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France Check current round

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is the French government's flagship award for international Master's and PhD students — the marquee scholarship of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, administered by Campus France. It pays a monthly stipend of €1,181 (Master's) or €1,400 (PhD), plus return flights, comprehensive health insurance, and cultural activities. Selection is by nomination only: a French university must put forward your name after admitting you to one of its programmes. Strong Sri Lankan applicants from Moratuwa, Colombo, and Peradeniya — particularly in engineering, science, economics, management, law, and political science — have a track record of being nominated by HEC Paris, Sciences Po, École Polytechnique, and the Paris-Saclay group.

2027 cycle: French institutions submit nominations by early January 2027; Campus France announces results in late March 2027

Campus France (French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)

Government-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Master's Stipend

€1,181/month for up to 24 months

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PhD Stipend

€1,400/month for up to 36 months

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Extras

Return Flights + Insurance + Cultural Activities

info How this award actually works

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This is a separate, highly competitive application

Government awards like this one run their own selection round against applicants from across the world, and success rates are usually in the low single digits. Lanka Scholar does not administer it and cannot submit it for you. Treat it as a bonus on top of a funded study plan — never as the plan itself.

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Who awards it

Campus France (French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through a separate application round run by the funder, with its own forms, deadlines and shortlisting. You submit it yourself — it is not part of a university admission application.

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What it covers

€1,181/month (Master's) or €1,400/month (PhD) + Travel + Insurance. Read the terms carefully: even fully-funded awards rarely cover every cost, and any shortfall is yours to fund.

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Where we come in

We help you judge whether this award is worth your time, and build a realistic admission plan that works whether or not you win it.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Admitted to a French Master's or PhD

You must hold (or be in the final stages of securing) an admission offer from a participating French higher education institution. The university nominates you internally — you cannot apply directly to Campus France.

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Non-French Nationality, Under 30 (Master's) or Under 35 (PhD)

Reserved for non-French citizens applying from outside France. Master's candidates must be 30 or younger; PhD candidates 35 or younger at the start of the academic year. Sri Lankan passport holders are eligible.

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Priority Fields

The Eiffel programme prioritises engineering and science, law, economics and management, political science, and (for PhD only) life and earth sciences, environmental sciences, and mathematics. Programmes outside these fields are rarely nominated.

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Language

Programmes may be taught in French or English. There is no separate language test for the scholarship — language requirements are set by the host institution. Many top Master's programmes accept IELTS 6.5+ or equivalent.

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Secure a French university offer

Apply to your chosen French Master's or PhD programme via Études en France (for some institutions) or directly on the university portal. Eiffel-eligible institutions include the grandes écoles (HEC Paris, ESSEC, Sciences Po, Polytechnique), the IDEX universities, and many engineering schools.

Flag your interest in Eiffel

Tell the university's international office or programme director that you would like to be considered for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship — ideally during your admissions interview. Submit any supporting documents they request (CV, motivation letter, references).

Institutional nomination

The French institution prepares and submits your nomination file to Campus France via the Eiffel online platform. Internal deadlines vary — most institutions close nominations in October–December for the January Campus France deadline.

Campus France selection + outcome

Campus France's selection committee meets in March. Results are released to institutions in late March; institutions then notify candidates. The scholarship is paid monthly across your programme duration.

Why Eiffel?

France hosts the largest English-taught grandes écoles cohort in continental Europe. An Eiffel award unlocks tuition-discount packages at HEC, ESSEC, Sciences Po, and the engineering schools — combined with monthly funding and a post-study job-search visa, the total package rivals UK Chevening for many applicants.

~400

Awards per Year Globally

12 mo

Post-Study Job-Seeker Visa

70+

Participating French Institutions

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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