The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is awarded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to help French higher education institutions attract top international students to their Master’s and PhD programs.
Location: France
Host: French universities & grandes écoles (must be nominated by the institution)
Study Level: Master’s & PhD
Coverage / Benefits:
Monthly stipend: ~ €1,200 for Master’s level
Monthly stipend: ~ €2,100 for PhD level
Travel allowances (one-way & return)
Health insurance, cultural benefit, support for mobility & accommodation in some cases
Duration / Terms:
- Master’s: up to 12 or 24 months depending on entry year (e.g. M2 or M1)
- PhD: up to 36 months under certain conditions (especially for new PhD entrants)
Application & Eligibility Key Info:
- Eligible to non-French nationals only. Dual nationals with French citizenship are excluded.
- For Master’s: applicants must not already be studying in France and must be under the age limit (around 29)
- For PhD: age limit ~ 35, priority given to candidates who are not already in France
- Applicants cannot apply directly — they must be nominated by the French university they intend to attend.
- Selection by institution first; then, the nominated applications go to Campus France / the Ministry.
Important Dates / Deadline Window:
- The call for applications for 2026 is expected to open in October 2025
- Tentative deadline for institutions (submission to Campus France) is 8 January 2026
