Scholarships and Student Financial Aid in France
By Muntasir • Published Aug 02, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Education Planning, Study in Europe, Country & City Guides, Scholarships & Funding
The main national grant, the bourse sur criteres sociaux, pays 145 to 634 euros a month across 8 income-based tiers for 2026-2027. On top of that, mobility grants, the France Excellence Eiffel scholarship for master's and PhD students, and Erasmus+ funding for EU exchange students cover different situations.
💶 Bourse sur criteres sociaux: up to 6,335 euros a year, tax-free, no repayment
📩 Apply through the Dossier Social Etudiant (DSE), open roughly March to end of May each year
🎓 Eiffel scholarship: 1,200 euros/month for master's, 2,100 euros/month for PhD (from January 2026)
Grant holders and refugees skip the 105-euro CVEC fee automatically
Erasmus+ students get a mobility grant paid through their home university, not a French one
National Need-Based Grants: Bourse Sur Criteres Sociaux
The bourse sur criteres sociaux is France's main student grant, funded by the state and administered by CROUS. It is means-tested against your household's income and family situation rather than your grades. EU/EEA and Swiss students who live in France and meet the standard residency and family-tax conditions can generally apply on the same basis as French students, so check your specific eligibility with your CROUS before assuming you do or do not qualify.
For the 2026-2027 academic year, the grant runs across 8 tiers (echelons 0 bis to 7), paying between 145.40 and 633.50 euros a month, according to Etudiant.gouv.fr . That works out to up to 6,335 euros over the academic year, paid over 10 months, tax-free and with no repayment required. Amounts are set annually, so confirm the current year's tiers before applying.
Apply through the Dossier Social Etudiant (DSE) on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr. The window typically opens in early spring and closes at the end of May for the following academic year, so submit your file as early as possible since places in CROUS housing and grant processing both depend on your DSE record.
Mobility Grants
A separate mobility grant of 1,000 euros is available to grant-holding students starting the first year of a national master's degree in a different academic region than the one where they earned their Licence, covering some of the extra cost of relocating within France.
France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship
The France Excellence Eiffel scholarship targets high-achieving master's and PhD applicants applying to study in France, and it is competitive and institution-nominated rather than a direct student application. From January 2026, it pays 1,200 euros a month at master's level and 2,100 euros a month at PhD level, plus services such as international travel, a local transport pass, insurance and help finding housing, according to Campus France . It does not cover tuition fees.
Age limits apply: up to 29 for master's applicants, up to 35 for PhD applicants. Your prospective French institution submits your candidacy on your behalf, so raise your interest with the international office early, ideally before the previous autumn's call for applications closes.
Erasmus+ for EU Exchange Students
If you are on an exchange semester or year in France through Erasmus+, funding comes from your home country's national agency rather than a French body, and it is paid through your home university. The amount depends on your home country and the cost-of-living group France falls into for that program cycle, so check with your home university's international office for the figure that applies to you.
University and Regional Scholarships
Many universities and grandes écoles run their own merit or need-based scholarships for incoming international students, separate from the national schemes above. Amounts and eligibility rules are set by each institution, so check the scholarships or financial aid page of the specific school you are applying to rather than assuming a standard amount across the country.
How to Apply for the National Grant
Create your account on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr and complete the Dossier Social Etudiant (DSE) as early in the application window as possible.
Enter your household's tax reference and family situation, since these determine your echelon.
Add your admission or pre-admission details once you have an offer, so CROUS can link your grant to your enrolled program.
Check your notification (notification conditionnelle) over the summer, then confirm your enrollment to activate payment once term starts.
Renew your DSE every year, since the grant is not automatic from one year to the next.
Combining Aid
Most French and university-level aid can be combined with a home-country grant or loan, but check for double-funding restrictions before you rely on stacking multiple sources. The Eiffel scholarship, for example, is meant to be your primary funding and does not sit well alongside another full living-cost grant for the same period, so confirm compatibility with the awarding body before you commit to a program.
Quick Eligibility Checklist
National grant (bourse): household income within the CROUS thresholds, enrolled full-time in an eligible program, EU/EEA/Swiss or French nationality with standard residency conditions met.
Eiffel scholarship: under 29 for a master's or under 35 for a PhD, nominated by a French institution, applying to a priority field.
Erasmus+: enrolled at a home university with an active exchange agreement covering France.
University scholarships: check each institution's page directly, since rules differ school to school.
Housing Benefit as Indirect Aid
Once you have signed a lease, most students, including many international students, can apply for APL or ALS housing benefit through CAF, which reduces your monthly rent. The amount depends on your rent, income and location, and it is separate from the CROUS grant, so apply for it even if you already receive a bourse.