Eiffel Scholarship 2027: You Cannot Apply Yourself, and Universities Close Their Calls in November

The short answer

You cannot apply for the Eiffel 2027 scholarship yourself. You apply to a French university, the university selects its candidates and sends their files to Campus France by 6 January 2027. Results come out from 12 April 2027.

The deadlines are what matter. Each university sets its own internal deadline, and it falls long before January. At Université Paris-Saclay, master's applicants must apply by 26 November 2026, at ENS de Lyon by 20 November. At Université Paris Cité the call has already closed.

A master's student receives €1,200 a month, a doctoral student €2,000. We checked the rules and deadlines on 7 November 2026 against Campus France documents and the universities' own pages. Terms depend on the university, the programme and the intake year.

Who applies and how selection works

Eiffel is funded by the French foreign ministry and run by Campus France. The university nominates the candidate, so the route is always the same:

• You choose a programme: a master's, an engineering degree or a doctorate at a French institution that takes part in Eiffel.
• You send the university your scholarship file before its internal deadline. The application to the programme itself is often separate. At ENS de Lyon these are two different applications; at Paris-Saclay, selected candidates apply to the programme from February 2027.
• A university committee selects candidates and sends their files to Campus France by 6 January 2027.
• A national jury decides who gets the scholarship. Results from 12 April 2027.
• Files sent by students themselves are not considered. Campus France says so plainly.

University deadlines for the 2027 intake

We opened four universities' pages on 7 November 2026. Their internal deadlines:

• Université Paris Cité: master's by 3 November, doctorate by 6 November 2026. Already closed.
• Université Paris-Saclay: doctorate by 6 November (closed), master's by 26 November 2026. Candidates hear back by 7 December.
• ENS de Lyon: by 20 November 2026, selection in December.
• Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA): by 10 December 2026.
• Other universities set their own dates. If yours is not listed, find its deadline first: it may close before you have your documents ready.

What the scholarship gives you

This is what the Campus France rules say (September 2026 edition):

• Master's: €1,200 a month, the rate since January 2026. For the first year of a master's (M1) the award runs up to 24 months, for the second year (M2) up to 12, for an engineering degree up to 36.
• Doctorate: €2,000 a month for 12, 18 or 36 months. The 36-month award is only for the first year of a thesis, for students not already studying in France.
• Travel: an economy return ticket and the trip from the airport to your university town.
• Insurance: temporary cover at first, then a top-up health policy at no extra cost once you join French social security.
• Housing: Campus France may offer a room in a CROUS student residence or a private one. You can turn it down and find your own.

Eiffel does not pay tuition, with one catch

The programme does not cover tuition. But the rules point out that a French government scholar is exempt from registration fees for a national diploma or an engineering degree at a public institution (article R719-49 of the Education Code).

For a non-EU master's student that is €3,950 a year at the 2026/27 rate. Official amounts for 2027/28 have not been published yet. At a private school, or on a programme with its own tuition (frais de formation), you pay yourself.

Over 24 months of a master's the scholarship pays €28,800 in allowances. What a year in France costs without a scholarship is worked out in a separate article.

Who can apply

Age under the 2027 rules: up to 29 for a master's, up to 35 for a doctorate. Paris-Saclay and Université Paris Cité give the exact date: born after 31 March 1997 for a master's, after 31 March 1991 for a doctorate. The other conditions:

• Seven fields: biology and health, ecological transition, mathematics and digital, engineering sciences, French history, language and civilisation, law and political science, economics and management.
• Level: a state-accredited master's, an engineering degree, or a doctorate under joint supervision (cotutelle) with a foreign university.
• You are not studying in France now. For a master's, Paris-Saclay and Université Paris Cité do not nominate students already studying in France. ENS de Lyon also excludes those who studied there before.
• No French citizenship. Paris-Saclay says dual nationals who hold French citizenship are not eligible.
• One scholarship. Eiffel cannot be combined with another French government scholarship, Erasmus+ or an AUF scholarship.
• We found no list of excluded countries in the published rules. The university decides whom to nominate.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for January. 6 January 2027 is the university's last day. Yours falls in November or early December.
• Writing to Campus France directly. Such applications are not considered.
• Forgetting the programme application. The scholarship is tied to a specific programme and the university that nominated you. You cannot switch university later.
• Expecting Eiffel to pay a private school. The programme does not cover tuition.
• Planning a deferral. Studies must start between 1 September and 30 November 2027, and the award cannot be postponed.
• Leaving the letter for the last evening. Paris-Saclay asks for a CV, a certificate of your class ranking and a 1–2 page letter on your professional project. That letter does not get written well in one evening.

What you can do yourself and what we take on

You can find your university's Eiffel page and send the file yourself. The risk is elsewhere: mixing up the dates of two applications, picking a programme outside the seven fields, or sending a weak letter when the university does not nominate everyone.

We pick programmes where Eiffel fits your profile, check the university's dates and handle the application. Our work for one university in France costs $529. You pay the university's own fee yourself, on its invoice, with no markup from us. The Grant bundle costs $310: up to 5 matched grants, editing of your motivation letter (you write it) and a mock interview with feedback. The national jury awards the scholarship, and we do not promise the outcome.

What to do today

Check two things: your date of birth and the field of your programme. If you were born after 31 March 1997 and your master's is in one of the seven fields, find your university's internal Eiffel deadline.

If it falls in November, start with the project letter and the ranking certificate. See other programmes in grants in France and universities in the French university catalogue. If you would like us to check your case, fill in the form.

Frequently asked questions