
That covers most applicants from Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and non-EU Europe, but check the exclusions below before you apply.
Who cannot get it
| Group | Status |
|---|---|
| Swiss and Norwegian citizens | Not eligible (may apply for CROUS support instead) |
| Dual citizens holding one EU nationality | Not eligible |
| Quebec applicants | Eligible for bachelor’s; not for master’s |
| Master in Journalism and Joint Master in Journalism and International Affairs | Not eligible |
| One-year master’s, PhD, exchange students | Not eligible |
| Master’s dual degrees | Not eligible, except Sciences Po/Columbia journalism, and Fudan (Europe-Asia, Global Affairs) and Peking University for Chinese nationals |
| Bachelor’s dual degrees | Not eligible unless a specific agreement applies |
| Applicants through the French graduate procedure | Not eligible |
How Sciences Po chooses Emile Boutmy scholars
The award is decided by the admissions team during the admission review. Three things count:
- Academic excellence: your grades and the strength of your admission file.
- Profile: how well you match the kind of student the programme wants.
- Social criteria: your family’s financial situation is also taken into account.
The social part is the one most guides skip. Sciences Po may ask you for documents on your family’s income and situation, such as:
- income tax returns for both parents
- recent payslips
- a divorce certificate, where it applies
- proof of unemployment benefits
- alimony, child support or pension statements
- a death certificate, where a parent has died
Start collecting these when you apply. If your country does not issue tax returns to everyone, an employer’s salary letter or an official statement of income is the closest equivalent; translate anything that is not in English or French. There is no separate scholarship essay or interview.
Emile Boutmy Scholarship 2027 deadlines
| Applicant group | Scholarship deadline | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s, first committee (2027 entry) | 18 October 2026 (closed) | Admission decision before 17 December 2026 |
| Master’s, second committee (2027 entry) | 29 November 2026 | Admission decision before 11 February 2027; scholarship result before 2 March 2027 |
| Bachelor’s, secondary school outside France | 13 January 2027 | April 2027 |
| Master’s, first committee (2028 entry) | 18 October 2027 | December 2027 |
(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)
All Sciences Po deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Paris time (GMT+1 in winter). Your full application, with every document, must be in before the scholarship deadline, even if the programme itself accepts files later (the general master’s deadline is 21 February 2027). An incomplete file is not assessed. Students finishing a French baccalaureate apply through Parcoursup and contact the Admissions Office through an online form once their Parcoursup application is validated.
Deferring means losing it
If you are awarded the scholarship and then ask to defer your place, you lose the award and cannot apply for it again the following year.
How to apply for the Emile Boutmy Scholarship
- Pick an eligible programme: check the exclusions table, especially if you are looking at journalism, a dual degree or a one-year master’s.
- Open your Sciences Po application: use the international procedure for bachelor’s (school outside France) or master’s (university studies outside France) on Sciences Po’s admissions portal.
- Request the scholarship: in the “Financial information” section, say you are applying for the Emile Boutmy Scholarship. It cannot be added after you submit.
- Prepare income documents: have your family’s tax returns, payslips or equivalent ready in case Sciences Po asks for them.
- Attach your language test: master’s applicants should upload any required English or French test before the scholarship deadline.
- Submit before the scholarship date: 29 November 2026 for master’s or 13 January 2027 for bachelor’s, at 11:59 p.m. Paris time.
- Watch your email and portal: the admission decision comes first, and the scholarship result follows.
Making your admission file count for the scholarship
Because the scholarship rides on your admission file, everything that strengthens admission also strengthens your scholarship case. Check the exact list for your programme on Sciences Po’s admissions site, then focus on these:
- Your statement of motivation: explain why this specific programme, using its courses or concentrations by name, and what you will do with it. A specific plan for after graduation reads better than general praise of the school.
- Evidence of engagement: show what you do beyond class, such as debate, community work, student government or a job, and give results: what you organised, for how many people, with what outcome.
- References: ask teachers or lecturers who know your work well, and give them your CV and a short note on the programme.
- Grades in context: if your system grades harshly, say where you ranked in your class.
A sample opening for a master’s motivation statement: “After three years running a youth voter-registration drive in Accra, I want to understand why turnout stays low among first-time voters, and the School of Public Affairs’ policy evaluation track is built for that question.” It names a real experience, a question and a programme feature in one sentence.
Applying elsewhere in France too? Our guide to the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship explains the government award your university can nominate you for by 6 January 2027.
Can you combine it with other funding?
| Combinable | Not combinable |
|---|---|
| External awards such as the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, AEFE scholarships and French government scholarships | Other Sciences Po or partner scholarships, such as Mastercard Foundation, CARE, Fondation de France/René Seydoux and China Scholarship Council |
Older versions of Sciences Po’s page (still quoted on Campus France) said the award could not be combined with Eiffel, AEFE or French government scholarships unless the jury agreed. The current wording allows external funding, so for master’s applicants Eiffel paired with Boutmy is the strongest combination on paper. Confirm with the Admissions Office before you rely on both.
Scholars4Dev also says a bachelor’s award is renewed automatically if you go on to a Sciences Po master’s. I could not find that on the current official wording, so treat it as unconfirmed and ask the Admissions Office if it affects your plans.
Visa money: the cost the scholarship does not touch
To get a French long-stay student visa you must show enough money to live on. From 1 August 2026, France raised the minimum to EUR 877.50 a month, or EUR 10,530 for twelve months, up from EUR 615. A tuition exemption does not count towards this figure, so you need savings, a sponsor or a second scholarship that pays a living allowance.
- Living costs: at least EUR 10,530 a year for the visa, and more in Paris.
- Remaining tuition: EUR 5,400 a year on a partial bachelor’s award, or EUR 2,140 a year for a master’s.
- Visa and Campus France fees: paid in your home country before you travel.
- Flights and a housing deposit: often one or two months’ rent up front.
Common mistakes
- Missing the scholarship date: submitting before the admission deadline but after the scholarship deadline means no scholarship review.
- Forgetting the Financial information box: if you do not ask for the award there, you are not considered.
- Applying with an EU passport: any EU nationality, even a second one, rules you out.
- Choosing an excluded programme: one-year master’s degrees and the journalism masters are outside the scheme.
- Counting on it for living costs: it is a fee reduction only.
- Deferring after winning: you lose the award and cannot reapply.
How it compares with other European awards
| Scholarship | Country | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Emile Boutmy Scholarship | France | Full or EUR 9,500 off bachelor’s fees; EUR 18,500 a year off master’s fees |
| École Polytechnique scholarships | France | Partial awards: EUR 8,000 a year (MSc&T Excellence) or EUR 4,800 a year (bachelor’s) |
| ESADE scholarships | Spain | 10% to 50% of MSc tuition on merit; up to 85% need-based |
| Erasmus Mundus scholarships | Several EU countries | Tuition plus EUR 1,400 a month |
For more options across the continent, see our scholarships in Europe guide.
Who should apply and who should not
Apply if you are a non-EU citizen with a strong academic record, you want a Sciences Po bachelor’s or two-year master’s, and your family or a sponsor can cover living costs. For master’s students the award brings tuition down to about EUR 2,140 a year.
Look elsewhere first if you need a living allowance as well as fees, or if you hold any EU citizenship. In that case a fully funded award such as Erasmus Mundus, or Eiffel stacked with Boutmy, is the realistic route.
For research-minded students, the ENS International Selection is another Paris option, with a EUR 1,000 monthly grant and a campus room.
FAQ about the Emile Boutmy Scholarship
Is the Emile Boutmy Scholarship fully funded?
No. It reduces or removes tuition (full or EUR 9,500 for bachelor’s, EUR 18,500 a year for master’s) and pays nothing towards living costs.
What is the Emile Boutmy Scholarship deadline for 2027?
Master’s applicants have until 29 November 2026 (the 18 October 2026 committee has closed). Bachelor’s applicants from schools outside France have until 13 January 2027.
Do I need a separate application for the Emile Boutmy Scholarship?
No. You request it in the “Financial information” section of your Sciences Po admission application, and it is decided during the admission review. You may be asked for proof of family income.
Can dual EU citizens get the Emile Boutmy Scholarship?
No. If one of your nationalities is from an EU country, you are not eligible, and Swiss and Norwegian citizens are excluded as well.
Sources and updates
The official scholarship page is on Sciences Po’s student site (sciencespo.fr). It would not load when I checked, so the amounts, exclusions, combination rules and scholarship deadlines here come from listings that reproduce that page and agree with each other, including Scholars4Dev’s Emile Boutmy article (last updated October 2025), which is also the source for the social criteria and income documents. Master’s admission dates and the 11:59 p.m. Paris time rule come from Sciences Po’s graduate deadlines page, and the 1 March 2027 bachelor’s deadline from Sciences Po’s September 2026 admissions news. The 2026-27 tuition fees come from Sciences Po’s published fee scale as reported by Meilleurs Masters. The EUR 877.50 visa threshold comes from the French decree applied from 1 August 2026, as reported by several news outlets. The 2028 committee date repeats this year’s calendar. Updated on 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.
