France is a country with excellent cuisine, stunning buildings, outstanding natural scenery, vineyards, and a laid-back elegance found nowhere else.
It also has a rich cultural legacy, producing waves of philosophers, authors, and more than a few revolutionaries whose works continue to influence the world we live in today.
This illustrious legacy lives on in France’s many public and private universities, making it a popular destination for international students from all over the world.
It is a student-friendly country that has consistently ranked among the best foreign student destinations due to its high-quality education and allure of the French way of life.
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France has a long history of academic success. When it comes to studying overseas, it is their first preference. France has caught the interest of many young people. It has long been a popular tourist destination due to its unrivalled wine, food, and breathtaking natural beauty. According to the United Nations, it is the most popular tourist destination in the world. However, it is also a place of learning and schooling. Higher education in France is one of the most enticing facets of its success.
France has a long history of thinkers and intellectuals.
It has created world-renowned writers, innovators, filmmakers, and musicians. Not only that, but this country has produced many scientists, scholars, and mathematicians.
France is the fourth most Nobel Laureate-winning country in the world, with 49 Nobel laureates.
Studying in France entails taking advantage of one of the world’s most extensive and most adaptable higher education programs.
Many scholarships are available to international students depending on their academic performance and personal interview for admissions.
International students are permitted to work part-time in France for up to 964 hours a year under French rule. Other opportunities for international students preparing to study in France include a high application success rate, free housing and transportation, and a post-study job visa valid for up to two years.
There are many reasons why you should study in France, all of which are convincing.
If you want to be a leader, France is an excellent option for your higher education abroad.
Here are the top reasons why you should enrol in France:
The cost of studying in France varies greatly depending on the institution: public universities have low tuition rates, while private schools are much more expensive.
Nonetheless, as opposed to countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, joining one of France’s premier institutes of higher education is a relative bargain.
Not to mention the abundance of grants open to international students, making France a viable option except for those on the most limited budgets.
Students who want to work with market-leading businesses and organizations should consider studying in France.
Orange, one of Europe’s and Africa’s largest mobile service providers and cosmetics behemoth L’Oreal, which operates more than 30 premium brands such as Maybelline and Diesel, is headquartered in the region.
About 12% of the 2.5 million students studying in France come from overseas every year, giving campus life a distinctly foreign flavour.
Thousands of classes are offered in English, but students taking French courses must pass a language exam such as the DELF.
When it comes to choosing the correct course, international students are spoiled for options.
France has over 3,500 public and private learning institutes, including 72 universities, 25 multi-institute campuses, 271 doctoral institutions, and 220 business and management schools.
Furthermore, it is home to a slew of specialized colleges, including 22 architecture schools and over 227 engineering schools.
Learning French isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Because of its linguistic similarities to English, a large amount of French vocabulary can be grasped by English speakers; in particular, linguists agree that French has affected up to one-third of modern English.
Though advanced students may struggle with more complex subjects, conversational French students are more likely to succeed.
Owing to its long-established high quality and living standard, almost 300,000 students from all over the world come to France to seek higher education. However, for the same reasons, tuition and housing will cost a significant amount of money per year to continue schooling.
French universities with a high level of prestige can cost well over 10,000 euros, which can be prohibitively expensive for many international students.
Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the costs and living expenses to zero by planning ahead of time and applying at the correct positions.
To study for free in France, a combination of university selection, history performance, and scholarship application is required.
Here are some of the cheapest ways to study in France for free, and they are all open to international students.
Almost always, universities choose the best candidates from among thousands of others.
To stand out from the crowd and study in France for free, you must first prepare thoroughly and apply flawlessly.
The plan is to draft the application ahead of time and then upgrade it as appropriate. As a result, the program matures and provides you with a roadmap for your yearly growth.
Your GPA and test scores are the most crucial criterion for selection because they are the first things officials seek.
There are no options to working hard and achieving a high grade.
Aside from these, a new endorsement letter from esteemed personnel in your profession will go a long way toward helping you achieve your goal.
Having the application recommended by a visionary acts as a discount, making it shine even more.
The easiest way to study in France for free is to obtain a scholarship from the chosen university. Numerous scholarships are available from both universities and the French government.
Having a good view of the current scholarships and their qualifications would enable you to choose the right criterion for you.
Find and register for more traditional grants, which would significantly reduce the research and living costs. Keep up to date as scholarship opportunities move and evolve daily.
There are privately and federally funded scholarships and grants for international students to study in France, even outside the university.
The Walter Jensen Scholarship for potential French teachers and the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research are two of the most common, but there are many more!
Many academic abroad scholarships are not country-specific but apply for as many general ones as possible and any France study abroad scholarships. If you major or minor in French, you might be considered for departmental scholarships to study abroad in France.
Meaningful travel providers want to show you the world, not bankrupt you! As a result, it should come as no surprise that many sell their scholarships to program members.
Most are in the $500-1,000 range, but others can offer you even more, depending on academic merit. Any program vendors can also give incentives to early applicants, so keep an eye on registration deadlines and register as soon as possible.
When it comes to studying in France for international students for free, the early bird truly does grab the worm!
It is no surprise that crowdsourcing travel has grown in popularity with the advent of meaningful travel and online fundraising channels. Create a GoFundMe page or anything similar if you have a specific aim from studying abroad in France or a unique backstory to tell on why everyone should donate to you.
If your university has a study abroad program in France that is only for students from your university, any financial assistance you have been awarded would most likely carry over for this.
The majority of the study abroad burden is usually borne by third-party program costs that are not covered by financial assistance because they are not affiliated with your institution.
Converse with a study abroad specialist at your university to find out what opportunities are available directly via your university and whether it is possible to study in France for free or very close to it.
If your financial assistance does not support the whole curriculum or uses an alternative program provider, you may want to consider taking out extra student loans to help finance your studies abroad.
Depending on your family’s financial condition, your university’s financial assistance and foreign education offices will decide on different loans to try.
When taking out extra loans, be sure to remember stuff like interest; over time, you might end up spending a lot more than the program is worth (even though we think they’re all priceless!).
Selecting an inexpensive university means that tuition rates can be significantly lower.
When combined with a suitable scholarship, the cost of research may be eliminated.
The average tuition fee for non-EEA (European Economic Area) residents and international students will vary greatly.
Tuition costs up to 650 euros for EEA residents.
International students are often expected to pay higher fees, which can average up to 4,000 euros.
To study abroad in France, you do not need to enrol in a $20,000 structured program. Most people believe that “studying abroad” entails enrolling in a university for a semester or year and paying exorbitant fees. Still, legally, something scholarly and for any length of time qualifies as studying abroad!
Paying à la carte rather than all-inclusive is one of the simplest options to keep costs down.
Skip the standard curriculum and enrol in a French language academy, where you typically only pay for language lessons and accommodation.
If you choose to learn French in France for free or as close to free as possible, head straight to the source rather than enrolling in an English-based curriculum that provides ambiguous benefits such as an introduction, culture guide, culinary courses, urban excursions, and more.
Such activities can be fun, but providers charge a fee to schedule them for you, so you’re better off doing just what you want within your budget.
Pursuing undergraduate studies at French universities can result in hefty tuition fees. Only a few universities in France have free studentships and outstanding scholarship programs for undergraduate students to study for free.
Here are some of the better options:
The Emile Boutmy Scholarships at the Paris Institute of Political Studies or Sciences Po university have some of the most generous scholarships in the world and a good number of undergraduate scholarships.
It offers scholarships to all bachelor’s and master’s degree students.
It offers a 7,300 euro grant per year for three years of study for a bachelor’s degree at the undergraduate level. Another 5,000 euros is given for living expenses.
Chalhoub Scholarship is another applicant offered by Sciences Po University, and although it provides further financial scholarships, it is only available to 13 countries in the Middle East.
However, the award is worth a staggering 12,300 euros per year for three years.
It pays the entire tuition charge as well as a portion of the living expenses.
Another prerequisite for students with this award is that they pursue a master’s degree at Sciences Po.
Stephen M. Kellen Undergraduate Funding is another highly sought-after scholarship offered by Sciences Po University.
International students may apply for the M. Kellen scholarship in both France and Germany.
It provides up to 6,000 USD a year which pays 100% of tuition and a portion of living expenses.
Of the many scholarship programs available in France, master’s students receive the most significant number.
There are some of the most sought-after scholarships for free Master’s studies in France:
The ENS International Selection Scholarships are among the most generous scholarship schemes available in France, and the competition to obtain one is fierce.
Any year, a total of 20 students under the age of 25 will be chosen from the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) university.
It is only available to international students who have been in France for less than ten months.
The payout is substantial, as ENS offers 1,000 euros a month for three years. Aside from that, each student receives a space on one of the ENS campuses and full tuition coverage.
Students are chosen based on their prior research results and excellence requirements.
The Ampère Excellence Scholarships for International Students, offered by ENS de Lyon, are another excellent choice for masters.
It also offers a monthly payment of 1,000 euros. This scholarship is available to master’s students in the sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences.
The only exception is the FEADép Master’s degree, which has a separate scholarship incentive.
Another well-known one is the Emile Boutmy Scholarships awarded by the Paris Institute of Political Studies alongside its undergraduate scholarship programs and provides master’s students with an annual stipend of 10,000 euros for two years.
In addition, 5,000 euros are set aside to cover living expenses.
The University of Paris-Saclay offers international master’s scholarships. The international master’s scholarship is awarded to students completing a master’s degree for one to two years.
It, too, gives a generous sum of 10,000 euros per year, with an extra 1,000 euros for flying, as does the Emile Boutmy scholarship.
The Grenoble Institute of Technology Foundation Scholarships, unlike the other scholarships, are paid per semester.
It provides up to 5,000 euros a semester to master’s students.
However, the length is a little shorter, up to two semesters.
Students worldwide apply to French universities for study opportunities, and many of them grant full scholarships.
Here are some scholarships to look at if you want to train for a PhD in France.
The ESSEC PhD program, offered by ESSEC Business School, is one of France’s best PhD scholarships for free PhD research.
The term is for four years consecutively, with the possibility of receiving further financial aid in the fifth year based on student results.
The scholarship requires a stipend of 23,000 euros per year for living and studying.
There are also research programs abroad, budgets for foreign doctoral courses, meeting budgets for papers written, and the opportunity to work as an assistant professor in the fifth year of research.
INSEAD, known as the world’s business school, provides a rather generous PhD scholarship that includes full academic assistance and tuition fee compensation.
The INSEAD PhD in Management includes a tuition fee discount and up to 60,000 euros over the first two years, which is one of the highest sums available in the world.
Furthermore, it pays 5,000 euros for annual dissertation payments from the third to the fifth year, including providing health benefits.
The Toulouse School of Management offers the TSM Doctoral Program (TSM). It provides up to 21,000 euros for graduate students.
Aside from this number, there is extra support for travel and living expenses and up to three academic conference coverages each year. TSM also has a dedicated office as well as a personal desktop for academic purposes.
Both are critical to the success of a research project, and this grant is an excellent opportunity for young students.
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