Searching for a scholarship to study in France from Nigeria? Here is what is actually open for 2027, read on official pages from France, the European Union and the Nigerian government, with the deadlines as published and the naira you still need for the visa.
How rare is a fully funded scholarship in France?
Rarer than social media suggests. “Fully funded” should mean tuition, a living allowance, travel and health insurance, all paid. Few schemes open to Nigerians tick all four, and each selects a small number of people.
The flagship French government programme, Eiffel, counts more than 10,000 awardees in more than 20 years, from 115 nationalities, for the whole world, according to its Campus France brochure. Its regulations state that the programme does not pay tuition: scholars are exempt only when they enrol for a national degree at a public institution. The last French Embassy in Nigeria call also left tuition to the student.
Erasmus Mundus full scholarships and the PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme come closest to “everything paid”, but the first goes to the best-ranked applicants of each programme and the second only to oil and gas related courses. For most Nigerian students, the realistic plan is a partial award plus family or sponsor funds that satisfy the visa rule.
Which scholarships can Nigerian students use for France in 2027?
Status and deadlines as published on each official page we read on 28 October 2026. Re-check the source the week you apply.
| Scheme | Funded by | What it pays | Status | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France Excellence Eiffel | French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, via Campus France | €1,200 a month, travel, insurance, housing help; not tuition | Call for 2027 open | Institutions send files by 6 January 2027 |
| French Embassy in Nigeria (France Excellence) | French ministries, via the Embassy and Campus France Nigeria | Transport, monthly allowance, housing guidance, health cover; not tuition | Latest call online is for 2025/2026 | No 2027/2028 call published when we checked |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters | European Union | Full scholarships for top-ranked students: participation costs, plus travel, visa and living contributions | Catalogue updated every year | Most programmes: October to January |
| PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme | Petroleum Technology Development Fund (Federal Government) | Tuition where applicable, return flights, health insurance, accommodation and living allowances | 2026 call closed on 27 February 2026 | Next call not published when we checked |
| Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) | Federal Scholarship Board | France is not among the partner countries cited | Five-year moratorium announced on 3 May 2025 | No call published |
| University scholarships | Each French institution | Fee reductions or merit awards | Set by each school | Ask the international relations office |
| AI2 international scholarship | AI2 | Reduction on first-year tuition | Assessed with every international application | Priority deadline 30 November 2026 |
Eiffel Excellence: open for 2027, but you cannot apply alone
Campus France states that the 2027 call is open. The point Nigerian applicants miss: applications sent directly by students are declared ineligible. A French higher education institution must nominate you.
Who and what
Seven fields
What you receive
| Eiffel 2027 step | Date as published |
|---|---|
| Call opens | October 2026 |
| Campus France must receive files from institutions | 6 January 2027, included |
| Results | From 12 April 2027 |
| Funded studies must start | Between 1 September and 30 November 2027, no postponement |
Read the regulations twice: Eiffel cannot be combined with another French government scholarship, an Erasmus+ scholarship or one from the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, it ends if you sign an apprenticeship contract, and an internship in your country of origin terminates it. To start, Campus France advises contacting Campus France Nigeria or the Embassy’s cooperation and cultural department, then the international relations department of each French institution, to ask whether it will put you forward and by when. November and December 2026 are the months that matter.
The French Embassy in Nigeria scholarship: what the last call said
Campus France Nigeria’s page for this programme, last updated on 27 January 2025, describes the 2025/2026 call. No call for 2026/2027 or 2027/2028 was published there on 28 October 2026.
That last call financed a master’s in management at a French public university with tuition of at most €4,000 a year (about ₦6.00 million). It covered transport, a monthly allowance, housing guidance and health cover; tuition stayed with the scholar. Applicants filed through Études en France by its 1 December deadline, and no processing fee was charged.
Eligibility in the last call
Beware of fraud
Erasmus Mundus: Europe-wide masters, often with a French leg
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are run by at least three institutions in at least three countries, and the EU catalogue can be filtered to show programmes with a French partner. Students from anywhere can apply, directly to the consortium. The European Commission says the masters “may also offer full scholarships to the best-ranked students worldwide”, covering participation costs and contributing to travel, visa and living costs.
You need a bachelor’s degree, or to graduate before the master’s starts. Programmes last one to two years, and most take applications from October to January for the following academic year, so now is the time to shortlist for 2027. EACEA notes that not every programme in the catalogue still awards scholarships: check each programme’s website.
Nigerian federal scholarships: PTDF yes, BEA no
PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme
PTDF MSc requirements
Bilateral Education Agreement
Treat any advert promising a “Federal Government scholarship to France” with suspicion unless it appears on an official .gov.ng site.
University scholarships and fee reductions
Campus France Nigeria notes that some French institutions offer scholarships to their enrolled international students. Ask each school in writing whether its award is automatic, whether it covers one year or the whole programme, and whether the amount will appear in your admission letter.
There is a small saving at home too: Campus France Nigeria charges ₦50,000 for regular students, ₦15,000 for Nigerian scholarship beneficiaries and nothing for French Government scholarship beneficiaries. The fee is not refunded, whatever the visa decision.
How a scholarship changes your visa proof of funds
France asks students to show at least €877.50 a month, about ₦1.32 million, or €10,530 for twelve months, about ₦15.79 million (Service-Public, verified 1 August 2026; CBN central rate of ₦1,499.78 to the euro on 28 October 2026). A scholarship replaces part or all of that proof, depending on what it pays you.
| Your situation | Covers €877.50 a month? | What to show |
|---|---|---|
| Eiffel scholarship | Yes: €1,200 a month | Proof of your French Government scholarship status |
| Erasmus Mundus full scholarship | Check the living allowance in your agreement | Proof that you benefit from a European programme |
| Nigerian scholarship such as PTDF | Check the allowance in the letter | Attestation from the paying body stating amount and duration |
| Tuition reduction only (university award, AI2 scholarship) | No: it lowers the fee, it is not income | Bank statements or a sponsor for the full amount |
| Partial allowance | Only for its amount | Scholarship letter plus sponsor or bank proof for the rest |
The Campus France Nigeria checklist (2024 version) accepts a scholarship letter instead of bank statements or a sponsor’s guarantee. It still names “at least NGN 8,000,000”, about €5,330 today, well below the €10,530 now set by Service-Public: prepare the higher amount and ask Campus France Nigeria which figure applies. Make sure any scholarship letter states an amount and a duration. Our proof of funds guide lists the sponsor documents that work, and the France student visa from Nigeria guide follows the file to TLScontact.
AI2’s international scholarship: assessed with every application
AI2, the Applied Institute of Artificial Intelligence, teaches applied AI, data science, cybersecurity and IoT 100% in English on one campus, the Hub Nikola Tesla in Écouen, 22 minutes by train from Paris Gare du Nord. Its scholarship needs no separate application.
Automatic
How it is built
Conditions
| AI2 programme | Standard tuition | With AI2 scholarship | In naira (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Applied AI, Year 1 or 2 | €9,000 a year | Scholarship possible | ₦13.50 million before any award |
| BSc final year (B3), plus placement | €9,900 | Scholarship possible (excellence, early application) | ₦14.85 million before any award |
| MSc Year 1 | €12,500 | from €10,500 | ₦15.75 million after scholarship |
| MSc direct entry into Year 2, 18 months | €13,000 | from €11,300 (IoT from €11,800) | ₦16.95 million after scholarship |
| Fast-Track MSc, February 2027, 11 months | €12,500 | €11,000 if you apply before 15 November 2026 | ₦16.50 million |
A worked example: a BSc holder entering MSc Year 1 at €10,500, plus twelve months of visa resources (€10,530), needs about ₦31.54 million for the first year, against ₦34.54 million at the standard fee, before flights, insurance and visa fees. Later, work-study in Bachelor Year 2, the BSc final year or MSc Year 2 lets an employer’s training fund pay tuition while you earn a salary, if you find an employer.
The MSc Applied AI and Data Science awards the AI2 diploma and prepares RNCP39978 « Architecte des systèmes d'information dans les processus industriels », a professional certification recognised by the French State at level 7 (master’s level), certified by DATAKOO, AI2’s parent company. Intakes run in February, May and September 2027; for February, apply by 30 November 2026. See AI2 tuition fees 2027, AI2 scholarships and studying AI in France from Nigeria.
A realistic scholarship calendar for 2027
- 1Now to mid-November 2026Shortlist Erasmus Mundus programmes and write to French institutions about Eiffel nomination. The AI2 Fast-Track price of €11,000 ends on 15 November.
- 230 November 2026AI2 priority deadline for February 2027; your scholarship decision arrives with the admission letter.
- 3By January 2027Most Erasmus Mundus applications close. Eiffel files reach Campus France by 6 January.
- 4January to May 2027Watch the PTDF portal; the 2026 call opened on 18 January. Eiffel results from 12 April.
- 5Three months before your startOpen Études en France, as Campus France Nigeria advises, with your scholarship letter ready.
Keep a funded plan B: the visa is decided on what you can prove, not on what you hope to win. Our guide to masters in France for Nigerian students sets out the full first-year budget in naira.
Frequently asked questions
Are there fully funded scholarships in France for Nigerian students?
Yes, but few. Erasmus Mundus full scholarships and the PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme come closest to paying everything. Eiffel pays €1,200 a month plus travel and insurance, but the programme itself does not pay tuition. The realistic plan for most applicants is a partial award plus family funds.
Can I apply for the Eiffel scholarship directly from Nigeria?
No. Campus France declares applications sent directly by students ineligible. A French higher education institution must nominate you and submit your file to Campus France by 6 January 2027 for the 2027 call. Contact the institutions first.
Is the French Embassy in Nigeria scholarship open for 2027?
When we checked on 28 October 2026, Campus France Nigeria still showed the 2025/2026 call, for a master’s in management at a public university, and no newer call. Follow the Campus France Nigeria website for the next one.
Does the BEA scholarship cover France?
Not in practice. France is not among the BEA partner countries cited by the Federal Ministry of Education, such as China, Russia, Algeria, Hungary, Morocco, Egypt and Serbia, and a five-year moratorium on the programme was announced on 3 May 2025.
Does PTDF sponsor master’s degrees in France?
Yes, for approved oil and gas related courses at PTDF partner institutions in France. The 2026 call closed on 27 February 2026 and no new call was published when we checked on 28 October 2026.
Does a scholarship replace the €877.50 a month for the visa?
Only if it pays you a living allowance. A French Government scholarship holder shows proof of that status; a Nigerian scholar shows an attestation stating the amount and duration. A tuition reduction does not count as resources.
How do I apply for the AI2 scholarship?
There is no separate form. Apply to AI2 and your profile is assessed automatically. The amount, if any, is stated in your admission letter and applies to the first year of enrolment.
Sources consulted on 28 October 2026: Campus France: France Excellence Eiffel programme (2027 call) · Campus France: Eiffel regulations, 2027 session · Campus France: Eiffel, information for students · Campus France: Eiffel master’s brochure · Campus France Nigeria: French Embassy scholarship, France Excellence 2025/2026 · Campus France Nigeria: scholarships for foreign students · Campus France Nigeria: what to do after getting an admission · Campus France Nigeria: I have an admission · Campus France Nigeria: student long stay visa checklist (2024) · European Commission: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters · EACEA: Erasmus Mundus catalogue · PTDF: 2026 Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme · PTDF scholarship portal: news · Federal Ministry of Education: Federal Scholarship Board · Federal Ministry of Information: BEA programme statement (24 April 2025) · Federal Ministry of Information: BEA moratorium (3 May 2025) · Service-Public: student residence permit and resources (verified 1 August 2026) · Central Bank of Nigeria: exchange rates, 28 October 2026
Send your degree and transcripts: AI2 reviews them, interviews you online and states your entry year, tuition and any scholarship in the admission letter your Campus France Nigeria file starts with.
