Last verified: 17 October 2026 · Study starts: September to November 2027
The France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship is the French government’s flagship award for international master’s and PhD students. It pays a monthly allowance, your international flight, insurance and help finding housing. But there is one rule that confuses many Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants: you cannot apply for Eiffel yourself. A French university has to choose you and submit your file.
For the 2027 round, French institutions must submit their candidates by 6 January 2027, and each university sets its own earlier internal deadline. That means the work for you starts now, not in January. Here is how it really works, from Campus France’s own documents.
France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 2027
| Provider | French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, managed by Campus France |
|---|---|
| Destination | France |
| Level | Master’s (including engineering degrees) and PhD |
| Funding | €1,200 a month for master’s (about ₦1.79 million / GH₵15,800) plus international flight, insurance, housing help and cultural activities. Tuition is not paid |
| Eligible | Foreign nationals, including Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia. Master’s: 29 or younger; PhD: 35 or younger |
| Status | Open · Your French university applies for you |
| Deadlines | Universities submit to Campus France by 6 Jan 2027 · Internal university deadlines are earlier · Results: week of 12 Apr 2027 |
Scam alertEiffel is free. Campus France says applications sent directly by students or by foreign institutions are ineligible, so no agent can “submit your Eiffel form” for a fee. Only a French higher education institution can put you forward.
In this guide
What the Eiffel Scholarship pays
| Item | Official rule | In naira and cedis (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly allowance, master’s | €1,200 a month (from January 2026) | ₦1.79 million / GH₵15,800 |
| Monthly allowance, PhD | €2,100 a month on the Campus France programme page; the 2027 regulations say €2,000 | about ₦3 million / GH₵26,000 to GH₵27,500 |
| International return flight | Paid | — |
| Travel inside France, insurance, help finding housing, cultural activities | Provided | — |
| Tuition fees | Not covered by the Eiffel program | Check your course fees |
Exchange rates checked on 17 October 2026 (about ₦1,491 and GH₵13.1 to one euro). The two Campus France documents give different PhD figures, so confirm the PhD amount with your host university.
How long it lasts depends on your program: up to 12 months if you enter the second year of a master’s (M2), up to 24 months for a full two-year master’s starting in M1, up to 36 months for an engineering degree, and 12, 18 or 36 months for a PhD. Your studies must start between 1 September and 30 November 2027, and the start date cannot be postponed.
You cannot hold Eiffel together with another French government scholarship or an Erasmus+ scholarship. If you win two, you must give one up.
Who can apply
- Foreign nationals only. Anyone with French nationality, including dual nationals, is not eligible.
- Age: the 2027 guide for universities says master’s candidates must be 29 or younger and PhD candidates 35 or younger at the time of selection (born after 31 March 1997 for master’s and after 31 March 1991 for PhD). Confirm your case with the university, because the guide’s wording also refers to the previous round.
- Master’s candidates must not already be studying in France. PhD candidates already in France can be put forward, but those studying abroad get priority.
- A program in one of seven fields: Biology and Health; Ecological Transition; Mathematics and Digital Sciences; Engineering Sciences; History, French Language and Civilisation; Law and Political Science; Economics and Management.
- A strong academic record. Excellence is the first selection criterion.
You do not need to speak French for every program. Many French master’s degrees are taught in English. If your program is taught in French, your university will ask for a French language certificate.
How the application really works
This is the part most guides get wrong. Eiffel is not an application form you fill on Campus France’s website. The process looks like this:
- You choose a master’s or PhD program at a French university or grande école and apply for admission there.
- You ask that institution whether it will put you forward for Eiffel. Each institution can submit at most 40 candidates per field and per level, so it chooses its strongest applicants.
- If it selects you, the institution builds your file and submits it to Campus France by 6 January 2027.
- Expert panels score the files, and results go out in the week of 12 April 2027.
So your real competition starts at the university level. Contact the international relations office early, ask directly if they nominate for Eiffel, and ask for their internal deadline.
De Auditor’s tip
Write one short, polite email to the admissions or international office of every program you apply to: “I have applied to [program name]. Does your institution nominate candidates for the France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 2027, and what is your internal deadline?” Keep a table of the replies. The universities that answer clearly are usually the ones that support Eiffel candidates well. Don’t wait, go ahead and do the needful.
Key dates for 2027
| What | Date |
|---|---|
| University internal deadlines for Eiffel | Set by each institution, usually well before January. Ask your university |
| Universities submit files to Campus France | 6 January 2027 (Campus France’s 2027 guide for institutions; one Campus France news page says 8 January, so work with 6 January) |
| Results emailed to winners and institutions | Week of 12 April 2027 |
| Studies start | Between 1 September and 30 November 2027 |
Step-by-step plan for Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants
- Shortlist programs now on the Campus France catalogue, in one of the seven Eiffel fields. Check the language of teaching, the admission requirements and the tuition fees.
- Apply for admission to two to four programs. Some French universities admit international students through the Études en France procedure managed by Campus France in your country; others take direct applications. Follow each program’s instructions.
- Email each institution to ask whether it nominates for Eiffel and its internal deadline.
- Prepare your documents early (list below), especially your professional project and CV.
- Contact Campus France in your country or the French embassy’s education service for guidance on studying in France. They advise students, but they do not submit Eiffel applications.
- Follow up until your institution confirms it has submitted your file before 6 January 2027.
Documents your university will ask for
According to Campus France’s 2027 guide for institutions, a master’s file includes:
- A copy of your passport or ID
- A CV of no more than two pages (see our academic CV guide)
- Copies of your latest degrees or certificates
- Transcripts for the last three years
- A professional project of one to two pages: what you will study, why, and what you will do afterwards
- A language certificate, if your program requires one
- The signed candidate charter
PhD files also need a thesis project of up to five pages, an opinion on the thesis from an outside expert (with the expert’s CV), a financing plan and, where relevant, a co-supervision agreement. Our guides on the statement of purpose and the motivation letter will help you write the professional project, and our English test guide explains IELTS, TOEFL and waivers.
How winners are chosen
Seven expert panels, one per field, score the files. Campus France lists four criteria: the candidate’s excellence (academic record and, for PhDs, how innovative the research is), the host institution’s international standing and support for international students, the opinion of the French embassy’s cooperation service in the candidate’s country, and France’s priority countries and partnerships. At least 70% of scholarships go to the highest-scoring candidates.
De Auditor’s note
James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor
Eiffel na scholarship wey dey hide behind the university. You fit get the best result for your class, but if the French school no put your name forward, nothing go happen. So your first job no be Campus France; na to make one French university believe in you.
Choose programme wey truly match your degree and have good knowledge of, don’t be a lazy student, write your professional project well well, and follow up with the international office like say na your business. Because e be your business. Be intentional.
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Related guide: Scholarship calendar 2026–2027: every major scholarship deadline in one place, in Lagos and Accra time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the Eiffel Scholarship directly?
No. Only French higher education institutions can submit Eiffel applications. Campus France says applications sent directly by students are ineligible.
How much is the Eiffel Scholarship per month?
€1,200 a month for master’s students (about ₦1.79 million or GH₵15,800). For PhD students, the Campus France programme page says €2,100 and the 2027 regulations say €2,000. It also covers the international flight, insurance, help finding housing and cultural activities.
Does Eiffel pay tuition?
No. Campus France states that tuition fees are not covered by the Eiffel program, so check the fees of each program before you apply.
What is the Eiffel Scholarship deadline for 2027?
French institutions must submit candidates to Campus France by 6 January 2027. Each university has its own earlier internal deadline, so ask your university.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. Campus France’s 2027 guide sets 29 or younger for master’s and 35 or younger for PhD candidates.
Do I need to speak French?
Not always. Many programs are taught in English. You need a French certificate only if your program is taught in French.
Sources and verification
Checked on 17 October 2026 against Campus France’s official pages: The France Excellence Eiffel scholarship program, Call for France Excellence Eiffel applications 2027, the 2027 regulations and the 2027 application guide for French institutions (in French). Where Campus France documents disagree, I say so above. Exchange rates are approximate. Read how we check scholarships.
See all our Europe scholarships, including Erasmus Mundus and DAAD EPOS.
Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor
James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com