Families with children of French nationality enrolled in eligible French schools abroad have an opportunity to apply for financial assistance toward school fees under the French school scholarship programme. The scheme is designed to support eligible families with the cost of educating French children in schools approved by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) or the Mission Laïque Française.
The scholarship programme operates on a means-tested basis, meaning that eligibility and the level of assistance awarded depend on the financial circumstances of the family and the applicable assessment scale. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, an eligible child may receive support covering all or part of the relevant school fees.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, the second application period for school scholarships is now open. Families falling within the categories applicable to the second scholarship campaign are required to submit complete applications before September 24, 2026.
The second campaign does not constitute a general reopening of applications for every family that missed the first application period. It is specifically intended for families whose circumstances meet the conditions established for consideration during the second Consular Council process. Applicants should therefore review the conditions carefully before submitting an application.
The scholarship information was originally published on June 24, 2025 and was updated on August 5, 2026.
About the French School Scholarship Programme
The French school scholarship programme provides financial assistance to eligible families whose French children attend approved French educational institutions abroad.
The assistance is intended to reduce the financial burden associated with school enrolment and education. However, receiving a scholarship is not automatic. Applications are assessed according to the programme’s eligibility criteria and the financial circumstances of individual households.
A family may qualify for assistance covering all or part of the applicable school fees according to the established assessment scale.
Scholarship applications are reviewed annually. Consequently, receiving financial assistance during one academic year does not guarantee that the same assistance, or any assistance, will automatically be awarded during a subsequent academic year.
Families are therefore required to follow the applicable application and assessment procedures for the relevant scholarship campaign.
How the Scholarship Funding Is Paid
Successful applicants do not receive the scholarship money directly.
The scholarship amount awarded is paid by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) directly to the school attended by the child. The school subsequently deducts the approved scholarship amount from the fees payable by the family.
This arrangement means that the scholarship functions as direct assistance toward eligible education-related costs rather than as a cash payment to parents or guardians.
The amount of financial support awarded depends on the assessment and decision made through the scholarship allocation process.
Expenses That May Be Covered
The school scholarship may cover all or part of tuition and registration fees.
Depending on the scholarship assessment and applicable arrangements, additional education-related expenses may also be considered, including school transport and textbooks.
The scholarship programme therefore focuses on costs directly associated with a child’s formal schooling and access to the approved educational institution.
Families should note that the level of assistance can differ from one application to another because scholarship eligibility is subject to means testing and the applicable scale.
Applicants should not assume that all educational expenses will automatically be covered simply because a scholarship has been awarded.
Expenses Not Covered by the Scholarship
The scholarship does not cover the cost of extracurricular activities.
Families should distinguish between expenses directly associated with eligible schooling and activities that fall outside the scope of the scholarship programme.
The scholarship award is intended primarily to assist with recognised education-related costs. Parents and guardians may therefore remain responsible for expenses that are not included within the scholarship framework.
Before making financial arrangements for the academic year, families should take into account the possibility that some school-related or extracurricular costs will remain payable even where scholarship assistance has been approved.
Important Requirement: School Registration Is Separate
Parents and guardians should ensure that their children are registered with the relevant school.
Submitting a scholarship application does not constitute school registration, and applying for admission or registering a child at a school does not automatically constitute an application for a scholarship.
The two procedures are independent.
Families are therefore expected to complete the school’s registration or enrolment requirements separately from the scholarship application process.
This distinction is particularly important for children who will be entering an eligible school during the forthcoming academic year. Parents should not delay the school registration process while waiting for the outcome of a scholarship application.
Similarly, the submission of a scholarship application should not be interpreted as confirmation that a school place has been secured.
Eligibility for French School Scholarships Abroad
The programme is intended for children of French nationality enrolled in a French school approved by the AEFE or by the Mission Laïque Française, subject to the applicable conditions and means testing.
Scholarship assistance is not guaranteed.
Applications are considered according to a scale that determines eligibility and the extent of financial assistance that may be awarded. The family’s financial circumstances form an important part of the assessment.
Applicants should therefore provide complete and accurate information as required during the application process.
Families should also be aware that eligibility is reviewed annually. Previous receipt of a scholarship should not be interpreted as an automatic entitlement to assistance during the 2026/2027 academic year or any subsequent academic year.
The relevant authorities review applications before decisions concerning scholarship allocations and amounts are made.
Application Procedure
Families seeking financial assistance are required to complete the relevant scholarship application process and provide the necessary supporting documentation.
Completed applications, together with all required supporting documents, may be submitted through the Scolaide platform or directly to the consulate according to the applicable scholarship campaign arrangements.
Applicants should ensure that their submissions are complete.
Because scholarship decisions depend on an assessment of the circumstances presented in an application, families should provide the documentation requested as part of the procedure.
An incomplete application or missing supporting documentation may affect the consideration of an application. Applicants should therefore review the submission requirements carefully before completing the process.
The scholarship application remains separate from the child’s school registration procedure.
2026/2027 Scholarship Campaign
The second application period for school scholarships for the 2026/2027 academic year is currently open.
Complete applications must be submitted before:
September 24, 2026
This deadline applies to the second scholarship campaign described in the current notice.
Families considering an application should pay particular attention to the eligibility restrictions associated with this stage of the campaign because the second application period is not intended to provide an unrestricted second opportunity to every family that failed to participate in the first campaign.
Only applications falling within the categories specified for the second campaign are concerned at this stage.
Who Can Apply During the Second Scholarship Campaign?
The second campaign applies to specific categories of families whose circumstances justify consideration after the first scholarship application period.
The categories identified for consideration are as follows:
1. Families Who Settled in the Country After the First Campaign Deadline
The second application period may consider families who came to settle in the country after the deadline for submitting applications during the first scholarship campaign.
This provision recognises that such families may not have been in a position to participate in the first campaign because they had not yet settled in the country when the original application deadline applied.
Families falling within this category should ensure that their applications are complete and submitted before the September 24, 2026 deadline.
2. Families Whose Financial Situation Has Changed Significantly
Families who were already settled within the relevant constituency may be considered during the second campaign where their financial situation has changed significantly since the closing of the first scholarship campaign.
This category provides an opportunity for substantially changed financial circumstances to be considered during the later stage of the scholarship process.
The programme remains means-tested, and the assessment of applications determines whether assistance will be awarded and, where applicable, the amount of support.
3. Families Requesting a Review of an Earlier Decision
The second campaign may also consider families requesting a review of the decision taken following the first scholarship campaign.
This enables eligible families to have an earlier scholarship decision reconsidered through the second Consular Council process.
A request for review remains subject to the applicable procedures and subsequent decision-making process.
Families Generally Not Eligible to Submit a New Application During the Second Campaign
Families that were already settled within the district but did not submit a scholarship application during the first campaign generally cannot submit an application during the second Consular Council process.
The second campaign should therefore not be regarded simply as an extension of the first application deadline.
An exception may apply in duly justified cases of force majeure.
Families that missed the first campaign but do not fall within one of the specified categories should therefore carefully consider the restrictions before attempting to submit an application during this stage.
The second campaign is principally designed to address new circumstances, significant changes in financial circumstances and requests for review rather than ordinary late applications.
Annual Scholarship Application Schedule
The French school scholarship programme follows a structured annual process involving applications, review by the Consular Council, consideration by the National Scholarship Commission and communication of final decisions to families.
Understanding this schedule can assist applicants in following the different stages of the process.
January to March: Main Application Period
The main application period concerns children who are currently enrolled in school as well as children who will be enrolled during the following academic year.
During this period, families prepare their applications and supporting documents.
Completed applications, together with the required supporting documents, are submitted through the Scolaide platform or directly to the consulate.
Families applying during this period should also remember that the scholarship procedure is independent of school registration.
Spring: First Consular Council Meeting
During spring, the first meeting of the Consular Council takes place.
The Consular Council examines the applications and issues an opinion. It also makes proposals that are subsequently submitted for consideration by the National Scholarship Commission.
This represents an important review stage, but it is not the final allocation decision.
Applicants therefore have to wait for the subsequent National Scholarship Commission process before scholarship allocations and amounts are determined.
June: National Scholarship Commission Decision
In June, the National Scholarship Commission considers the scholarship applications and decides on scholarship allocations and the amounts to be awarded.
The Commission’s decision determines which applications receive assistance and the level of support provided.
Because the programme is means-tested and scholarship awards are not guaranteed, applicants should not make assumptions regarding the outcome before the formal decision has been communicated.
Before the Start of the School Year: Families Are Notified
Before the beginning of the school year, families are individually informed of the decision made by the Commission.
The notification enables applicants to establish whether their scholarship application has been successful and the amount of assistance awarded where applicable.
Successful families should remember that the scholarship funds are not paid directly to them. AEFE pays the approved scholarship amount directly to the school, which deducts the relevant amount from the child’s eligible school fees.
October to November: Second Consular Council Meeting
The second Consular Council meeting takes place during October and November.
Unlike the first campaign, this stage considers only specified categories of applications.
These include applications from families that settled in the country after the first campaign deadline, families already established in the constituency whose financial circumstances have changed significantly since the first campaign closed, and families seeking a review of an earlier decision.
Families already settled in the district that simply failed to apply during the first campaign cannot generally submit an application during the second campaign unless there is a duly justified case of force majeure.
December: Second National Scholarship Commission Decision
Following the second Consular Council process, the National Scholarship Commission considers the relevant applications in December.
The Commission then decides on scholarship allocations and the amounts to be awarded.
This provides the formal decision-making stage for applications considered during the second scholarship campaign.
January: Notification of Second Campaign Decisions
Families are notified of the Commission’s decisions in January.
Applicants considered during the second campaign should therefore follow the relevant communication channels and await the formal notification concerning the outcome of their applications.
Scholarship Assessment and Decision-Making
A submitted scholarship application does not constitute an automatic approval.
The programme operates according to an established eligibility scale and means-testing process. Applications undergo review before proposals and final decisions are made.
The Consular Council plays an important role in reviewing applications and issuing opinions and proposals. The National Scholarship Commission subsequently decides on the allocation of scholarships and determines the applicable amounts.
This multi-stage process means families should distinguish between submitting an application, having an application reviewed and receiving a final scholarship decision.
Only after the appropriate decision-making process has been completed will families receive formal notification of the outcome.
Scholarship Renewal and Annual Review
Receiving a school scholarship during one academic year does not create an automatic entitlement to assistance in subsequent years.
Scholarship eligibility is reviewed annually.
Families that continue to require assistance should therefore follow the scholarship procedures applicable to the relevant academic year rather than assuming that a previous award will automatically continue.
Changes in household circumstances may also affect the level of support for which a family is eligible.
As the programme is means-tested, the scholarship amount may vary depending on the circumstances assessed for the particular campaign.
Information for Families Preparing an Application
Families intending to apply during the second 2026/2027 scholarship campaign should first establish whether they fall within one of the categories permitted at this stage.
Those who qualify should prepare a complete application together with all supporting documents required under the scholarship procedure.
Applicants should also ensure that the child’s school registration is handled separately because the scholarship application does not replace the school’s enrolment process.
Where the application concerns a significant change in financial circumstances or a request for review, the information and documentation submitted should correspond to the basis on which the application is being considered.
Families should retain awareness of the September 24, 2026 submission deadline and complete the procedure within the required timeframe.
Key Details for the 2026/2027 Second Scholarship Campaign
Programme: French School Scholarships Abroad
Academic year: 2026/2027
Target beneficiaries: Eligible children of French nationality enrolled in qualifying French schools abroad
School eligibility: French schools approved by the AEFE or Mission Laïque Française
Financial assistance: All or part of eligible school fees, depending on assessment
Assessment basis: Means-tested and subject to the applicable eligibility scale
Payment method: Scholarship funds are paid by AEFE directly to the school
Current campaign: Second scholarship application period
Application deadline: September 24, 2026
Application channels: Scolaide platform or direct submission to the consulate, according to the applicable procedure
Scholarship guarantee: An application does not guarantee an award
Renewal: Scholarship eligibility is reviewed annually
Application Deadline
Eligible families intending to participate in the second 2026/2027 school scholarship campaign should ensure that complete applications and the required supporting documents are submitted before September 24, 2026.
The deadline is particularly important because the second campaign operates within a defined annual review schedule. Applications are subsequently considered through the Consular Council and National Scholarship Commission processes.
Families should also confirm that they meet one of the conditions applicable to the second campaign before submitting their documentation.
Application Submission
Applications for the second 2026/2027 French school scholarship campaign should be completed in accordance with the prescribed application procedure.
Applicants may submit completed applications and supporting documents through the Scolaide platform or directly to the consulate, as provided under the scholarship process.
Parents and guardians should complete the scholarship application separately from the child’s school registration and ensure that the relevant application is complete before submission.
The current second application period closes on September 24, 2026.
