The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is a French government award for foreign master’s and PhD students, paying a monthly allowance of 1,200 euros for a master’s and 2,100 euros for a PhD, plus travel and insurance support. You cannot apply on your own. A French higher education institution has to nominate you to Campus France.
If you are searching for the eiffel excellence scholarship, you probably want to know what it pays, who is eligible, how nomination works, which documents you need and when the deadlines fall. This guide answers those questions for the 2027 to 2028 cycle. The facts come from an ENS de Lyon page on the 2027 to 2028 call, an Opportunities for Africans post published on 14 October 2026 and an IndiaScholarships listing. The Campus France page was not available to us, so none of these is the official source, and the pages disagree on some dates and age limits, which we flag. Confirm everything with Campus France and the French institution you want to join. If you are comparing European awards, our DAAD scholarship and Erasmus Mundus scholarship guides cover two other routes.
What Does the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Pay?
1,200 euros a month for a master’s and 2,100 euros a month for a PhD, from January 2026. Opportunities for Africans and IndiaScholarships give the same figures.
IndiaScholarships says Campus France arranges travel and insurance directly and does not hand them to the student as cash. It also says laureates are typically exempt from registration fees for national diplomas or engineering degrees at public French institutions, but advises confirming this in writing. Opportunities for Africans says tuition fees are not covered. Treat tuition as unresolved until your institution confirms it. Our cost to study abroad guide helps you budget the rest.
Who Can Apply?
Foreign nationals with strong academic records, nominated by a French institution. The core rules are consistent across the pages.
- Nationality: non-French. IndiaScholarships says dual nationals holding French citizenship are not eligible.
- Prior study: ENS de Lyon says master’s applicants must not have already studied in France.
- Prior awards: IndiaScholarships says people who already received an Eiffel scholarship or another French government scholarship at the same level are not eligible.
- Academic strength: IndiaScholarships requires academic excellence with strong potential in your field.
- Nomination: students cannot apply directly. A French institution must nominate them.
IndiaScholarships contains a statement that applications go through an official portal, which conflicts with its own nomination rule. Follow the Campus France instructions and your institution.
What Are the Age Limits?
ENS de Lyon says up to 29 for a master’s and up to 35 for a PhD. That means born after 31 March 1996 for a master’s and after 31 March 1990 for a PhD.
IndiaScholarships gives two sets of limits. Its intro says 25 or younger for a master’s and 30 or younger for a PhD, while its selection section says under 29 and under 35. It also notes that some institutions may accept older candidates. Because the pages conflict, rely on the ENS de Lyon figures for the 2027 to 2028 call and confirm with your nominating institution.
Which Levels and Fields Does It Cover?
Master’s, engineering degrees and joint PhDs, in science and technology and in humanities and social sciences. Opportunities for Africans lists the fields.
Science and technology covers biology and health, ecological transition, mathematics and digital, and engineering sciences. Humanities and social sciences cover history, French language and civilization, law and political science, and economics and management. For a PhD, the programme is a joint doctoral programme with joint supervision or a dual degree with a partner abroad. ENS de Lyon adds that the agreement between it and the partner university must already be approved at the time of application.
How Long Does the Award Last?
Up to 12 months for an M2, 24 months for an M1 and 36 months for an engineering degree. A PhD gets 12 to 36 months. Opportunities for Africans gives the durations.
Awards start on 1 September of the award year. IndiaScholarships says your stay must begin between 1 September and 30 November, with no postponement. It also says continued funding depends on meeting academic requirements and that repeating a year suspends the scholarship. Only the time in France is funded, and required internships abroad are allowed for up to a year, as long as the time abroad does not exceed the time in France.
What Are the 2027 Deadlines?
ENS de Lyon asks for applications by 20 November 2026, and Campus France’s deadline for institutions is 6 January 2027. Dates depend on where you apply.
- 2 October 2026: the application period opens for institutions (Opportunities for Africans).
- 20 November 2026: ENS de Lyon’s own deadline.
- December 2026: the ENS de Lyon committee selects applicants.
- 6 January 2027: deadline for institutions to submit to Campus France.
- Week of 12 April 2027: winners and institutions are notified. ENS de Lyon says April 2027.
IndiaScholarships expects the Campus France deadline around 8 January 2027 and says university internal deadlines usually fall between October and December, which shows why one date does not fit all. Opportunities for Africans also prints a webinar date that looks like a typo, so verify it. With today’s date in late October 2026, many internal deadlines are close or already open.
How Do You Apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?
Apply for admission, ask your institution about nomination, then prepare the dossier. IndiaScholarships lists the steps.
- Find an eligible master’s or PhD programme at a French institution.
- Ask its international relations office about its internal nomination process and deadline.
- Apply for admission. Admission or an application in progress is usually required.
- Prepare the documents before the internal deadline.
- State your interest in nomination. If the institution considers you exceptional, it submits you to Campus France.
ENS de Lyon notes that the Eiffel application is separate from the master’s application, and master’s applicants must also apply to a master’s programme online. Campus France reviews all nominations nationally, and expert panels make the final selection, according to IndiaScholarships.
What Documents Do You Need?
A CV, transcripts, certificates, a motivation letter, two recommendation letters and language proof. IndiaScholarships gives the list.
- Passport or national ID copy.
- CV of one to two pages in French or English.
- All higher education transcripts, officially translated if not in French or English.
- Degree or completion certificates.
- Motivation letter or professional project of one to two pages.
- Two recommendation letters.
- Language proof such as IELTS, TOEFL, DELF or DALF.
- A cotutelle or co-supervision certificate for PhD applicants, if applicable.
Your institution may ask for more or less, so follow its list. Our documents required for scholarship application guide, motivation letter for scholarship guide and Europass CV for scholarship guide help with each piece.
How Competitive Is It?
IndiaScholarships calls it highly competitive and gives no number of awards. None of our sources states the quota.
That means you cannot estimate your odds from the pages we read. What you can control is the nomination: a strong grade record, a clear reason for the programme and early contact with the international office. Because nomination comes first, your institution acts as the first filter, and a weak dossier may never reach Campus France.
How Do You Write a Strong Motivation Letter?
Link your past work, your French programme and your plan after returning home. The Eiffel programme aims to train future decision-makers, according to Opportunities for Africans.
Open with your strongest academic or professional result. Explain why this master’s or doctoral programme in France fits your field, naming a course or research group. Describe what you will do after the degree and how it helps your country or sector. Keep to the one to two page limit and avoid copying the programme brochure. This is our suggestion, built on the stated aim of the award.
Do You Need to Speak French?
It depends on the programme. The documents list accepts IELTS or TOEFL for English-taught courses and DELF or DALF for French-taught ones. IndiaScholarships says the language proof should match the language of instruction.
Check the language of your programme before you plan the test. Our english speaking colleges in Europe guide can help you find English-taught options.
What Is a Simple Timeline for the 2027 Call?
Contact institutions in October, finish documents by mid November and leave a buffer before internal deadlines. This is our suggested plan, built on the ENS de Lyon and Campus France dates.
- Late October 2026: shortlist programmes and email each international relations office to ask about its Eiffel nomination process.
- November 2026: submit the admission application and confirm the internal deadline in writing. ENS de Lyon’s is 20 November 2026.
- Early December 2026: send recommenders their reminders and finish translations.
- December 2026: institutions run their selection. ENS de Lyon’s committee meets this month.
- 6 January 2027: institutions submit to Campus France.
- April 2027: results are published.
Replace these dates with your own institution’s. If an office does not answer, write again, since the nomination decision sits with it.
How Far Does the Allowance Go?
It is a monthly living allowance, not a full budget. The sources do not give French rent or living costs, so check them yourself.
Because tuition and some fees may still apply, add up rent, food, transport passes and any registration costs before you accept an offer. Our suggestion is to keep a small cash buffer for the first month, since the first payment may take time to arrive. IndiaScholarships says Campus France handles travel and insurance directly, so you do not need to budget for those in the same way. Ask the institution about housing early, because the programme includes help finding housing, and compare it with your own search.
How Does It Compare With Other Master’s and PhD Awards?
The Eiffel is nomination based and focused on France, while many other awards take direct applications. Compare before you commit your time.
The Chevening scholarship for the UK and the Fulbright scholarship for the US take direct applications. For general graduate planning, see our graduate school abroad guide and our PhD scholarships guide. Because the Eiffel depends on a French institution, a strong admission file helps both the nomination and any backup funding you apply for.
What About the Visa and Passport?
You will need a valid passport and a French long-stay student visa. The pages we read do not describe the visa steps.
Ask Campus France or your institution how the visa process works after you win. Keep your passport valid for the full stay, as our passport 6 month rule guide explains.
How Do You Spot a Scholarship Scam?
Campus France and French institutions do not sell nominations. Be careful with offers.
Be careful when a website or agent:
- Charges a fee to nominate you for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship.
- Guarantees the award.
- Claims to have a quota for sale.
- Asks for payment to a personal account.
- Asks for your passport details on a non-official page.
Our scholarship scams guide explains how to verify any offer.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Applying alone, missing internal deadlines and using old age limits cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Trying to apply directly to Campus France.
- Using the Campus France date and missing your institution’s earlier one.
- Ignoring the age limit.
- Applying when you have already studied in France at master’s level.
- Sending untranslated transcripts.
- Assuming tuition is covered.
- Sending a generic letter.
- Relying on an old year’s page.
When unsure, ask the international relations office in writing.
FAQs
How much is the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship?
1,200 euros a month for a master’s and 2,100 euros a month for a PhD, per two sources.
Can I apply directly?
No. A French institution must nominate you to Campus France.
What is the 2027 deadline?
Campus France’s deadline for institutions is 6 January 2027. Institutions set earlier dates.
What is the age limit?
ENS de Lyon says up to 29 for a master’s and 35 for a PhD.
Does it cover tuition?
Not directly. Confirm any fee exemption with your institution in writing.
Is there an application fee?
The pages we read mention none. Never pay an agent for nomination.
Conclusion
The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is a nomination-based French award for master’s and PhD students, paying 1,200 or 2,100 euros a month plus travel and insurance support. Choose a programme, contact its international office now, check the age limit, prepare your documents and meet the internal deadline, which comes before the 6 January 2027 Campus France date. Confirm all details on the official Campus France page.
