Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027: Eligibility, Stipend & How to Apply

🇫🇷 Overview of France Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027–2028

Call Opened

2 October 2026

Monthly Stipend

EUR 1,200 Master's / EUR 2,000 PhD

Main Applicants

Master's & PhD Candidates

Deadline

6 January 2027

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 pays EUR 1,200 a month for a master’s and EUR 2,000 a month for a PhD. It doesn’t pay tuition fees. Results will be announced the week of 12 April 2027.

Final deadline: Wednesday 6 January 2027. By that date, French universities must send their Eiffel files to Campus France. You can’t apply yourself. What matters for you is your university’s own internal deadline, and the ones we checked close between 29 October and 26 November 2026.

Eiffel Scholarship 2027 at a glance:

• Who sends your application: a French university or school, not you

• University deadlines: 29 October to 26 November 2026 (full list below)

• Deadline for universities: Wednesday 6 January 2027

• Results: week of 12 April 2027

• Monthly money: EUR 1,200 for a master’s, EUR 2,000 for a PhD

• Tuition: not covered, but public universities waive registration fees

• Start of studies: between 1 September and 30 November 2027, with no deferral

• Age limit: 29 or younger for a master’s, 35 or younger for a PhD

A note on the PhD amount: some websites, and even a few university pages, still say EUR 2,100. The official Session 2027 rules say EUR 2,000 from January 2026, so we use that figure.

What is the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program in France?

Eiffel is a scholarship from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Campus France runs it. It helps French universities attract top international students into master’s and PhD programmes.

It has two parts. The master’s part funds a full master’s or engineering degree. The PhD part funds 12, 18, or 36 months of doctoral study in France. More than 10,000 students have received it so far, according to Campus France.

Eiffel Excellence 2027 Eligibility Rules

Check these rules before you contact any university. If you fail even one, the rest of your file won’t matter.

Age Limit

You must be 29 or younger for a master’s award, and 35 or younger for a PhD award. Campus France’s 2027 application guide turns this into birth dates:

Master’s: born after 31 March 1997

PhD: born after 31 March 1991

Nationality

You must be a foreign national. If you also hold French nationality, you can’t apply.

Master’s: If you are studying in France right now, you are not eligible.

PhD: You can apply while studying in France, but candidates applying from abroad get priority.

Eligible Fields for Eiffel Scholarship 2027

Eiffel only funds programmes in these seven fields.

Science and Technology

Biology and health
Ecological transition
Mathematics and digital sciences
Engineering sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

French history, language and civilisation
Law and political science
Economics and management

If your major falls outside these seven priority areas (like fine arts, music, or business programs outside economics and management), you cannot receive the Eiffel scholarship, no matter how impressive your profile is.

What Eiffel Covers, and What It Doesn't

Level	Monthly Stipend	Duration
Master's	€1,200	12 months (entering M2) up to 24 months (entering M1); up to 36 months for an engineering degree
PhD (joint/co-supervised)	€2,100	Up to 36 months

What Is Covered

Your monthly allowance: EUR 1,200 for a master’s, EUR 2,000 for a PhD
Your flight to France and your final flight home, in economy class
A second-class train or bus ticket from the airport to your city
Health cover from the day you arrive, then a free top-up health insurance (mutuelle) for you, but not for your family
Help finding a room: Campus France can offer a place in a CROUS or private student residence, which you are free to turn down
Cultural trips and activities at reduced prices
No registration fees for national degrees and engineering diplomas at public universities, and no CVEC campus fee, because Eiffel winners count as French government scholarship holders

What Is Not Covered

Tuition Fees: Eiffel does not directly pay tuition fees. Fee exemptions may apply at eligible public institutions.
Private University Fees: Any charges not covered by the institution must be paid by the student.
Family Expenses: The scholarship does not provide extra funding for dependents.

Eiffel Stipend and Duration

Here is how much money you get and how long it lasts:

Master’s Degree (Year 1): €1,200 a month for up to 2 years (24 months)
Master’s Degree (Year 2): €1,200 a month for up to 1 year (12 months)
Engineering Degree: €1,200 a month for up to 3 years (36 months)
PhD (New to France, no joint degree): €2,000 a month for up to 3 years (36 months)
PhD (Joint degree, Year 1 or 2): €2,000 a month for up to 1.5 years (18 months)
PhD (Joint degree, Year 2 or 3): €2,000 a month for up to 1 year (12 months)

Documents Your University Sends to Campus France

Campus France has one official list. Your university uploads the files, but you do most of the work.

For a master’s:

A copy of your passport or ID card
A CV in French or English, two pages at most
Your latest degree certificates, plus proof of your rank, prizes or honours
A language certificate, if your programme asks for one
Transcripts for the last three years
A professional project in French or English, one to two pages
The signed candidate pledge, called “Déclaration et engagement du candidat”

For a PhD, the same list plus:

A thesis project of up to five pages
A written opinion on your thesis topic from an independent expert, with the expert’s CV (two pages at most)
A funding plan for the whole thesis
A cotutelle agreement or co-direction certificate, for 12- and 18-month awards

Recommendation letters are not on Campus France’s list, though some universities ask for one in their own round. Our full Eiffel document checklist explains each document and its format.

How to Apply for Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027

You never fill in a Campus France form yourself. You apply through one French university, and it decides whether to put you forward. This is the order to follow.

Step 1: Pick an Eligible Programme

It has to be in one of the seven fields, at a French institution that takes part this year. Sciences Po, for example, has announced it will not take part in 2027.

Step 2: Find the University's Eiffel Page Today

Write down two things: its internal deadline, and how it wants your file. That could be an online portal, a form, an email to the programme head, or the doctoral school.

Step 3: Prepare Your Documents

Follow the official list above. Ask your home university early for certified transcripts and a rank certificate, because these can take time to get.

Step 4: Apply Through That One University.

Send everything before its internal deadline. You don’t always need to be admitted first.

At Paris-Saclay, for example, master’s candidates contact the programme head by 26 November 2026, while normal master’s applications only open in February 2027.

Step 5: Wait for the University's Decision

Each university chooses its own candidates.

Step 6: Your University Submits Your Eiffel Application

It uploads your file to Campus France by 6 January 2027. Each institution can submit at most 40 files per field and level, so it has to choose.

Step 8: Get Your Result

In the week of 12 April 2027, you will get one of three answers: accepted, reserve list, or refused. Winners receive an award letter from Campus France.

For what universities look for, plus a short email you can send to a programme head, read our guide to getting an Eiffel University nomination.

Who Should Not Apply for Eiffel

Eiffel is a good fit if you are a foreign national with top grades, you live outside France (required for a master’s), and your programme is in one of the seven fields. Skip it and save yourself weeks if any of these apply to you:

• You were refused Eiffel before at the same level and were not on the reserve list.

• You already had an Eiffel scholarship at the same level.

• You are studying in France now and want a master’s award.

• You hold French nationality, even as a second nationality.

• Your programme is online, taught at a French campus abroad, part of a work-study contract, or an MSc without the CGE label.

• You need a private school’s tuition paid. Eiffel pays no tuition at all.

• You will also hold another French government scholarship, an Erasmus+ grant, or an AUF scholarship. You would have to give one up.

• You can’t arrive in France between 1 September and 30 November 2027. The award can’t be postponed.

• You want a salaried PhD contract (contrat doctoral). It isn’t allowed alongside Eiffel.

Eiffel 2027 Timeline and University Deadlines

Official dates:

2 October 2026: Campus France opened the Session 2027 call
6 January 2027: last day for universities to submit files
Week of 12 April 2027: results by email
1 September to 30 November 2027: the window to start your studies in France

University deadlines:

Université Paris Cité, master’s: 29 October 2026.
Université Paris Cité, PhD: 2 November 2026.
Université Paris-Saclay, PhD (international cotutelle only): 6 November 2026.
Aix-Marseille Université, master’s: 11 November 2026.
Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, master’s and PhD: 15 November 2026.
Toulouse School of Management, master’s only: 16 November 2026.
Université de Strasbourg, master’s: 20 November 2026.
Aix-Marseille Université, PhD: 25 November 2026.
Université Paris-Saclay, master’s: 26 November 2026.
Sciences Po: not taking part in Eiffel 2027

Sorbonne Université, Université Grenoble Alpes and Université de Bordeaux had not published their 2027 dates when we checked. Last year, their deadlines fell between 14 November and 2 December 2025, so check their pages from early November.

Your Chances to Achieve Eiffel Scholarhip

Campus France does not share how many people win or apply each year. Any acceptance rate you see online is just a guess.

What is official:

Each university can submit at most 40 files per field and level.
At least 70% of awards go to the highest-scored files. The rest go to good files from universities that won nothing.
Only a limited number of 36-month PhD awards exist.

The jury marks each file out of 40. Thirty points are about you, and ten are about your university. In a master’s file, your academic record carries 18 points, the logic of your study path 5, your professional project 4, and being recruited from your home country 3. Grades and rank matter most, and unexplained gaps in your CV cost points.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Searching campusfrance.org for a student application form. There isn’t one.
Planning around 6 January 2027. Most university deadlines close in October and November 2026.
Trusting old pages that show 8 January, results on 30 March, or EUR 2,100. Those are last year’s dates and an old amount.
Letting two universities submit you. Both applications get rejected.
Picking a programme outside the seven fields, an MSc without the CGE label, or a work-study programme.
Sending a generic professional project. The jury scores the logic of your path and your project.
For a PhD, ask your own supervisor, a co-author, or someone from your own country for an expert opinion. The expert has to be independent.

Frequently Asked Questions About Eiffel Scholarship 2027

Can I apply directly to Campus France for the Eiffel Scholarship?

No. Only French higher education institutions can submit Eiffel applications. You apply through your chosen university’s own Eiffel procedure, and it decides whether to put you forward.

How much does the Eiffel Scholarship pay in 2027?

EUR 1,200 a month for master’s students and EUR 2,000 a month for PhD students, according to the Session 2027 regulations. It also covers your travel, health insurance and help finding housing. It does not pay tuition fees.

What is the Eiffel Scholarship deadline for 2027?

Universities must submit files to Campus France by Wednesday, 6 January 2027. Your own deadline is your university’s internal one. The ones we checked fall between 29 October and 26 November 2026.

When are the Eiffel 2027 results announced?

Campus France emails the results to winners and universities during the week of 12 April 2027.

What's the age limit for Eiffel?

Generally, 29 or younger for master’s applicants, and 35 or younger for PhD applicants, at the time of the call.

How many Eiffel scholarships are awarded each year?

Roughly 470 total, about 400 at master’s level and 70 at PhD level across all participating French institutions combined.

Do I need French to apply?

Not necessarily; it depends on your specific program’s language of instruction. Many French master’s and PhD programs, especially in engineering and the sciences, are taught fully in English.

Can I combine Eiffel with another scholarship?

No. Eiffel cannot be combined with any other French government scholarship.

Official Links

Questions about your own file go to your university first. Campus France’s Eiffel team: candidatures.eiffel@campusfrance.org

Last verified: 12 October 2026.

Written by: admin

Scholarship Researcher and Writer