Université Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship 2026 | How to Apply

Université Paris-Saclay is one of the strongest research universities in Europe — regularly ranked among the world’s top 20 — and its International Master’s Scholarship reflects that ambition: it’s not a broad-access award, but a merit-based scholarship funnelled through a network of elite affiliated institutions, built specifically to draw students toward doctoral research rather than simply fund a two-year degree.

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If you’re reading this now, the 2026-2027 cycle has already closed on both fronts — the deadline for programme coordinators to select candidates was 25 March 2026, and the final deadline for scholarship applications and references was 31 March 2026. This post lays out exactly how the scholarship works, what it’s genuinely worth once you account for its restrictions, and what to do differently if you’re aiming for the 2027-2028 round.

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Understanding the Paris-Saclay Scholarship

Université Paris-Saclay isn’t a single institution in the traditional sense — it was formed through a partnership of French universities, grandes écoles, and national research institutions, including names like AgroParisTech, CentraleSupélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, and the Institut d’Optique Graduate School, all operating under one umbrella.

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The International Master’s Scholarship exists as part of that university’s internationalisation strategy, aimed at drawing high-achieving foreign students into its master’s programmes and, more specifically, toward continuing into a PhD afterwards — this isn’t incidental framing; PhD intent is an actual evaluation criterion for second-year (M2) applicants.

One structural detail that shapes the entire process: you cannot apply for this scholarship directly. You first secure admission to an eligible master’s programme, and only students that programme’s own coordinators select are invited by email to apply for the scholarship itself. Unsolicited applications aren’t reviewed at all — if you don’t receive that invitation email, there’s no separate submission route that gets you considered.

Université Paris-Saclay International Masters Scholarship Summary

What the Paris-Saclay Scholarship Covers

The award is generous on paper, but several conditions attached to it change how it plays out in practice, so it’s worth understanding the full package rather than just the headline figure:

• €10,000 per year, paid monthly over 10 consecutive months from September to June — not a lump sum, and not paid over the summer months outside the academic year
• Up to €900 per year in travel and visa support, with the exact amount depending on your country of origin rather than a flat rate for everyone
• Administrative support, helping laureates navigate visa and enrollment procedures once in France
• Assistance with accommodation search — worth being precise about what this means: the university helps you search, but cannot guarantee you a reservation, and finding housing remains your own responsibility
• A bonus consideration for refugee students or those with subsidiary protection status, applied in collaboration with UNHCR — a detail that doesn’t appear in most summaries of this scholarship but is directly relevant if it applies to your situation

The detail that catches people off guard: both the scholarship payment and the travel allowance are only released once you’ve physically arrived in France and registered in your programme. There’s no advance payment, which means you need to be able to fund your initial arrival — flights, first arrangements, first weeks of living costs — before any scholarship money reaches you.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be an international student of any nationality
• You must be admitted into an eligible master’s programme at Université Paris-Saclay or one of its affiliated institutions — this covers all academic fields the university is accredited for, except vocational and apprenticeship-based programmes
• You must be enrolling in France for the first time — students who have previously studied in France, even briefly, don’t meet this requirement
• You must be under 30 years old in the year you apply
• You must not receive more than €600 per month from any other funding source — this is checked, and it’s a firm ceiling, not a guideline
• You must not currently hold an Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, an Europa scholarship, or Erasmus Mundus funding — this scholarship cannot be combined with any of those three
• You must be admitted through an institution that’s part of the eligible Université Paris-Saclay network

The eligibility point most applicants misunderstand: this scholarship is available for both first-year (M1) and second-year (M2) master’s students, and M1 recipients can have their funding renewed into M2 — but only if they complete their required credits and are formally admitted into the second year. Renewal isn’t automatic just because you held the scholarship in M1.

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Required Documents

• Admission letter to an eligible master’s programme — this has to already be secured before anything else in the process moves forward, since the scholarship application only opens after admission and coordinator selection
• Online scholarship application form, which only becomes accessible once you receive the invitation email from your programme — there’s no way to access or begin this form beforehand
• Contact details of two referees, if your programme requires them — not every applicant is asked for this, so check what your specific coordinator’s invitation email specifies rather than assuming referees are always needed
• Recommendation forms from referees, submitted directly by your referees rather than by you — this means the timeline depends on how promptly your referees respond, so approach them well before you expect to need the forms, not after you’ve already been invited to apply
• A statement of purpose, and given that PhD intent is an actual evaluation criterion for M2 candidates specifically, this document should speak concretely to your research interests and longer-term academic goals, not just your interest in the master’s programme itself
• Academic records, reflecting your most recent and relevant qualifications

How the Selection Process Works

1. Apply for admission to an eligible master’s programme at Université Paris-Saclay before the relevant deadline.
2. Wait for your programme’s coordinators to select candidates for scholarship consideration — this happens on a separate, earlier timeline from the final scholarship deadline.
3. If selected, you’ll receive an email with a link to the online scholarship application form. No email invitation means no path to apply.
4. Complete the online scholarship application.
5. Provide your referees’ contact details if your programme requires them.
6. Ensure your referees submit their recommendation forms before the final deadline — this is on your referees’ timeline, so follow up with them directly.
7. Wait for evaluation by the scholarship jury, which assesses academic performance, personal project, and — for M2 candidates — PhD motivation.
8. Check your email for the final decision. Jury decisions are final and not open to appeal.

How to Prepare for the Next Application Cycle

Since this cycle has closed on both its selection and final deadlines, the months ahead are for positioning yourself for the 2027-2028 round:

• Apply to your target master’s programme as early as its own admissions cycle allows. The scholarship clock depends entirely on programme admission and coordinator selection happening first, so a late programme application risks missing the scholarship’s own internal deadline even if the programme itself is still accepting applicants.
• Draft your statement of purpose with PhD intent in mind, especially if you’re targeting M2. Since this is an explicit jury evaluation criterion, a statement that reads as interested only in the master’s degree is working against you at the final stage.
• Line up your referees early, and brief them on the timeline in advance, since recommendation forms are submitted directly by them and any delay on their end can jeopardize an otherwise strong application.
• Confirm your funding sources don’t exceed the €600 monthly threshold, and check now whether you hold or are considering any Eiffel, Europa, or Erasmus Mundus funding, since combining any of those with this scholarship isn’t permitted.
• Watch Université Paris-Saclay’s official scholarship page directly once the new year begins, since past cycles have opened around February, though exact dates aren’t fixed year to year.

Deadline

For the 2026-2027 cycle, candidate selection by programme coordinators closed 25 March 2026, and the final deadline for scholarship applications and reference submissions closed 31 March 2026, both at 11:59 p.m. Paris time. Based on this cycle’s timing, expect the 2027-2028 round to follow a similar pattern, opening in the earlier months of the year, though Université Paris-Saclay does not guarantee identical dates annually. Check the university’s official scholarship page directly rather than relying on a fixed date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship fully funded?

It’s substantial but not unconditional. €10,000 per year plus up to €900 in travel support covers meaningful costs, but payment only begins after arrival and registration in France, and you cannot receive more than €600 per month from any other funding source while holding this scholarship.

Can Nigerian students apply?

Yes. The scholarship is open to all countries, so Nigerian nationals are eligible provided they meet every other criterion, including admission to an eligible programme and being under 30 in the year of application.

Can I apply for this scholarship directly, without going through my master’s programme first?

No. There is no direct or unsolicited application route. You must first be admitted to an eligible master’s programme, and only students your programme’s coordinators select receive an email invitation to apply for the scholarship.

What happens if I already missed the 2026-2027 deadline?

Both the coordinator selection and final scholarship deadlines have passed for this cycle. Use the time before the next cycle opens to secure your master’s programme admission early, since the scholarship process depends entirely on that happening first.

Can I hold this scholarship alongside another one, like Erasmus Mundus?

No. The scholarship explicitly cannot be combined with Eiffel Excellence, Europa, or Erasmus Mundus funding, and any other funding source is capped at €600 per month.

Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Université Paris-Saclay website before submitting an application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Université Paris-Saclay.

Official Application Portal