Top 10 scholarships in France and Italy for international students
Ten scholarships in France and Italy: Eiffel, Sciences Po, Ecole Polytechnique, ENS de Lyon, Grenoble, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi, Padua, Ca' Foscari and more, checked on official pages.
France and Italy combine some of Europe’s oldest universities with relatively moderate fees, and both countries’ universities use scholarships to attract international talent.
These ten scholarships in France and Italy were checked on official university and government pages.
The list at a glance
| # | Programme | Where | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme | France | January 6, 2027 |
| 2 | Sciences Po Emile Boutmy Scholarship | France | January 13, 2027 |
| 3 | Ecole Polytechnique Foundation Excellence Scholarships for MSc&T Students | France | January 11, 2027 |
| 4 | ENS de Lyon Ampere Excellence Scholarship | France | Not announced yet |
| 5 | Universite Cote d’Azur IdEx Academic Excellence Scholarship | France | Not announced yet |
| 6 | Grenoble INP UGA IDEX Master’s Scholarships | France | Not announced yet |
| 7 | Politecnico di Milano Merit-Based Scholarships for International Master of Science Students | Italy | December 15, 2026 |
| 8 | Bocconi Graduate Merit Award | Italy | Not announced yet |
| 9 | University of Padua Padua International Excellence Scholarship | Italy | November 15, 2026 |
| 10 | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Honours Scholarships | Italy | Not announced yet |
1. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs programme for top foreign master’s and PhD students in priority fields. It pays EUR 1,200 a month for master’s or EUR 2,000 a month for doctoral study, plus airfare, health insurance, housing help and cultural activities, but not tuition fees.
- Who can apply: Foreign students up to age 29 for master’s and up to 35 for PhD. Applications are filed by a French higher education institution, not by the student.
- Deadline: 2027 session: the call opened in October 2026 and French institutions must submit applications to Campus France by 6 January 2027. Results are published from 12 April 2027.
- Funding: Partly funded
2. Sciences Po Emile Boutmy Scholarship
Tuition exemption: full exemption or 9,500 euros for first year Bachelor students, and 18,500 euros per year for two years for Master’s students.
- Who can apply: First time Sciences Po applicants who are citizens of a non EU state and whose household does not file taxes in the EU, admitted to a Bachelor or Master’s programme; request it in the Financial information section of the application.
- Deadline: For the 2027 intake, Bachelor applicants from a foreign secondary school apply by 13 January 2027. Master’s applicants have committee deadlines on 18 October and 29 November (year not stated on the page).
- Funding: Partly funded
3. Ecole Polytechnique Foundation Excellence Scholarships for MSc&T Students
Foundation Excellence Scholarships of 8,000 euros per year, plus Industrial Partnership Scholarships of 4,000 to 15,000 euros per year depending on the specialization.
- Who can apply: All admitted MSc&T candidates are considered automatically, with awards based on academic excellence and diversity.
- Deadline: Only Round 1 and Round 2 applicants can apply for a scholarship; Round 2 for the 2027 intake runs 12 October 2026 to 11 January 2027, closing at 11:59 AM CET.
- Funding: Partly funded
4. ENS de Lyon Ampere Excellence Scholarship
1,000 euros per month for 12 months for Master’s students at ENS de Lyon.
- Who can apply: Applicants to ENS de Lyon Master’s programmes in Exact Sciences, Arts, and Human and Social Sciences, excluding FEADeP and a few other programmes.
- Deadline: The 2026 to 2027 call is closed (it closed 23 January 2026 at 11:59pm CET); ENS de Lyon says the 2027 to 2028 calendar will be updated in November 2026.
- Funding: Partly funded
5. Universite Cote d’Azur IdEx Academic Excellence Scholarship
Full tuition exemption plus a 5,000 euro stipend paid in two installments, for one year; 10 awards per year.
- Who can apply: Applicants to one of eleven listed international MSc programmes, selected on academic excellence regardless of age or nationality; students already registered at the university are not eligible.
- Deadline: Applications run April to May each year and results are emailed in mid June; applications are currently closed and no exact date is given for the next round.
- Funding: Partly funded
6. Grenoble INP UGA IDEX Master’s Scholarships
IDEX scholarships of 9,000 euros per year for M1 and 5,500 euros for M2, plus themed awards such as Persyval and EFELIA (8,000 euros per year).
- Who can apply: International students with a foreign secondary diploma applying to Grenoble INP UGA master’s programmes; you tick the scholarship box in the online master’s application.
- Deadline: For 2026 to 2027, applications ran January to May with results in mid June; 2027 to 2028 information has not been published yet.
- Funding: Partly funded
7. Politecnico di Milano Merit-Based Scholarships for International Master of Science Students
All awards include a tuition fee waiver; Platinum adds 10,000 euros gross per year and Gold 8,000 euros (Milan), with smaller Piacenza awards (5,000 and 2,500 euros) and tuition only Silver awards at regional campuses.
- Who can apply: International students applying to the first year of an English taught MSc for a.y. 2027 to 2028 who applied in the Early bird window; selection weighs GPA and academic record most, and a valid English certificate must be submitted by 4 March 2027.
- Deadline: Scholarship applications open 1 October 2026 and close at 12:00 noon Italian time on 15 December 2026, via Polimi Online Services. The admission application and fee must be completed between 1 October and 1 December 2026 (Early bird period).
- Funding: Partly funded
8. Bocconi Graduate Merit Award
Merit based tuition waiver; under the 2025 to 2026 rules it was a 100% waiver of Bocconi ordinary tuition and fees, renewable for year two with at least 50 credits.
- Who can apply: Top international, Italian and Bocconi applicants to first year MSc programmes, considered automatically through the admission application, mainly on academic achievement.
- Deadline: Bocconi lists the Bocconi merit award among funding for a.y. 2027 to 2028 international MSc applicants, but no deadlines are given; awards are communicated with admission results and most go out in the first rounds.
- Funding: Partly funded
9. University of Padua Padua International Excellence Scholarship
8,000 euros gross per year plus exemption from student fees (only the regional fee and stamp are paid), for up to 2 years for Master’s and 3 years for Bachelor’s and single cycle degrees.
- Who can apply: Non Italian citizens with a foreign qualification, not resident in Italy, applying to an English taught degree; selection by each degree’s Teaching Committee on academic excellence.
- Deadline: Applying to the degree makes you eligible; the first admission window for 2027 to 2028 for foreign qualification holders closes on 15 November 2026, and scholarships are mainly reserved for first call candidates.
- Funding: Partly funded
10. Ca’ Foscari University of Venice Honours Scholarships
10,000 euros per year: 8 awards for new Bachelor’s students (three years) and 20 for new Master’s students (two years).
- Who can apply: High achieving international applicants with a cumulative GPA of at least 85%, a motivational video, reference letter(s) and proof of language proficiency.
- Deadline: The 2027 to 2028 call is expected to be published in late fall; no exact dates yet.
- Funding: Partly funded
How we ranked them
This is an editorial selection, not a formula. We looked at how much each award pays (full funding ranks above fee reductions), how open it is to international applicants, and whether the official page is clear and current. Every detail was checked on the official page on October 30, 2026. No university or funder paid to be included.
Also in Italy: the Università Cattolica International Scholarship and the ISU Bocconi Right to University Education Scholarship.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Eiffel scholarship fully funded?
No. Its official rules give a monthly allowance and other support but do not cover tuition fees, so we list it as partly funded.
Do I need French or Italian?
Many programmes on this list teach in English, but check each programme’s language requirement.
Before you apply
Read how to write a scholarship motivation letter, check which English test you need in IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo, and see every upcoming date in the scholarship deadline calendar.