Introduction

The Alliance française de Paris id pleased to announce the 3rd edition of its scholarship programme for people living in exile in France. 

The aim of this initiative is to support people with refugee status, subsidiary or temporary protection, or stateless status en learning French. The purpose of the programme is to encourage the professional or academic integration of scholarship holders upon completion of the course. 

The scholarship programme is open to applicants who have at leat an A1 level. 

The scholarship covers tuition fees at the Alliance française de Paris, as well as the registration fees for the DELF exam, which certifies the level of French attained at the end of the programme. The scholarship does not cover accommodation or living expenses.

Scholarship recipients will be asked to make a contribution of 100 euros, corresponding to the cost of textbooks and enrolments fees for an academic year. This fee will give scholarship holders access to all the cultural activities and workshops offered by Student Life. Most of these activities are free of charge, but some may require a small financial contribution (tickets, transportation, etc.).

The scholarships are funded by the Alliance française de Paris' sponsors: Groupe ADP, L'Oréal and Galeries Lafayette, as well as the Fondation BNP Paribas. Scholarship recipients may be invited to meet representatives of the sponsors at the beginning, during or at the end of the course. 

The call for application is open from May 18, 2026 at 8:00 am to May 24, 2026 at 11:59 pm. After this deadline, no applications will be considered.  

Selected candidates will be notified by mid-September 2026 at the latestn and classes will begin on Monday, September 28, 2026. 

Description of the scholarship

The scholarship enables students to take one of the following two French language courses.

First option: intermediate course (2 scholarships awarded)

This programme is intended for individuals who have already achieved level A1 and wish to continue toward level A2 and B1. 

• Format: semi intensive course

• Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays ans Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm  

• Duration: 8 months (October 2026 - May 2027)    
  

• Objective: to achieve level B1 in French

• Certification at the end of the course: DELF B1

Second option: advanced course (4 scholarships awarded)

This programme is intended for individuals who have already achieved level A2 and wish to continue toward level B1 and B2. 

• Format: semi intensive course

• Schedule: Mondays, Tuesdays ans Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm  

• Duration: 10 months (October 2026 - July 2027)    

• Objective: to achieve level B2 in French

• Certification at the end of the course: DELF B2

 

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must:

1) Have on of the following four statuses: recognized refugee, beneficiary of subsidiary protection, beneficiary of temporary protection, stateless person. 

2) Be available to attend classes seriously and demonstrate consistent commitment and attendance. Unjustified absences by compelling reasons (illness, justified family reasons) must not exceed a total of one week's absence, which is equivalent to 3 days' absences per month. Please note : absences exceeding these limits may result in the scholarship being revoked. 

Selection process

Stage 1: Application submission. Until May 24, 2026, candidates can complete the online application form and upload the required supporting documents.

Stage 2: Placement test. Candidates whose application meets the eligibility criteria will be invited to take a French level test. This will take place in person at the Alliance française de Paris during the first week of June 2026. Please make sure to be available to attend on site during that week before applying.

Stage 4: Allocation of the scholarship. Candidates selected at the interviews will receive confirmation in mid-September 2026. To validate their participation in the programme, they will have to sign the scholarship student charter and pay the participation fee. 

Selection criteria

The applications will be assessed according to the following criteria: 

• The applicant's motivation ;
  

• The importance of learning French in the applicant's academic or professional path ; 

• The applicant's financial situation (preference will be given to applicants with limited financial ressources).