Best Scholarships For Indian Students In France In 2023

Did you know that France is the largest country in Europe? France offers delicious food, incredible wines, beautiful cities, stunning landscapes, and charming cultural heritage. It’s no wonder that people want to go there!

France is also the world’s most sought-after study-abroad destination for international students. The main benefit of choosing France to study abroad is the top-quality education. France has low tuition costs, infrastructure, and Education scholarships for Indian Students.

Indian students are interested in studying abroad but are concerned about the cost. To attract those talented students and encourage them to pursue their dreams of higher education in France, the French government provides various scholarships for Indian students in France. 

This article is about the types of scholarships in France, their requirements & eligibility to apply for Indian students.

List of Scholarships in France for Indian Students

In France, all comprehensive public universities are tuition-free. So the types and proportion of scholarships in France are lesser than those in Europe and the United States.

However, to attract excellent students to study in France, the French government will also provide various study or research funds: such as scholarships, subsidies, assistance, etc.

International students can now apply for three types of scholarships in France.

• Government-sponsored scholarships,
• National government-sponsored scholarships,
• International or non-governmental organization scholarships.

Among them, French government scholarships are mainly executed by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These finance approximately 22,000 scholarships for students every year. 

There are two types of scholarships in France. One is a scholarship awarded by French embassies abroad and other governments on agreed-upon cooperation projects. 

In France, there are many possibilities to receive financial support for the study or scientific research: scholarships, subsidies, and exchange visits.

There are many kinds of scholarships –

• Tuition fee reduction (in whole or part) 
• Study scholarship
• Internship scholarship
• Senior Visiting Scholar scholarship

Most of them are scholarships to reward excellent students. 

In addition, when French Prime Minister Edward Philip announced France’s new attractive strategy. On November 19, 2018, he said that the number of international student scholarships would triple: 

• The French government will provide 15,000 scholarships which are currently 7,000. This will provide financial subsidies or fee waivers for students on a case-by-case basis. 
• Schools set scholarships for 6,000 institutions. They set standards and award them according to their cooperation and attractive strategies. 

Indian students will be fully qualified to apply for these excellent scholarships. The specific selection method for fellowships will be announced later. 

Fee waiver (in whole or part) 

Scholarships in France for tuition fee reduction and exemption can first be awarded by the student’s school. The number of people who have reduced tuition fees shall not exceed 10% of school enrollments. Within this scope, the school can decide on the number of tuition scholarships. The selection criteria for tuition fees and scholarships follow its own international policies. 

In the context of differentiated chemistry fees and tuition fee reductions for non-EU students in French public universities, many schools have decided to implement a partial tuition fee reduction policy for all international students at the beginning of the  academic year. Therefore, students in these schools will pay the same registration fee as those in France and other EU countries.  

Generally speaking, the scholarship application process is open from October to January. The results of the award will be announced in March. 

French Government Scholarship – Eiffel Scholarship  

The Eiffel Scholarship should be the most well-known scholarship. In addition to Eiffel, a name with its own aura, there are also high scholarships that attract countless students. 

Established by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999, the Eiffel Scholarship in France is only for the best international students to study the second or third stage of higher education courses in France and is limited to three major scientific fields: engineering, economics, and management, and law and political science.

The Eiffel Scholarship in France was also established to train future policymakers in private or state-owned enterprises in their fields of study and to encourage foreign students from developing countries to study at the master’s level (not more than 30 years old) and students from developing countries and developed industrial countries to study at the doctoral level.  

Individuals who apply for Eiffel scholarships can apply directly, but candidates are strictly selected by French institutions of higher learning. The institutions will then submit the complete materials to the Eiffel Scholarship Management Agency designated by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and cooperate with explaining the institution’s discipline construction strategy and international development policy. 

Eiffel Scholarship winners (master’s level) can receive a scholarship of 1,181 euros per month, students enrolled in Master 2 (Master’s degree year 2) can receive 12 months of scholarships, and students who register for Master 1 (Master’s degree year 1) can receive 24 months of scholarships. Students enrolled in the doctoral level can receive 12 months of scholarships in France and 1,400 euros per month. 

At the same time, candidates can also enjoy international travel, medical care, insurance, and cultural activities free of charge. These fixed services will make French institutions of higher learning competitive in attracting outstanding international students and provide suitable conditions for completing their studies in France. 

The French government distributes about 400 Eiffel scholarships in France (master’s degrees) and 70 (doctoral) places yearly. 

Outstanding Student Award 

It aims to enable French universities to accept the best international students and carry out inter-university international cooperation. The Paris-based department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is directly responsible for such scholarships in France. For example, the “Ever Excellent Student Award” is aimed at the best foreign students studying in France.

According to the regulations, the award is limited to master’s courses in the three scientific fields of engineering, economics and management, and law and political sciences. The “First Outstanding Student Award” is aimed at foreign alumni of French overseas high schools. 

Foreign Doctor Scholarship 

It is a one-year scholarship in France for young foreign doctors selected by the United Hospital of Paris Hospitals. Applicants must be under the age of 35. They must have qualifications equivalent to the fourth year of internship in the Paris Hospital in the host country. 

Charpak Scholarship 

The fields for which the scholarship can be awarded are as follows:

• Medical science 
• Physical science
• Mathematical & Computational Science
• Materials science
• Atmospheric and Earth sciences 
• Chemical science 
• Engineering science 
• Life sciences 

The duration of scholarships is three to six months. 

Nature of financial support: 

• Indian students studying in France will receive a scholarship of 1,300 euros a month to cover expenses.
• A scholarship of 25,000 rupees will be provided to French students visiting India, and accommodation will also be paid for. 
• Economy class air tickets to and from the country 
• Travel and health insurance
• Administrative fees for visas and other procedures (for example, registration fees in France) 

What are the conditions for receiving a Scholarship in France? 

1. If you are an applicant from India, you must be an Indian citizen. You must register for a doctorate degree in a research institution or an accredited university in India. 

2. If you are an applicant from France, you must live in France and register for a doctoral degree at a recognized university or research institution in France. 

3. Have a master’s degree in science, technology, or medicine from a recognized university with excellent grades. 

4. No more than 30 years. 

5. You will not be considered again if you have participated in the program. 

How to apply for Scholarships in France? 

Applications must be filled in and submitted online. Mailing applications are not accepted. Only applications for completing and submitting the following documents will be considered: 

• Research proposals do not exceed five pages. 
• Proof of research experience 
• Resume 
• Admission notice of the Indian/French host scientist indicating that they are free during the student’s visit. 
• Letters of recommendation from scientists and tutors 
• Master’s and bachelor’s degree certificates 
• Proof of age 

Early Bird Award/Early Bird Scholarship 

Some master’s programs for high-tech business people provide early bird scholarships with 10% – 20% tuition reductions for students applying in the first and second batches. Generally, they will close before January every year, and the time nodes of different schools are different. 

Tuition fee reduction for poor students 

This is generally linked to the CROUS scholarship, which is applied through the CROUS system and assessed according to the family’s financial situation.

For the specific application situation, you can first make a simulation of your personal situation:  https://simulateur.lescrous.fr/ to see if you are eligible to apply for a scholarship in France and the level you may apply for. For specific scholarship application requirements and processes, you may inquire at: https://www.crous-paris.fr/bourses/bourses-sur-criteres-sociaux 

You can easily get a need-based grant if your family cannot afford the tuition fee. For example, you can submit a family financial certificate when applying for the Paris Polytechnic Engineer Project. Then the school will grant scholarships at different levels according to your personal circumstances in France. 

Special scholarships for projects in France

Because Gaoshang cooperates with many enterprises and institutions, there may be special scholarships for different professional projects, such as the dual-degree MSc in Data Sciences and Business cooperated by ESSEC and CentraleSupélec. s Analytics has set up a 3 M’s Women Data Sciences Scholarship in France to encourage women to apply for this major, with up to a tuition fee reduction of up to 50% for all female students admitted to the major. 

Sciences Po Émile Boutmy Scholarship 

Sciences Po offers scholarships for outstanding students from non-EU, applying for single undergraduate and two-year master’s degrees (except for some double-degree programs). Undergraduates can get up to 12,300 euros, and master’s degrees can get up to 10,000 euros for scholarships in France.   

Images from Pexels.com 

In addition to high-quality education and relatively loose visa policies, compared with other European countries studying abroad, the relatively low cost of studying abroad is also the reason for attracting Indian students to study in France. French universities treat all students equally, and each student has access to almost free higher education. 

Scholarships’ Benefits

• An Indian applicant can apply for fellowship support up to EUR 1500 per month for accommodation, travel, living expenses, and other necessities.
• A fellowship support package of Rs. To cover daily expenses, accommodation costs, travel, and other expenses, the monthly allowance is 40,000
• Registration of visas and admission costs
• One return ticket between India & France.
• Carte de Sejour: Residence Permit costs.
• The award cannot be renewed if the course lasts more than one month.