France Excellence Scholarship Programme for Students from Gaza (Palestine)

What the scholarship offers? 

• This France Excellence scholarship confers the status of French Government scholarship holder to beneficiaries. It also provides:
  • A monthly allowance set at €1,690 per month for doctoral students and €860 per month for Bachelor’s, Master’s and DU Passerelle students for 2024, with a fixed deduction if housing is also provided.
  • A two-way flight for students located in Egypt and transport (by train or bus) to the city where they will be studying.
  • Insurance and social security coverage.
  • Assistance finding accommodation from the Campus France office and/or accommodation in the CROUS halls of residence for long-term scholarships (subject to availability).
  • A no-fee visa (excl. Aramex fees).
  • Exemption from enrolment fees for higher education establishments supervised by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
• This scholarship does not cover the cost of:
  • Transport to the departure airport.
  • Any other costs arising from beneficiaries’ stay in France and/or research projects.

Scholarship Duration 

• France Excellence scholarships cover a period of one to three years, depending on the duration of the degree programme:
  • One academic year for students enrolled in the third year of a Bachelor’s degree, or two academic years for students enrolled in the second year.
  • One academic year for students enrolled in the second year of a Master’s degree, or two academic years for students enrolled in the first year and/or studying for a titre d’ingénieur (an engineer’s diploma).
  • Up to three academic years for doctoral students.
  • One year for students enrolled in a DU Passerelle language training course, who will then go on to study at the Bachelor’s (second or third year), Master’s or doctorate levels.

Eligibility Criteria

• Palestinian nationality (French nationals, including dual-nationals, are not eligible).
• Enrolment in a university course in Gaza in 2023-2024 and/or habitual residency in Gaza until at least September 2023 and/or studying a degree programme in France or Egypt since 2024, following departure from Gaza.
• Residency in Egypt or France.
• A clear and well-prepared academic project linked to career plans.
• The scholarship is only for students at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctorate levels, or those taking a DU Passerelle. It cannot be held alongside another full grant, such as Erasmus+.
• The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs strives to promote gender equality; women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply.

Selection Criteria

• Only complete and eligible applications will be considered. The main selection criteria are:
  • Academic excellence and level in the language of study
  • The quality of research projects for doctoral students
  • The consistency of the planned studies with previous experiences and career plans
  • The quality of extracurricular activities
  • Motivation

For more information, visit Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.