International students may apply for a scholarship or financial aid specified below.
French Cycle Ingénieur students at Ecole Polytechnique have military status and receive a salary throughout their studies. They also benefit from a permanent tuition waiver, provided they work in the civil service upon graduation. See details on the tuition costs. They are not eligible for financial aid.
Ecole Polytechnique offers tuition fees waivers based on the student’s financial needs and covers partially these fees. Tuition fees waivers are given to students on demand only and after their admission into the Ingénieur Polytechnicien Program. (in order to ask for a tuition fees waiver - please have a look to the checklist of compulsory documents). Students are entitled to an immediate partial tuition fee waiver if they have been accepted to Ecole Polytechnique for a double degree program, or if they come from one of Ecole Polytechnique’s partner universities with which Ecole Polytechnique has signed a specific cooperation agreement in which tuition fee waivers are mentioned.
Certain international students enrolled in the Cycle Ingénieur Program at Ecole Polytechnique may be eligible for need-based financial aid from the French government, administered by the CROUS of the Versailles Academy. Students should be aware that this aid will not cover all their expenses and that they will need to cover at least a portion of the costs themselves. It is therefore essential to create a realistic financial plan to cover the cost of your studies at Ecole Polytechnique before applying.
The scholarship amount is listed on the official French government website, and a scholarship calculator is available on the CROUS website. To submit your application online via the CROUS website, look for your school listed as "PALAISEAU Ecole polytechnique" under the "Mes services étudiants" section.
The main eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Age: Must be under 28 years old as of September 1st of the enrollment year
- `Nationality: Students who are nationals of the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Andorra. In this case, you must have held a job in France (as an employee or self-employed), have a parent who earned income in France, demonstrate a sufficient level of integration in France (residency of at least one year, schooling in France, family ties, etc.), or prove five years of uninterrupted legal residence in France.
- Exceptions: Students who are non-European nationals may also be eligible for the scholarship if they fall into one of the following categories: recognized refugee status (granted by Ofpra or CNDA), beneficiary of subsidiary protection (for refugees and stateless persons), or temporary asylum status.
- Conditions regarding the combination of this scholarship with other grants apply.
Financial need is assessed based on the income of both parents. The applicable income thresholds are defined by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and are the same for all French higher education institutions. In certain specific situations (e.g., married students or those in a civil partnership, students with dependent children, orphans, students under guardianship, or beneficiaries of international protection), the student's own income—rather than that of their parents—is taken into account when calculating eligibility for the grant.
Application processing and payment are handled directly by the CROUS de Versailles. The grant is awarded for a single academic year. Students must renew their application annually within a specific timeframe to allow for a re-evaluation of their situation.
There are a number of scholarship schemes available from the French government and from foreign governments, which totally or partially cover international students’ tuition fees and living costs. Students are required to consult their awarding institution directly for more information.
The Ecole Polytechnique Foundation places students at the center of its actions, through financial aid, participation in their collective scientific project, assistance in the construction of their professional career, whether they are engineers, PhD students or Masters students, and by accompanying officers in the corporate world. The renewal of the scholarship is subject to academic success and exemplary conduct in the program.
Visit the Ecole Polytechnique Foundation's website
- Full ride Scholarship
36 months – during the first 3 years – 800€/month and tuition fees waiver
The Ecole Polytechnique Foundation also funds a very limited number of "full scholarships" covering living expenses and tuition fees. These are intended for international students and are awarded based on academic excellence criteria.
They cannot be combined with other types of financial aid granted by Ecole Polytechnique, other scholarships from the Ecole Polytechnique Foundation, or scholarships from the French government or international sources. Since the scholarship covers tuition fees, the student cannot benefit from a waiver of these fees.
- Fulgence Excellence Scholarships
36 months – during the first 3 years – 800€/month
The Foundation offers about 20 grants per class group. These grants are open to all international students regardless of their nationality or path of admission into Ecole Polytechnique. After being preselected by a jury, the nominees are then emailed and informed of the condition of their application.
As part of the Fundraising Campaign, certain donors make a specific choice to support the most deserving international students based on their academic excellence. Scholarships are given to the best students according to their entrance exam results, the quality of their application file, and their compatibility with the desired profile for each program.
- Ecole Polytechnique Foundation/DRI Scholarship Program for Fourth-Year Project in France
11 months – 4th year only
These scholarships are awarded jointly by the Ecole Polytechnique Foundation and the International Affairs Office (DRI) and are intended for international students who wish to complete their fourth year of study in France. The scholarships are open to all international students regardless of their nationality or path of admission into the Ecole Polytechnique.
As part of the CMA CGM Excellence Fund for Education, the CMA CGM Group finances more than 10 Ecole Polytechnique students each year, across all programs (Bachelor of Science, Polytechnic Engineering Cycle, Master of Science & Technology).
- Eligibility: Half of the scholarships are reserved for students of Lebanese nationality, while the other half are awarded to students of all nationalities (international or French).
- The scholarships take social criteria into account, and applicants must inform Ecole Polytechnique of all financial resources, including any assistance (scholarships from the French government or a foreign government, assistance from a foundation or a company) they receive so that the award committee can assess individual situations.
- Process: Applicants must follow the same procedure as for applications for tuition waivers. If you are admitted to the program, you will receive detailed instructions on how to apply.
- Deadline: The results will be communicated after the admission results have been announced and before registration.
- Amount: 800 € per month for the 36 months of the program (excluding the 4th year).
Applications must be submitted directly by the institution on behalf of the student in December. Preselected students will be contacted directly by e-mail by the International Affairs Office. Final selection is made by the dedicated French Ministry of Foreign Affairs committee.
Click here for further information on the Eiffel Excellence Scholarships.
We have identified the scholarships and financial support available abroad, for our students enrolled in and candidates applying for the Ingénieur Polytechnicien program. These different types of support are provided by both the French and foreign governments.
A complete list of scholarships and grants that are available abroad is also available on the "CampusBourses" listing. In this list, you will find the different types of support and scholarships offered by French and international government institutions, local governments, foundations and institutions of higher study.
- Scholarships and grants from French embassies
The French Embassy in your country may offer different types of financial support for international students coming to study in France. These scholarships and grants are granted according to the nationality of the candidate. All information may be obtained directly from the French Embassy in your country.
Students are advised to inquire with their own government institutions for information about government scholarship programs created specifically to promote international mobility.
Please find below a non-exhaustive list of the scholarships received by our past international Ingénieur Polytechnicien students:
- For Moroccan students: merit-based scholarship from the Ministry for National Education and Vocational Training (Ministère de l’Education nationale et de la Formation professionnelle)
- For Senegalese students: excellence scholarship from the Senegalese government, awarded by the Republic of Senegal Ministry for Higher Education and Research (Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche de la République du Sénégal)
- For Tunisian students: national scholarship from the Tunisian government awarded by the Academic and Educational Mission of Tunisia (Mission universitaire et éducative de la Tunisie)
- For Chinese students: national scholarship from the China Scholarship Council
International students may also be eligible for an Erasmus + grant (for European students) or for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (for non-European students).
Ecole Polytechnique has identified and listed a number of scholarships and financial support programs offered by government institutions, local governments, foundations and institutions of higher study:
This list is non exhaustive. Students are therefore also encouraged to seek further information on the existence of specific scholarships for studying abroad from their government, from their home institution or, in the case of outgoing students, from the target host institution.
Loans
To supplement their funding, all admitted students are encouraged to proactively seek financial aid, either in their home country or in France.
Most French banks require a guarantor with a French tax identification number. French or European students who meet residency requirements in France may be eligible for a state-guaranteed loan (see conditions here).
Through partnerships with Ecole Polytechnique, enrolled students may also apply for a loan without a guarantor. These loans are subject to a maximum amount (which does not cover the full tuition fees) and require approval from the partner bank:
- Preferential-rate loans offered by partner banks (further information will be shared with enrolled students by September);
- 0% interest loans funded by the École Polytechnique Foundation, available to a limited number of students selected based on financial need.
Eligibility criteria for these loans are defined by the partner banks (for example, restriction to students of legal age), and each application is assessed individually.
To give students time to become financially stable and secure employment, repayment typically begins one to two years after leaving Ecole Polytechnique, and may be extended in certain circumstances. Repayment is generally spread over a period of five years, depending on the amount borrowed.