Scholarships for Nigerian Students in France

France’s scholarship routes for Nigerians are smaller than the UK’s or Germany’s, but they exist — and France’s public universities charge low tuition, like Germany’s, which changes the affordability maths. This guide names the established France programmes, explains how they select, and tells you how to verify each one for the current cycle — because amounts, deadlines, and eligibility change every year, and no amount or deadline is asserted anywhere in this article, deliberately. No admission, award, or visa outcome is promised anywhere in this article.

Established France programmes

• Eiffel Excellence Scholarships — French government, for master’s and PhD study in France, for international students including Nigerians, as its terms state.
• Campus France and university scholarships — Campus France (the French government’s study-in-France agency) lists scholarships, and many French universities offer scholarships to international students; check Campus France and each university’s funding page.
• Erasmus Mundus — joint master’s programmes that include French universities, fully funded, as its coverage list states.

How France programmes select

• Academic record — degree class and transcripts, as the programme states.
• Study plan and motivation — a clear, credible study plan, tied to your field.
• Language proof — programmes taught in English require English proof (IELTS, alternative test, or MOI letter where the programme accepts it); programmes taught in French require French proof (DELF/DALF or equivalent, as the programme states). Check each programme’s language requirement for the current cycle.

France costs and visa, honestly

• Tuition — public universities charge low tuition, as the rules state for the current cycle. Private institutions charge tuition — check each institution.
• Living costs — Paris runs higher than other French cities. Compare full costs against coverage.
• Visa — decided by the French embassy (via Campus France, where required) on its own criteria (admission, funding proof, as the rules state). A scholarship does not guarantee a visa.
• Language of daily life — even English-taught programmes leave daily life in French. Basic French helps enormously, whatever the programme’s language.

How to apply, in order

1. Shortlist programmes by level, field, and language (English-taught vs French-taught).
2. Secure admission (or apply in parallel, as the programme requires), via Campus France where required.
3. Check the official programme page for the current cycle — amounts, deadlines, eligibility, coverage, language requirement.
4. Prepare documents early — transcripts, certificates, references, study plan, language proof, passport.
5. Apply for the visa only after admission and funding are confirmed, through the official process.

Related Guides & Next Steps

• Fully Funded Scholarships for Nigerians
• Scholarships for Nigerian Students in 2026/2027
• Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Malaysia
• PTDF Scholarship 2026/2027: Requirements and Application
• Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Germany

Frequently asked questions

Which France scholarships exist for Nigerians? Eiffel Excellence Scholarships, Campus France-listed scholarships, university scholarships, and Erasmus Mundus programmes that include French universities. Check each programme’s level and current-cycle terms.

Is tuition low in France? Public universities charge low tuition, as the rules state for the current cycle. Private institutions charge tuition — check each institution.

Do I need French to study in France? For French-taught programmes, yes — French proof (DELF/DALF or equivalent, as the programme states). For English-taught programmes, English proof suffices for admission, but basic French helps daily life enormously.

Does a France scholarship guarantee a visa? No. The visa is decided by the French embassy (via Campus France, where required) on its own criteria. No scholarship guarantees a visa.

What is Campus France? The French government’s study-in-France agency, which lists scholarships and (where required) processes applications. Check Campus France and each university’s funding page.

Sources and last update

• Scholarship programmes named here are established programmes as reported; amounts, deadlines, and eligibility change every cycle — the official programme page for the current cycle governs, and no amount or deadline is asserted anywhere in this article, deliberately.
• Scholarship-vs-loan distinction from the NELFUND cluster guides (Batches 6–10): a scholarship is not repaid; NELFUND is a loan, repayable from 2 years after NYSC at 10% of income.
• Scam patterns from the fake-agents guide (Batch 12): application fees, guaranteed awards, and payment to personal accounts are red flags.
• No admission, award, or visa outcome is promised anywhere in this article.

Last updated: 24 October 2026. Guide — review every 3–6 months and on every scholarship-cycle update.