Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027: How to Get Nominated
More than 10,000 awardees from 115 nationalities have received an Eiffel scholarship, according to Campus France’s own programme brochure, yet the rules say you cannot send in the application yourself. That one detail trips up more strong candidates than any grade requirement. The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 works through French universities and schools, which pick their candidates in autumn and file the dossiers with Campus France in early January.
Below you will find what the scheme pays, who qualifies, how its two deadlines fit together, and how to give a French admissions office a reason to nominate you. If you want a study in France scholarship that pays a real monthly allowance for a master’s or a doctorate, read the timeline section first. Some universities close their first window in late October, so your deadline may be only weeks away.
Table of contents
- What the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 really is
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 eligibility and what it pays
- The two clocks: how to get nominated in time
- How Eiffel compares with Chevening and DAAD
- Tracking your Eiffel deadlines
- Five tips that make a university want to nominate you
- Frequently asked questions about the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027
What the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 really is
Start with who runs it and why. The France Excellence Eiffel programme was developed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Campus France manages it. The official programme page describes it as a tool to help French institutions attract the best foreign students to master’s and doctoral programmes, and to train future decision makers for the public and private sectors. Read that twice. The scheme exists to serve universities as much as students.
That explains the selection criteria in the brochure. Files are judged on the candidate’s record of excellence, the host institution’s reputation abroad and international student policy, and its cooperation with the Ministry. Two of those three criteria are about your host, not you. Seven expert panels, one for each field of study, then review the nominated files. In our reading, the office that prepares your file matters almost as much as your own transcript, so choose it with care.
The biggest misconception is that you can apply through Campus France. You cannot. A local office such as Campus France Nigeria can advise on your study plans, but the official page states that applications sent directly by students or by foreign institutions are declared ineligible.
There is also a regional detail worth knowing. Campus France lists local offices across more than two dozen African countries, from Benin, Cameroon, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda. The alumni quotes in the brochure come from Benin, Morocco, Egypt, Vietnam and Argentina. Neither the Campus France page nor the brochure sets a French test score, so English speakers are not shut out; the language requirement belongs to the programme your host runs. Wherever you apply from, the process is identical.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 eligibility and what it pays
One caution before the details. As far as we could see on 30 September 2026, Campus France had not yet posted the 2027 call or regulations. The rules below come from the 2026 call and the official pages, and we flag the numbers most likely to move.
Who can be nominated
- Foreign nationals only. Dual nationals who hold French nationality are excluded.
- Age at the date of the selection committee: 29 for a master’s and 35 for a PhD. In the 2026 call that meant born after 31 March 1996 and born after 31 March 1990. Expect both dates to shift forward a year in 2027.
- Master’s applicants cannot already be studying in France. For doctorates, candidates abroad get priority, and the 36 month award is reserved for first year PhD students registering in France for the first time.
- No overlap with another French government scholarship, even one that only pays social security charges. Eiffel also cannot be combined with Erasmus+ or an Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie grant.
- One attempt per level. The University of Toulouse states that a candidate who was not selected in a previous session will not be accepted again, even through a different institution or field.
- The programme must lead to a nationally accredited degree. French programmes taught abroad and apprenticeship contracts are refused.
Levels and fields
Your host must enrol you in a master’s, an engineering programme or a doctorate. Seven fields qualify: biology and health, ecological transition, mathematics and digital, engineering sciences, history and French language and civilisation, law and political science, and economics and management. Anything outside those lists has no Eiffel track.
What you receive
| Level | Monthly allowance (from January 2026) | Maximum duration |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s | €1,200 | 12 months (M2), 24 months (M1), 36 months (engineering) |
| PhD | €2,100 | 12 to 36 months from 1 September |
On top of the allowance, Campus France lists international and national transport, insurance, help with finding housing and cultural activities. Tuition is not paid by the programme, although the brochure adds that recipients of a French government scholarship are exempt from paying, so ask your host what that means for your specific course. Two other sites report that the December 2025 regulations PDF still printed €2,000 for doctorates, so read the 2027 regulations for the figure that binds you. For everything the scholarship does not cover, our study abroad budget guide shows how to plan the gap.
The two clocks: how to get nominated in time
Every Eiffel guide mentions the January deadline. Almost none explains that it belongs to the university, not to you. Your clock is the institution’s internal window, and it runs out weeks earlier. The table shows the 2026 cycle, which is the best guide we have for 2027.
| Stage | 2026 cycle | What to expect for 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Campus France call opens | End of September (brochure timeline) | Late September or October 2026 |
| Student window at your university | Toulouse School of Management: 27 October to 17 November 2025 | From late October 2026; one university reportedly closes PhD nominations on 28 October |
| Institutions file with Campus France | 8 January 2026 | First week of January 2027 |
| Results | Spring 2026 | March to April 2027 |
A walkthrough for the next six weeks
Pick the programme before the scholarship. Eiffel sits on top of an admission, so shortlist two or three French master’s or doctoral programmes in the seven fields and check the entry dates. Then write to each international relations office, and for a PhD to the doctoral college, with one question: do you nominate for Eiffel, and what is your internal deadline?
Respect the gap. Toulouse School of Management closed its student window on 17 November 2025, which is 52 days before the 8 January 2026 Campus France deadline. The school used December to review files and preselect, then passed its list to Campus France in January. Miss the internal date and the national one is irrelevant.
Send a complete file. Université Grenoble Alpes warns that a missing field gets the application rejected, because the Campus France platform will not validate it. Assemble your CV, transcripts, professional project and, for a PhD, a thesis outline before the window opens.
Get written confirmation. Ask the office to tell you by email when your dossier is submitted. Do not write to Campus France yourself, because a direct student file is ineligible.
Keep a plan B alive. Results arrive after most other deadlines close, and a refusal cannot be recycled at the same level. Apply for other funding in parallel, and see the section below for a comparison.
How Eiffel compares with Chevening and DAAD
The three schemes differ most in who holds the pen. With Eiffel your host applies for you. With the other two you apply yourself, which changes how you plan.
| Feature | Eiffel (France) | Chevening (UK) | DAAD master’s study scholarship (Germany) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who applies | Your French host institution | You, online | You, through the DAAD portal |
| Monthly money | €1,200 for a master’s | Living stipend set in Chevening’s terms | Around €992, so confirm the current figure |
| Tuition | Not paid by Eiffel; fee exemption for French government scholars | Fully covered | Not covered |
| Key date | University window in autumn, Campus France in early January | 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC | Mid November in recent cycles |
| Main gate | Born after 31 March 1996 (2026 call) | 2,800 hours of work experience | Bachelor’s within the last six years |
If Eiffel does not fit your field or age, our Erasmus Mundus guide covers joint master’s programmes taught across several European countries. Chevening’s deadline is the nearest of the three, so decide about it first.
Tracking your Eiffel deadlines
Eiffel punishes disorganised applicants, because every host has its own dates, forms and contact person. A tracker fixes that. Our application tracking system guide walks you through building one in a free tool.
For Eiffel, add these columns to whatever layout you choose:
- Institution and programme, with the admission deadline beside it
- Internal Eiffel deadline, and the date you asked for it
- Named contact and the email address they replied from
- Documents needed, with a tick for each one that is ready
- Date the institution confirmed it submitted your file
An Eiffel specific template does not exist on this site yet, so use the general tracker and treat the two dates per university as the columns that decide your outcome.
Five tips that make a university want to nominate you
1. Write to the right desk
General enquiry inboxes swallow emails. Université Grenoble Alpes tells master’s candidates to contact the master’s supervisor and PhD candidates to contact the Collège Doctoral. Look for the equivalent contact at each university on your list. Name the programme, the field and the Eiffel call in your subject line so it reaches the right person.
2. Build your professional project around the scheme’s purpose
Eiffel says it trains future decision makers. Your one or two page professional project should therefore explain what you will do with the degree at home, in specific terms. Name a sector, an institution or a problem. Our motivation letter guide shows the European format this kind of letter follows.
3. Ask how many students the university nominated last year
Because the institution’s international strategy is scored, an office with experience of Eiffel is worth more than a famous name with no process. Ask how many files it sent and whether it can share its checklist. A clear answer tells you the office knows how to present a candidate.
4. Order your paperwork early
Registrars in many countries take weeks to release certified transcripts, and your window may be under a month long. Request transcripts, degree certificates and any class rank statement the day you contact the university. Translate documents before you need them, because a late translation can cost you the whole nomination.
5. Secure a supervisor before you ask for a PhD nomination
Université d’Orléans told 2026 doctoral applicants for a 36 month award to find a supervisor before 8 December 2025. The lesson holds for 2027: a laboratory that has agreed to supervise you is the strongest signal you can send. Write a short thesis outline first, and read our statement of purpose guide to shape the academic story.
Frequently asked questions about the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027
Can I apply for the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship 2027 myself?
No. Only French higher education institutions can submit applications, using Campus France’s dedicated platform. A file sent by a student, or by a university outside France, is declared ineligible. Your task is to persuade a French institution to nominate you and to meet its internal deadline.
Is Eiffel a fully funded study in France scholarship?
It covers living costs generously, but it is not a full package in the way Chevening is. You receive €1,200 a month at master’s level or €2,100 at PhD level, plus travel, insurance and housing help. The programme itself does not pay tuition, so confirm the fee position with your host before you accept. Budget for visa steps and set up costs as well.
Do I need to speak French to get an Eiffel scholarship?
Eiffel does not publish its own language score. The requirement comes from your host programme, so an English taught master’s asks for English and a French taught one asks for French. The institution that nominates you decides whether your level is sufficient. Ask for the language rule in your very first email.
What is the real deadline for the Eiffel scholarship in 2027?
There are two. The university’s internal deadline usually falls in late October, November or December 2026. Campus France’s receipt date was 8 January in the 2026 cycle, and the brochure places it in the first week of January. Only the first one is yours, so ask each university for it in writing.
Can I apply if I already live in France?
Not for a master’s, because candidates currently studying in France are ineligible at that level. For doctorates, students abroad have priority over those already living in France, and the 36 month award is reserved for first time registrations. A former Eiffel master’s recipient may be presented for a PhD. Check the 2027 regulations for the exact wording.
If I am not selected, can I reapply next year?
Not at the same level. The University of Toulouse states that applications from students who were not accepted in a previous selection will not be accepted, even through another institution or in another field. Treat your first attempt as your only attempt and prepare accordingly, with a backup funding plan running beside it.
About this guide: our team cross-checked it on 30 September 2026 against the Campus France Eiffel page and the official programme brochure, and against the 2026 to 2027 notices published by Toulouse School of Management, Université Grenoble Alpes, the University of Toulouse and Université d’Orléans. The 2027 regulations were not yet online, so every figure is labelled as a 2026 figure. Confirm each date with your host institution before you rely on it.
Your next step
Three points matter most. Your host institution, not Campus France, holds the application. Your real deadline is the university’s internal one, which was 52 days ahead of the national date in the 2026 cycle we checked. And the scheme scores your host as well as you, so pick an office that has done this before.
Before you email anyone, draft your professional project using our motivation letter guide, because every nomination request needs it. Bookmark this page, share it with a friend who needs it, and explore more opportunities on opportunitycrack.com. A clear, well timed email this week could put your name in front of the one office that can file for you.