Known as a country of romance and love, France has been quite popular among many tourists around the world. In addition to its fascinating language, France has many symbolic architectures such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Because of its high renown, France has been a popular study destination for many international students, and due to the high flow of foreign students into their country, many scholarships have been formed to decrease the financial burden of prospective international applicants.
Do French Universities Practice Free Tuition?
For public universities, the tuition rates are very close to 0 euros per year, but for top-ranked colleges, the tuition fees can get up to 20,000 euros per year and even higher. Unfortunately, universities in France do not practice free tuition for international students.
As an international student, you need to either get a scholarship to lower the tuition fees or get into a university with a low tuition rate. After that step is completed, you need to search for a nearby apartment for rent and also get used to the French food that you can easily buy at a cheap price.
Do Universities in France Have Dormitories or Residence Halls?
The answer is no. Unlike their counterparts in the United States, colleges in France do not have residence halls that the students can stay in. Due to their lack of dormitories inside the college campus, many international students have to find a living space that is close to their university.
Because of this practice, many international students have trouble finding a nearby apartment to rent due to their high prices. Because of its high living cost, many students share a room together to bear the financial cost of renting an apartment.
How Many Universities in France Award Full-Ride Scholarships?
Fully funded scholarships for international students are very hard to come by in the country of France. Due to their rarity, only 1 university offer a full-ride scholarship for international students, and 2 organizations offer full-ride scholarships in France for international students.
That one university that offers this prestigious award is the Paris Institute of Political Studies with the partnership of Berlin’s Free University. The 2 organizations are the Open Society Foundation and the French Government.
Fully Funded Scholarships in France for International Students
There are a total of 3 fully funded scholarships in France for international students, so take careful note of each financial award. Without further ado, let’s jump straight into our list that contains these prestigious awards for prospective applicants.
1. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship
- Benefits: Monthly Allowance, Travel Stipend, Insurance
- Level of Education: Master’s and PhD
- Source: French Government
To get into the information that I will be covering about, click on the link for the French Government, and then scroll down to click on the Programming guide. By doing so, you will see all the information about Eiffel Excellence Scholarship for International Applicants.
The living stipend will cover the tuition fees and the standard living expenses for the month, and if you need more, you can receive additional funding if you have trouble paying the rent. In short, you can get more money if you can prove it with receipts and with the rental agreement.
- Full Ride – Covers All Part of Your Educational Expenses
The travel stipend covers international travel, which means your airplane ticket to and from your country, and it also covers traveling in France, which provides free train travel within France and a free ride from the airport to your study destination.
To summarize things up, this government scholarship covers your airplane tickets, tuition fees to a certain degree, monthly allowance (can get more if needed), and even the traveling fees around the country. With this amount covered, I bet you can cover the rest out of your own pocket!
2. Stephen M. Kellen Scholarship
- Benefits: Tuition Coverage, Monthly Allowance, Internship
- Level of Education: Dual BA Program
- Source: SciencesPo
Offered in joint partnership with SciencesPo (France) and Berlin’s Free University (Germany), this fully-funded scholarship is offered to applicants who are interested in studying for a BA (Bachelor of Arts) Degree. Make sure to click on the Dual BA Program for more information.
Each scholarship recipient will spend two years in SciencesPo, and they will spend their last two years of their undergraduate education at Berlin’s Free University. This means that you will be switching universities during your undergraduate career and also be receiving degrees from both colleges.
- Opportunity to Learn Both French and German Cultures!
Regarding the financial cost, this scholarship will cover the tuition fees for the two years that you will be spending in SciencesPo, and you don’t really have to worry about the next two years in Berlin’s Free University since colleges in Germany practice free tuition for all of its applicants.
This scholarship does not cover the travel expenses, but it grants an annual living allowance for all four years of your undergraduate education. Unfortunately, you cannot request for more, so use your funds wisely and also come prepared with some money on your own!
3. Civil Society Leadership Awards
- Benefits: Summer Stipend, Travel Allowance, Tuition Coverage, Room & Board, Insurance, Research & Internship Stipend
- Level of Education: Master’s
- Source: Open Society Foundations
Last but not least, this full-ride scholarship has the highest amount of awards that it can bestow on an international student. But before we talk about the financial part of this award, we need to talk about the eligibility requirements due to their restrictions on certain countries.
Eligible applicants should be either from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Laos, Libya, Myanmar/Burma, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan.
- Many Financial Benefits = Much Restrictions and Limitations
In addition to the country restrictions, this award is only available to certain areas of studies, so be sure to click on the link above for further details. After talking about the eligibility requirements, now is the time to cover the financial part of this award.
Each scholarship recipient needs to attend a summer program right before their degree program starts, which explains the summer stipend. The traveling expenses will cover your airplane ticket to and from your country, and this scholarship covers all the areas of education fees.
Conclusion: Right Information Opens Right Doors
This scholarship contains one for each level of education, so it basically covers the range of education from undergraduate to doctoral programs. Take advantage of this information and apply if you are interested in studying in France!
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