Introduction

The Alliance française de Paris is pleased to announce the launch of a scholarship program for individuals living in exile in France. 

This initiative aims to assist those with refugee, subsidiary, or temporary protection status, as well as stateless individuals, in learning French. The goal of the program is to facilitate the professional or academic integration of scholarship recipients in France upon completion of the course.

The scholarship program is open to both complete beginners  who aim to get an A2 certification and individuals who have already achieved a B1 level in French.

The scholarship covers tuition fees at the Alliance française de Paris and the registration fees for the DELF A2 or B2 exam, which certifies the level of French attained at the end of the course. Please note that the scholarship does not cover accommodation or living expenses.

Scholarship recipients will be required to contribute 100 euros, which covers the cost of textbooks and enrollment fees for the academic year. This fee will also grant scholarship holders access to all cultural activities and workshops offered by Student Life.

The scholarships are funded by sponsors of the Alliance française de Paris: Groupe ADP, L'Oréal, and Kering. Scholarship recipients may have the opportunity to meet representatives of the sponsors at the beginning, during, or at the end of the programme.

The call for applications is open until July 31, 2024, and only the first 50 applications will be considered.

Successful candidates will be notified by mid-September 2024, and classes will commence at the beginning of October.

Description of the scholarship

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

First option: course for beginners (3 scholarships awarded)

● Format: semi-intensive course

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

● Duration: 6 months (October 2024 - March 2025)

● Objective: to achieve level A2 in French

● Certification at the end of the course: DELF A2

Second option: course for people who have already acquired level B1 (6 scholarships awarded)

● Format: intensive OR semi-intensive course as chosen by the student

● Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. if intensive course OR Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. if semi-intensive course

● Duration: 3 months if intensive course (October 2024 - December 2024) OR 6 months if semi-intensive course (October 2024 - March 2025)

● 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) 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 diligently and commit to regular attendance. Unjustified absences (excluding imperative reasons such as illness or justified family matters) must not exceed one week's absence in total, equivalent to 3 days per month for semi-intensive courses and 5 days per month for intensive courses. Please note: exceeding these limits may result in the revocation of the scholarship.

Selection process

Stage 1: Application submission. Candidates complete the online application form and attach the required supporting documents.

Stage 2: Individual interviews. Shortlisted candidates are contacted and invited to an interview with members of the selection jury.

Stage 3: Allocation of the scholarship. Candidates selected at the interviews receive confirmation in mid-September. To validate their participation in the programme, they will have to sign the charter of the scholarship recipient 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). 

Please note: the application period is now closed. 

A program funded by the Grands mécènes of the Alliance française de Paris