ScholarshipsScholarships to study in France from sub-Saharan Africa: Eiffel, embassies, universities
Eiffel 2027, French embassy scholarships, Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po Émile Boutmy, a doctorate at the Institut Pasteur: the real scholarships to study in France from sub-Saharan Africa, their calendar and their link with Campus France.
Founder · Compatri, the social network for diasporas
Information checked on 2 November 2026.
To study in France from sub-Saharan Africa with a scholarship, four routes really exist: the French government's Eiffel scholarship, the French embassy scholarships launched country by country, scholarships of certain universities (Paris-Saclay, Sciences Po) and doctoral programmes such as the Institut Pasteur's. They all mainly target master's and doctoral studies, they all require admission, and none exempts you from the Campus France procedure. At licence (bachelor's) level the offer is almost empty. This guide compares these scholarships for the 2027 intake and shows how to fit them into your Campus France file. If you come from the Maghreb, read our guide to scholarships for Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians instead.
Scholarships to study in France, in one table
| Scholarship | Level | What it provides | Calendar for the 2027 intake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel | Master's, doctorate | 1,200 euros a month for a master's, 2,000 euros for a doctorate, travel, insurance | Submission by the institution before 6 January 2027 |
| French embassy scholarships | Mainly master's, doctorate, research stays | Varies by country | Specific to each country |
| Paris-Saclay | Master's | 10,000 euros a year, up to 900 euros a year for travel and visa | 2027 not published (late March in the last cycle) |
| Sciences Po Émile Boutmy | Bachelor's, master's | Tuition reduction, no allowance | Bachelor's: 13 January 2027; master's: 18 October or 29 November |
| Pasteur PPU | Doctorate | Salary of 2,000 euros a month for three years | 1 October to 16 November 2026 |
| Ashinaga | After the licence, for orphans | Tuition, housing, travel | No deadline published |
The rest of this article explains each route and its pitfalls. The scholarship pages are in French.
The Eiffel scholarship: you go through the institution
The France Excellence Eiffel scholarship, funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, is the best known. The 2027 call opened on 2 October 2026. Campus France receives files until 6 January 2027 and announces results in the week of 12 April 2027.
The decisive point: only French institutions submit files. You do not apply to Campus France but to the university or school that admits you, and it sets a much earlier internal date. The University of Toulouse, for example, closes pre-applications on 15 November 2026 for master's and on 29 November for doctorates. Ask each target institution's international relations office for the date as soon as you submit your choices.
The main conditions:
- 29 or under for a master's, 35 or under for a doctorate;
- a programme in one of the scheme's seven priority fields;
- for a doctorate, 36 months of funding only for a first-time arrival in the first year of a thesis, otherwise 12 or 18 months under joint supervision.
The winner is exempt from tuition fees for a national degree at a public institution. Course fees at a private school remain theirs to pay.
French embassy scholarships, country by country
On top of Eiffel, every French embassy funds scholarships for students from its country, often managed by its cooperation and cultural action service (SCAC) or by the Institut français, with the local Espace Campus France. Levels, amounts and dates vary from country to country. Two published examples:
- Senegal. The embassy opened its 2026 call in October 2025 and closed it on 4 February 2026 at 17:00 (GMT), for master's scholarships and research stays of up to four months. Selection from February to April, results in May and June, online applications only. On the date of checking, we did not find the 2027 call published.
- Mauritius. Excellence scholarships pay 760 euros a month for a master's and 1,770 euros for a doctorate; merit scholarships have no living allowance. Applications for the last session opened in March.
For your country, follow the scholarships page of the Espace Campus France or of the embassy, and read the call's rules. A French government scholarship gives you scholarship-holder status, useful for tuition fees. But watch the visa: an allowance of 760 euros a month remains below the 877.50 euros a month threshold required since 1 August 2026. You will need to top it up with another proof.
University and school scholarships
Some universities fund their own international students.
Université Paris-Saclay. Its international master's scholarships pay 10,000 euros a year, monthly from September to June, plus a travel and visa allowance of up to 900 euros a year depending on the country of origin. You must be under 30 in the year of application, be admitted to a Paris-Saclay master's and not receive other funding above 600 euros a month (neither Eiffel nor Erasmus Mundus). Programme coordinators pre-select. The 2027 calendar is not yet published; in 2026, pre-selection closed on 25 March and results came out in mid-May.
Sciences Po, Émile Boutmy scholarship. It is for first-time arrivals from outside the European Economic Area whose tax household is outside Europe. At bachelor's level it takes the form of a full exemption or a 9,500-euro reduction; at master's level, 18,500 euros a year for two years. It pays no living allowance. Dates: 13 January 2027 for the bachelor's via the international route, 1 April 2027 via Parcoursup; for master's, 18 October or 29 November depending on the committee.
Fee exemptions. At a public university, a non-European student pays in 2026-2027 2,902 euros a year for a licence and 3,950 euros for a master's. Each university may grant exemptions, but decree no. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 caps this lever: 30% of its non-European foreign students in 2026-2027, 25% in 2027-2028, then 20%. Do not build your budget on an uncertain exemption.
The doctorate: the Institut Pasteur and the Eiffel scholarship
The doctorate is the level at which France funds best. The Pasteur-Paris Université (PPU) international doctoral programme recruits around fifteen doctoral students a year for three years, with a salary of 2,000 euros a month including social security and a 4,000-euro gross welcome bonus. Conditions: a master's obtained outside France, no more than 12 months lived in France in the three years before the deadline, and good English (French is not required). The 2027 call runs from 1 October to 16 November 2026, on the programme's platform.
For other laboratories, the usual route remains the Eiffel doctoral scholarship (2,000 euros a month), put forward by the doctoral school, or a scholarship from the embassy in your country, often under joint supervision.
At licence level: what is realistic
Let us be clear: there is almost no full scholarship for a licence in France for someone from sub-Saharan Africa. Eiffel and Paris-Saclay start at master's level. Embassy scholarships mainly target master's and research. The Boutmy scholarship reduces Sciences Po bachelor's fees without paying living costs. The Ashinaga Foundation helps orphans from French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa, but it requires a completed licence or a third year in progress, a baccalaureate average above 14/20, and publishes no deadline for 2027.
For a licence in France you must therefore count on family funding: 2,902 euros in fees a year unless exempted, plus 877.50 euros a month in resources for the visa. Many students do their licence at home or in Africa, then leave for a master's, when scholarships exist. Our article leaving for a bachelor's or a master's compares the two options, and the one on scholarships for school leavers after the baccalaureate lists what exists right after secondary school.
Scholarship and Campus France: the order of the steps
A scholarship does not replace the Campus France procedure. It runs in parallel.
| Step | Period for the 2027 intake | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Choice of programmes | October to December 2026 | Apply on Études en France and identify the institutions that put forward Eiffel candidates |
| Scholarship application | October 2026 to January 2027 | Meet the institution's internal date (Eiffel), or apply directly (Pasteur, embassy) |
| Campus France interview | Winter 2027, depending on your country | Present a project consistent with the scholarship sought |
| Results | April to June 2027 | Eiffel in the week of 12 April, embassies depending on the country |
| Visa | Summer 2027 | Attach the scholarship certificate if it reaches 877.50 euros a month, otherwise top it up |
The steps specific to your country are in our guides Campus France Senegal, Campus France Cameroon or Campus France Côte d'Ivoire, and the general logic in the complete Campus France guide. For the visa, see how to prove your resources.
Before submitting, test your file for free with the Campus France simulator (in French), which places you relative to admitted candidates. If you want support, Compatri also offers Campus France coaching (in French), a paid service whose price is given at the first exchange.
Preparing your scholarship with Compatri
The study in France page (in French) of the scholarship directory brings together every verified scholarship that leads to France. Subscribe to the scholarship alerts (in French) to receive openings and a final reminder ten days before each confirmed deadline, and open application tracking (in French) from the Eiffel or Pasteur page: it breaks the file into steps and reminds you before the deadline.
Former scholars are your best advisers. A diaspora mentor can review your letter; to write it, see our guide to the motivation letter for a scholarship. For the full picture beyond France, read our guide to fully funded scholarships for African students.
Compatri is not a Campus France or government service and awards no scholarship: only the official rules are authoritative.
Sources
- Campus France: Eiffel excellence scholarship programme, 2027 session
- University of Toulouse: Eiffel scholarship, internal calendar
- Campus France Senegal: France-Senegal scholarship programme 2026
- Campus France Mauritius: France Excellence scholarships
- Université Paris-Saclay: international master's scholarships
- Sciences Po: Émile Boutmy scholarship
- Institut Pasteur: PPU doctoral programme
- Ashinaga Foundation: apply to the Ashinaga Africa Initiative
- Service Public: differentiated tuition fees and exemptions, 2026-2027
- Campus France Mali: new resource threshold for the student visa
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a scholarship to study in France from Africa?
Aim for a master's or doctorate first. Four routes exist: the Eiffel scholarship, put forward by the French institution that admits you; the scholarships of the French embassy in your country; university scholarships such as Paris-Saclay's; and doctoral programmes such as the Institut Pasteur's. In every case, the Campus France procedure remains compulsory.
Can you apply directly for the Eiffel scholarship?
No. Only French institutions submit files to Campus France, by 6 January 2027 for the 2027 session. You apply to the university or school, which sets an earlier internal date: the University of Toulouse, for example, closes on 15 November 2026 for master's. Results in the week of 12 April 2027.
Is there a scholarship for a licence (bachelor's) in France?
Almost no full scholarship. Eiffel and Paris-Saclay start at master's level, and embassy scholarships mainly target master's and research. Sciences Po reduces its bachelor's fees with the Émile Boutmy scholarship, without a living allowance. For a licence, plan on family funding: 2,902 euros in fees a year unless exempted and 877.50 euros a month for the visa.
Is a French embassy scholarship enough for the visa?
Only if the allowance reaches 877.50 euros a month, the threshold required since 1 August 2026. That is not always the case: in Mauritius, the master's excellence scholarship pays 760 euros a month. You then need to top up with a sponsor, savings or a transfer. A scholarship without a living allowance, such as a merit scholarship, does not count as a resource.
When does the Institut Pasteur doctoral programme close for 2027?
The Pasteur-Paris Université call runs from 1 October to 16 November 2026, for a doctorate starting in October 2027. You need a master's obtained outside France and must not have lived more than 12 months in France in the last three years. The three-year contract pays 2,000 euros a month, social security included.