French Government Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme

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

It gives 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 master’s level, and applicants up to 35 years old from developing and industrialized countries at PhD level.

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program is awarded to two types of studies:

• Masters level, for a duration between 12 and 36 months;
• Doctorate or PhD level, for research periods in France of up to 12 months, as part of a cotutelle or joint doctoral thesis supervision (preferably in 2nd year of PhD)

Fields of study
Eiffel scholarships are available in four main fields:

• Law studies;
• Economics and management;
• Engineering sciences at master’s level, Science in a broad sense at PhD level (engineering sciences; exact sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry and life sciences, nano and biotechnology, earth sciences, sciences of the universe, environmental sciences, information and communication science and technology);
• Political sciences.

Levels of Study

French higher education institutions nominating candidates for the Eiffel Program commit to enrol them:

• in a master’s degree program;
• in an engineering program;
• or in a PhD program in a cotutelle or joint doctoral thesis supervision, in partnership with a foreign higher education institution.

Eligibility

• Nationality: this program is reserved for non-French nationals. Candidates with two nationalities, one of which is French, are not eligible.
• Age: for master’s level, candidates must be no older than 30 on the date of the 2019 Campaign, that is, students born after March 1988. At PhD level, candidates must be no older than 35 on the date of the 2019 Campaign, that is, students born after March 1983.
• Origin of applications: only applications submitted by French educational institutions are accepted. These institutions commit to enrolling scholarship holders on the academic program for which they have been selected. Applications submitted by any other means shall not be considered. Furthermore, any candidate nominated by more than one institution shall be disqualified.
• Levels of study: scholarships are granted to candidates wishing to enrol on a master’s program, including at an engineering school, and for PhD students. The Eiffel Program does not apply to French-run master’s programs abroad.
  The Eiffel scholarship does not apply to training under an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract.
• Scholarship incompatibilities: foreign students who, at the time of application, have already been awarded a French government scholarship from another Program, are not eligible, even if the scholarship only covers health insurance.
• Eiffel master’s scholarship: no application will be accepted for any student already rejected at an earlier application campaign, even if the application is submitted by a different institution or in another field of study. Students who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship at master’s level are not eligible to re-apply at master’s level.
• Eiffel PhD scholarship: Institutions may nominate a candidate who was previously awarded an Eiffel scholarship at master’s level for a scholarship at PhD level. Candidates who have already been awarded an Eiffel scholarship during their PhD cannot be awarded a scholarship for a second time. No application will be accepted for any student already rejected at an earlier application campaign, even if the application is submitted by a different institution or in another field of study.
• Language skills: when pre-selecting non-French-speaking candidates, institutions must make sure that their language skills meet the requirements of its academic program.
• Students studying at an academic program abroad have priority over those already living in France.

Benefits of the scholarship
Master’s level

The Eiffel scholarship consist of a monthly allowance of €1,181 (a maintenance allowance of €1,031 and a monthly stipend of €150). In addition, the following benefits are covered:

• International transport2: a round-trip international ticket Country of origin – France;
• National transport: a train ticket to the first study location; a train ticket from the last study location to the airport for the return to the country of origin;
• Local transport: reimbursement of up to a maximum of €50 of the trip between the airport or train station and the first study location (taxi or public transport);
• Health insurance by Campus France, for the time needed to register to French Social Security, for students from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA);
• Mutual health insurance (mutuelle);
• Cultural activities.

PhD level
The Eiffel scholarship includes a monthly allowance of €1,400. In addition, the following benefits are covered:

•  International transport: a round-trip international ticket Country of origin – France;
• National transport: a train ticket to the first study location; a train ticket from the last study location to the airport for the return to the country of origin;
• Local transport: reimbursement of up to a maximum of €50 of the trip between the airport or train station and the first study location (taxi or public transport);
• Health insurance by Campus France, for the time needed to register to French Social Security, for students from outside of the European Economic Area (EEA);
• Mutual health insurance (mutuelle);
• Cultural activities.
  Subject to certain conditions, students may also benefit from a housing allowance, within the 3 months following signature of the housing contract.

For both master’s and PhD levels

• In order to receive the first instalment of the monthly allowance, students must have started their academic program at the host institution in France. An interruption of the scholarship implies an interruption of all benefits.
  Tuition fees are not covered by the Eiffel Program.
• The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs expects the educational institutions, whose international influence is enhanced by this program, make sure students receive the best financial support.
  Students admitted to public educational institutions are, as French government scholarship holders, exempted from enrolment fees.

Timeline

• Opening of the call for applications: week of October 15th 2019
• Deadline for the reception of applications by Campus France:  January 11th 2019.
• Publication of results: week of March 25th 2019