2016/2017 scholarships : deadline 15 March !

The French embassy in Tallinn will grant, subject to budgetary availability, for the academic year 2016/2017, scholarships to students willing to pursue all or part of their university studies in France in higher educational institutions authorized to deliver national diplomas.

The concerned courses cover only:

• The academic year equivalent to a second year of Master’s degree or leading to a national diploma of an equivalent level, according to diplomas delivered by the French host institutions.
• Doctoral studies.

Application requirements  

• To be an Estonian citizen, for those without citizenship, be a legal resident;
• To hold a recognized higher education diploma allowing to sign in to one of the aimed courses in France;
• To have, a sufficient knowledge of the French language (qualification in French language); this is subject to exceptions (for example, course carried out in English by the host institution or agreement with the French host laboratory to supervise research in a different language than French),
• To be enrolled or about to enroll for the start of the next academic year in one of the required education levels.

For studies aiming at acquiring a French Master’s degree national diploma, scholarships will be granted for 9 months and will not be subject to any extension once the consent has been given for a specified given time during the concerned academic year. Most of the courses starting in October, scholarships will be granted on the the first day of this month, subject to exceptions, and will not go further than the end of June 2017. 

Concerning doctoral studies, thesis under joint management or joint supervision will be privileged. Scholarships will be granted at a rate of a trimester or an academic semester per academic year. Every applicant must specify in their application file the concerned period of time (starting and ending dates of the stay in France). Scholarships will be granted starting from the first day of the dates specified by the applicant.

Subject to budgetary availability, renewal of the doctoral scholarship during the academic period is conditioned to a renewal application and to the presentation of the progress of work by the applicant, validated by their thesis director. 

Scholarships granted by the French government are equivalent to a monthly maintenance allowance of about 770€ for a second year of Master’s degree or a Doctorate degree paid directly to the scholarship holder. It is aimed at covering accommodation expenses and common costs. Every scholarship holder benefit a social security coverage as well as tariff advantages linked to their status (including university housing opportunities). The scholarship’s vocation is not to cover all or part of of the tuition fees, it can only be attributed to applicants enrolled in a higher education institution that is not requiring any tuition fees for the aimed courses.

Registration procedure

1- By Wednesday, April 15, 2016, strict deadline, submitting or sending, date as per postmark , to the following address : 

Mrs Anne CHOUNET-CAMBAS
Service Culturel et de Coopération de l’Ambassade de France
(Toom Nuninga 20, Tallinn, phone : 6161640, telecopy : 6161644)

The application file (in French or in English for courses in English) must include: 

• a curriculum vitae;
• a copy of the highest academic diploma obtained,
• a certificate of the followed program by the Estonian university along with a support letter by the program’s director;
• a certificate of pre-registration to the French higher education institution or for doctoral degrees students, a letter of the laboratory manager or the director of the research unit committed to welcoming the doctoral student and directing his research;
• a letter from the Estonian employer for the professionally active applicants allowing a study leave.

The letter from the Estonian employer for professionally active applicants and the certificate of pre-registration can be provided after the application has been submitted. 

At the same time, the applicant will start the necessary process to obtain a certificate of pre-registration of the higher education institution they wish to attend. 

2- first selection will be made on April 20, 2016.  
3- final selection interviews will be organized starting April 27, 2016.

The application will only be validated after receiving the certificate of registration or pre-registration in a French higher education institution.