France is home to some of the best scholarships to study abroad, with a strong government-backed scholarship ecosystem, world-class grandes écoles, and growing English-taught programs across engineering, business, and the sciences. Yet most Indian students who study in France either apply too late, target the wrong programs, or simply do not know the full range of funding available to them.

This guide covers every verified scholarship program in France worth applying to in 2026 and 2027, with confirmed award amounts, real deadlines, and honest eligibility criteria.

From the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship in France to university grants and Erasmus Mundus programs, here is everything Indian students need to know about funding a degree in France, including fully funded options, partial merit awards, and how to combine scholarships with an education loan to cover the full cost.

Types of Scholarships Available in France for Indian Students

Scholarships in France for international students come from three main sources:

• Government and bilateral scholarships: The most prestigious category.The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship in France, funded by Campus France and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is the flagship program. France Government Scholarships for international students also include the Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) program for researchers in climate and sustainability, and bilateral grants administered through the French Embassy in India.
• University and institutional scholarships: Many French universities offer their own merit awards to international students, either at the point of admission or through a separate scholarship application. Grandes écoles like Sciences Po, HEC Paris, and École Polytechnique have their own dedicated international scholarship programs. These are less competitive than government awards but require proactive application.
• European and multilateral scholarships: Erasmus Mundus programs co-funded by the European Union are among the most generous scholarships in Europe available to Indian students, and many Erasmus Mundus consortia include French universities as partner institutions. These cover full tuition, a monthly living allowance, and travel.

Top Scholarships in France for Indian Students (2026–2027)

The table below includes only verified scholarships in France with confirmed availability for Indian applicants. Always confirm deadlines on official portals before applying.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship in France: the flagship program

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship to study in France is the most well-known of the france government scholarships for international students. Funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and administered by Campus France, it is awarded to outstanding international students admitted to French higher education institutions.

For the 2026 and 2027 intake, the Eiffel Scholarship covers:

• A monthly stipend of EUR 1,181 for Masters students and EUR 1,400 for PhD and postdoctoral researchers
• Accommodation assistance
• Repatriation insurance and health cover
• Round-trip airfare for students traveling from outside Europe
• Cultural activities and language support

Applications are submitted not by students directly, but by French institutions on behalf of selected candidates. This means you must first secure an admission offer or a letter of interest from a French university before your institution nominates you for the Eiffel award.

The application deadline for nominating institutions is typically in early January for an autumn intake. Effective acceptance rates sit well below 10 percent across all categories.

Best fit: students with a strong academic record applying to a Masters or PhD at a French grande école or research university, particularly in engineering, economics, political science, or natural sciences.

Master's and PhD scholarships in France: a closer look

Master's and PhD scholarships in France operate quite differently from each other, and understanding that distinction saves a lot of wasted effort.

For Master's students: The most organized scholarship programs are the Eiffel Excellence Scholarships and Sciences Po’s Emile Boutmy Scholarships. Next is the University Scholarships, which include Université Paris-Saclay, Grenoble INP, and CentraleSupélec. The majority of scholarships available for Master's programs in France involve a nomination process by the university itself; therefore, admission should be considered before applying for scholarships.

For PhD students: France's doctoral funding landscape differs from that of most countries. PhD candidates in France are typically funded through a doctoral contract (contrat doctoral), which is an employment contract rather than a scholarship. It pays approximately EUR 2,100 to 2,300 per month and covers social security.

Doctoral contracts are competitive but available to international students. This is not widely advertised to students applying from India but is one of the most practical funding mechanisms available for PhD study in France.

The Eiffel scholarship also has a PhD track, as does the MOPGA program for candidates in environmental sciences and sustainability research.

STEM Scholarships in France

France has significantly expanded its engineering and technology capacity in recent years, and STEM scholarship options reflect this. Programs worth targeting for Indian students in engineering, computer science, data science, and applied sciences:

• École Polytechnique (l'X) International Scholarships: France's most prestigious engineering institution offers partial funding to outstanding international Masters and research program students. Scholarships are competitive and require a strong academic and research profile.
• Grenoble INP Foundation Scholarships: Grenoble is one of France's leading technical university clusters. The Foundation Scholarship awards EUR 5,000 to 8,000 per year to international Masters students in engineering and applied sciences, with a separate application required after admission.
• Université Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship: Paris-Saclay, consistently ranked among the world's top universities for physical sciences and mathematics, awards EUR 10,000 per year to outstanding international Master's students. The deadline is typically March of the year of intake.
• CentraleSupélec and ENSTA Paris Scholarships: Both institutions have partial merit awards for international engineering students. Awards are typically applied for at the same time as admission and are evaluated on academic transcripts and a motivation letter.
• Campus France STEM Excellence Tracks: Some STEM programs in France are designated as excellence tracks by Campus France, making enrolled students automatically eligible for institutional grants and priority consideration for Eiffel nominations.

Scholarships in Europe for Indian Students: Beyond France

While this guide focuses on scholarships in France, Indian students should be aware of the broader scholarships in Europe landscape, particularly as several pan-European programs include French universities as partner institutions.Key Europe-wide funding sources relevant to students targeting France:

• Erasmus Mundus Programs:Most Erasmus Mundus joint Masters programs incorporate Sciences Po, Université Paris-Saclay, and Grenoble INP. Funding fully covered; application deadlines usually fall between January-March.
• Eiffel Excellence Network: French embassies across Europe coordinate with Campus France on bilateral supplements for students from specific partner countries including India.
• DAAD and French BMBF Joint Programs: For students targeting Franco-German research programs, joint grants from DAAD and Campus France exist for PhD and postdoctoral research.

Running a France application alongside an Erasmus Mundus application that includes French partner universities is a practical strategy and carries no penalty.

Who Can Apply for Scholarships in France?

Most scholarship programs in France evaluate five things: academic record, language proficiency, motivation letter quality, research potential (for PhD), and alignment with the scholarship's stated goals. Whether you are targeting masters scholarships abroad or a PhD doctoral contract, these are the standard eligibility criteria:

How to Apply for Scholarships in France: Step by Step

France scholarship timelines are longer than most students expect. Eiffel nominations for an autumn 2026 intake close at the institution level in January, well before any admission confirmation is issued by the university.

• Step 1: Research and shortlist (12–18 months before intake): Begin with your academic level, study field, and universities to apply for. Use a scholarship finder tool to find scholarships that are suitable for your country, academic level, and intended destination. Most of the scholarships available in France are not available for students from India to apply as individuals but through institutional nominations.
• Step 2: Secure an admission or supervisor confirmation: For Eiffel, most university scholarships, and all doctoral contracts, you need either a conditional admission offer or a written expression of interest from a faculty member. Contact potential supervisors 9 to 12 months before your intended start date.
• Step 3: Write a fresh motivation letter for each scholarship: Your admission SOP will not work here. The Eiffel scholarship requires a letter that addresses your academic excellence, the relevance of studying in France, and your post-study plans. Sciences Po's Emile Boutmy scholarship expects a discussion of your civic and social engagement. Write specifically to each scholarship's stated criteria.
• Step 4: Choose referees who know your academic work in detail: For research scholarships and doctoral contracts, an academic referee who can speak to your research potential specifically is more valuable than a senior professional who knows you in a general capacity. Brief each referee on the scholarship's evaluation criteria.
• Step 5: Apply to multiple scholarships simultaneously: There is no restriction on running parallel applications. An Eiffel nomination, a university merit award, and an Erasmus Mundus application can all run at the same time. Most successful scholarship recipients apply to 4 to 6 programs in the same cycle.
• Step 6: Submit well before the deadline: Submit at least two weeks early. Institutional nomination portals for Eiffel close at the institution level before the Campus France deadline, so plan for your university's internal submission cutoff, not just the national deadline.

Documents Required for France Scholarship Applications

Whether you are applying for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship in France or a university merit award, missing one document is enough to get your application rejected.

France Scholarship Deadlines (2026–2027): Do Not Miss These Dates

These deadlines are sourced from official scholarship portals and are for the 2026 to 2027 intake. They can shift by one to two weeks each cycle. Always verify on the official Campus France or institution website before applying.

What Actually Gets You a Scholarship to Study in France

Most students who miss out on study abroad scholarship for indian students targeting France are not underqualified. They are out-strategised. These are the things that actually move the needle:

• Contact a French professor or supervisor 9 to 12 months before your start date, especially for doctoral contracts and MOPGA, where a faculty sponsor is essential
• Understand that Eiffel is a nomination, not a direct application. Your first job is to get into the university and make yourself the obvious candidate for their Eiffel nomination slot
• Write a fresh motivation letter for every scholarship. Committees reviewing Eiffel and Emile Boutmy applications can tell immediately when a student has repurposed their admission essay
• Brief your referees on the specific evaluation criteria before they write your letter. A targeted letter outperforms a generic one every time
• Apply to 4 to 6 scholarships simultaneously. Running an Eiffel nomination, a university merit award, and an Erasmus Mundus application in parallel is standard practice among successful recipients
• Submit at least two weeks before the deadline. Portals crash, documents get flagged, and institutional nomination slots fill up
• If you are targeting a STEM scholarship in France, prioritise École Polytechnique, Paris-Saclay, and Grenoble INP. All three have strong dedicated funding streams beyond the Eiffel program

Can you combine a scholarship with an education loan?

Yes, and for most Indian students, combining a partial scholarship with an abroad education loan is the most practical way to fund a degree in France.

Consider a student admitted to a Masters program at a top French grande école. Annual tuition runs EUR 12,000 to 20,000 at private institutions, with living costs of EUR 10,000 to 14,000 on top of that. A Sciences Po Emile Boutmy award of EUR 10,000 per year or an Eiffel stipend of EUR 1,181 per month covers part of this, but a funding gap of EUR 10,000 to 20,000 per year is typical even with a partial scholarship. At current exchange rates, that is approximately INR 9 to 17 lakhs per year unfunded.

An education loan bridges this gap, with repayment starting 6 to 12 months after graduation, by which point many France-educated engineers and business graduates are earning in EUR.

Use Nomad Credit's scholarship finder tool to check which scholarship programs in France fit your profile, then compare loan options from 15 or more lenders for the remaining amount. Students who plan scholarships and loans together consistently end up in a stronger financial position than those who approach them separately.

Frequently Asked Questions