Introduction

The Alliance française de Paris is pleased to announce the 2nd edition of its scholarship program for people living in exile in France.

This initiative, funded by the Major Patrons of the Alliance française de Paris, aims to support French language learning for people with refugee, subsidiary and temporary protection status, or who are stateless. The purpose of the program is to encourage the professional or academic integration of scholarship holders upon completion of the course.

The scholarship program is open to complete beginners and learners of all proficiency levels.

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 program. Please note that 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 enrolment fees for a 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 Major Patrons of the Alliance française de Paris: Galeries Lafayette, Groupe ADP, L'Oréal, and Kering. 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 applications is open until June 30, 2025, and only the first 50 applications will be considered.

The laureates will be notified by mid September 2025 at the latest, and the classes will begin on Monday, September 29, 2025.

Description of the scholarship

The scholarship enables students to enroll in one of the following two French language courses:

First option: advanced course (4 scholarships awarded)

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

● Format: semi-intensive course

● Schedule: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

● Duration: 4 to 6 months (October 2025 - January/March 2026)

● Objective: to achieve level B1/B2 in French

● Certification at the end of the course: DELF B1/B2

Second option: course for beginners (2 scholarships awarded)

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

● Format: semi-intensive course

● Schedule: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.

● Duration: 8 months (October 2025 - May 2026)

● Objective: to achieve level B1 in French

● Certification at the end of the course: DELF B1

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must:

1) Hold one of the following four statuses: Statutory refugee, Beneficiary of subsidiary protection, Beneficiary of temporary protection, Stateless person.

2) Be available to attend classes seriously and commit to regular attendance. Absences not justified by imperative reasons (illness, justified family reasons) must not exceed a total of one week's absence, which is equivalent to 3 days' absence per month. Please note that absences exceeding this limit may lead to your scholarship being revoked.   

Selection process

Stage 1: Application submission. Until June 30, 2025, candidates can complete the online application form and upload the required supporting documents.

Stage 2: Individual interviews. Shortlisted candidates are contacted and invited to an interview in July or August, 2025, with members of the selection jury.

Stage 3: Allocation of the scholarship. Candidates selected at the interviews receive confirmation in mid September, 2025, at the latest. To validate their participation in the program, they will have to take a placement test, register, sign the student charter and pay the participatory contribution. 

Selection criteria

The applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

● The applicant's motivation;

● The significance of the French language course in the applicant's personal, academic, or professional trajectory;

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