Aix-Marseille University (AMU) offers two scholarship routes for international degree students, and they work very differently. The TIGER Master's Excellence Scholarship pays up to €10,000 for one academic year and has no separate form: you apply to an eligible master's track, and the track coordinators choose the recipients. The Eiffel scholarship pays €1,200 a month at master's level, but AMU must screen you first. AMU's Eiffel deadline is 11 November 2026 at 9:00 a.m. for master's candidates and 25 November 2026 for doctoral candidates. Both awards are partial funding.
Master's: 11 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. Doctorate: 25 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. AMU's page does not name a time zone for these deadlines, so I read them as French time (CET, UTC+1). That equals 1:00 p.m. in Pakistan and 3:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern on the same calendar date. AMU states that late, incomplete or incorrect files are not examined.
- Quick Facts
- TIGER vs Eiffel: Which Route Fits You?
- TIGER Master's Excellence Scholarship
- Eiffel Scholarship at AMU for 2027-2028
- Funding Breakdown and Costs You Still Cover
- Documents You Need
- How to Apply for Eiffel at AMU
- Deadlines and Time Zones
- International Applicant Guidance
- For Pakistani Applicants
- For U.S. Applicants
- After You Are Selected
- Mistakes That Can Sink an AMU Application
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Official Sources and Verification
Tiger and Eiffel Scholarships at AMU: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Provider | Aix-Marseille University (AMU), France. Eiffel is funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and managed by Campus France. |
| Awards covered | TIGER Master's Excellence Scholarship and the France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship (2027-2028 call) |
| Funding type | Partial funding for both awards. Neither is fully funded. |
| TIGER value | Up to €10,000 for one academic year, a reserved room in a CROUS residence (if you finish the formalities on time), and arrival support |
| Eiffel value | €1,200 per month at master's level plus travel support, insurance and housing help. The program does not pay tuition. Doctoral allowance: €2,000 or €2,100 (sources conflict, see the funding section). |
| Levels | TIGER: the master's and engineering tracks on AMU's list. Eiffel at AMU: master's and doctoral levels. |
| Eiffel master's deadline | 11 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. (time zone not stated by AMU) |
| Eiffel doctoral deadline | 25 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. (time zone not stated by AMU) |
| TIGER deadline | No separate scholarship deadline. It follows the application calendar of the master's track you choose. |
| Eiffel study start | Between 1 September and 30 November 2027, with no postponement (Campus France regulations) |
| Language requirement | Set by each program. AMU's scholarship page does not list a test score. |
| Application fee | None mentioned on AMU's scholarship page |
TIGER vs Eiffel: Which Route Fits You?
Many guides blend these two awards into one. They are separate, with different funders, selectors and timelines. This comparison is the quickest way to see which one your profile fits, and you can pursue both if you meet the conditions.
| Question | TIGER | Eiffel |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | AMU | French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, through Campus France |
| Levels | Master's tracks on AMU's list, including some engineering programs | Master's and doctorate at AMU (Campus France also funds engineering programs) |
| Separate scholarship application | No. You apply to the track. | Yes. An AMU online form for master's, or an email file for doctorate. |
| Who selects | Track coordinators | AMU pre-screening, then an external Campus France committee |
| Money | Up to €10,000 for one academic year | €1,200 per month (master's) plus services |
| Length | One academic year | Up to 12 months (M2), 24 months (M1) or 36 months (engineering). Doctorate: 12, 18 or 36 months. |
| Age and residence rules | None stated in AMU's TIGER section | Master's: born after 31 March 1997 and not living in France. Doctorate: born after 31 March 1991. |
| Tuition | Non-EU students still pay differentiated fees | Not paid by the program, but the regulations exempt government scholarship holders at public institutions for national degrees (confirm with AMU) |
| Holding both | The pages I read do not say. Ask AMU if you could be selected for both. | Cannot be combined with another French government, Erasmus+ or AUF scholarship |
TIGER asks you for nothing extra, so the real work is a strong application to your master's track. Eiffel is the opposite: the paperwork is light, but AMU's cutoff falls in November, well before Campus France's own early-January submission window (see our Eiffel Excellence Scholarship guide for the national picture). If you miss AMU's date, Campus France never sees your file.
AMU also lists a third scheme, the AMIDEX incoming-mobility grant. It only works inside a short list of programs funded by the AMIDEX foundation, covers study or internship stays of at least two months, and is arranged through the program coordinator. AMU's page says the foundation does not choose the students. Ask your track coordinator whether your program is on that list.
TIGER Master's Excellence Scholarship
TIGER exists to attract excellent international students into AMU master's programs. AMU says selection is demanding: only applications judged excellent are retained. If you hear nothing about an award, AMU says to assume you were not selected, so do not wait on the scholarship before planning your other options.
What TIGER pays
- Up to €10,000 from AMU for one academic year
- A room reserved in a CROUS university residence, provided you complete the formalities within the deadlines
- Support from AMU on arrival in France and throughout your stay
AMU states that a TIGER award does not exempt non-EU students from differentiated registration fees. You still pay them to enroll. AMU's English fees page (accessed 31 October 2026) says the 2025-2026 master's amount was €3,941 and that 2026-2027 amounts are being updated after Decree No. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026, so check the current figure before you budget.
Eligible TIGER master's tracks
AMU lists the tracks below. Names are shortened from AMU's French page, and some tracks are delivered with partners such as Ecole Centrale Marseille or through Erasmus Mundus. Check the exact track title on AMU's page before you apply.
| Field | Eligible tracks |
|---|---|
| Sciences |
|
| Medical and paramedical sciences |
|
| Arts, letters, languages and human sciences |
|
| Economics and management |
|
| Law and political science |
|
| Universe and environmental sciences |
|
| Engineering (Polytech Marseille) |
|
How TIGER selection works
Pick one from the list above.
Submit the master's application on the platform that matches your situation. AMU's application page decides which platform applies to you.
They review files and choose the recipients. There is no separate scholarship form.
You get an admission letter, and if you are chosen, a TIGER award letter. No award letter means you were not selected.
AMU's scholarship page lists no English or French test score. Each master's track sets its own language requirement, so read the track page on the official AMU site again right before you apply.
Eiffel Scholarship at AMU for 2027-2028
Eiffel is a French government excellence program. Students cannot apply to Campus France directly. A French institution has to back you, and AMU runs its own first screening before it forwards files to Campus France for external review. AMU's call opened on 2 October 2026.
Who qualifies
| Rule | Master's level | Doctoral level |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Not a French national | Not a French national |
| Date of birth | After 31 March 1997 | After 31 March 1991 |
| Residence | Must not live in France when applying | Allowed, but candidates living abroad get priority |
| Earlier Eiffel attempts | Never applied to Campus France for this scholarship | Never applied to Campus France for this scholarship at this level |
| How to apply | AMU online form with one merged PDF | Email the complete file to AMU's international relations office |
| Deadline | 11 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. | 25 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. |
Eligible fields
Four fields
Biology and health; ecological transition; mathematics and digital technology; engineering sciences.
Three fields
History, French language and civilization; law and political science; economics and management.
AMU's Eiffel section names these seven fields but does not publish a list of eligible tracks the way it does for TIGER. If your program sits in one of the fields, ask AMU whether it is eligible before you rely on it.
Funding Breakdown and Costs You Still Cover
| Cost | TIGER | Eiffel (master's) |
|---|---|---|
| Living allowance | Part of the up to €10,000 total (AMU does not say how it is paid) | €1,200 per month, paid from your arrival date |
| International airfare | Not mentioned | Reimbursed against receipts, capped at 50% of the ministry's maximum rate for your country |
| Domestic travel | Not mentioned | Second-class train or bus from the arrival airport to your study city |
| Health insurance | Not mentioned | Temporary cover through Campus France, then French social security, then free supplementary cover once you send proof of enrollment |
| Housing | Reserved CROUS room if formalities are done on time | Campus France offers CROUS or private housing, or you can arrange your own |
| Tuition | Non-EU students still pay differentiated fees | Not paid by the program. The regulations exempt government scholarship holders at public institutions for national degrees. |
| Language training | Not mentioned | Up to one month from August, only if declared in the application. The course fee is yours. |
Illustrative math (my analysis, not an official figure). An Eiffel M2 award runs at most 12 months, so 12 x €1,200 = €14,400 in allowances. An M1 award runs at most 24 months, so 24 x €1,200 = €28,800. TIGER is capped at €10,000 for one year. If a non-EU TIGER student paid a differentiated fee equal to AMU's 2025-2026 master's amount of €3,941, up to about €6,059 would remain for housing, food and insurance. These numbers assume the maximum award, full duration, no suspension and today's allowance rates. Your actual amounts may differ.
The English regulations for Eiffel, which govern recipients, state €2,000 per month for doctoral scholars effective 1 January 2026. A Campus France program page for students lists €2,100 for the same date. I could not resolve the difference, so confirm the current amount with AMU or Campus France before you plan a budget.
Also note the first allowance is paid only after you start studying at the host institution, so arrive with savings for your first weeks.
Documents You Need
Eiffel master's file
CV
Your academic path and any work experience.
Motivation letter
Explain your professional project. Our motivation letter guide can help you structure it.
Transcripts and diplomas
Transcripts for your last three years, plus copies of your latest diplomas that show excellent results.
Recommendation letter
A letter from a referee who knows your work.
AMU asks you to merge everything into a single PDF and name it using your surname and first name in the "NOM.Prénom" format. You upload it when you submit the contact form, and AMU asks you not to add anything else, such as ID documents. The page states no file-size limit, so if the form rejects your PDF, try our PDF compressor.
Eiffel doctoral file
Doctoral files are heavier and go by email. AMU requires these items:
- Passport or ID copy
- CV in French or English
- Latest diplomas with your ranking or other proof of academic excellence
- Transcripts for the last three years
- A professional project of 1 to 2 pages explaining why you want to study in France
- A thesis project and research progress summary of 1 to 5 pages, covering objectives, hypotheses, novelty and impact
- A reasoned opinion on the scientific quality of the thesis topic from a professor or research director outside AMU, with that expert's CV
- An overall funding plan for the thesis
- A cotutelle agreement or co-supervision certificate signed by the French and foreign parties (not needed for first-year candidates requesting a 36-month Eiffel award)
How to Apply for Eiffel at AMU
For master's candidates, AMU's process has four steps of its own. The diagram below adds what happens after your file leaves AMU's hands.
When you open the form, AMU asks for the faculty, institute or school of your program and its exact French title, so note both beforehand. Submit through AMU's master's contact form, uploading your merged PDF in the same step. If you are shortlisted, AMU contacts you before 11 December 2026. If you are not contacted by then, AMU says your application was not retained.
Doctoral route in five steps
Ask the school for your field about its admission conditions.
You need a thesis director inside the university.
Use the document list above.
Send it to dri-bourse-eiffel@univ-amu.fr with your supervisor in copy. Use the subject line "Bourse Eiffel Doctorat – Candidature complète". Your supervisor collects the opinions of the lab director and the doctoral school director, which are required fields.
AMU's international relations office sends you access to the online application file and the next instructions.
Deadlines and Time Zones
The official time zone is not stated. Conversions below assume French time (CET, UTC+1), which applies after France moved to winter time on 25 October 2026, and U.S. standard time, which applies after 1 November 2026.
| Stage | Date | Pakistan (PKT) | U.S. Eastern (EST) | U.S. Pacific (PST) | UK (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffel call opens | 2 October 2026 | Already open | Already open | Already open | Already open |
| Candidate webinar | 21 October 2026, 11:00 French time | Already held | Already held | Already held | Already held |
| Master's deadline | 11 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m., 11 Nov | 3:00 a.m., 11 Nov | 12:00 a.m., 11 Nov | 8:00 a.m., 11 Nov |
| Doctoral deadline | 25 November 2026, 9:00 a.m. | 1:00 p.m., 25 Nov | 3:00 a.m., 25 Nov | 12:00 a.m., 25 Nov | 8:00 a.m., 25 Nov |
| Master's notice of shortlisting (latest) | 11 December 2026 | Date only | Date only | Date only | Date only |
AMU publishes no final result date for Campus France's external decision. TIGER has no scholarship deadline of its own, so track the closing date of your chosen master's program. You can add these dates to our Application Deadline Tracker.
International Applicant Guidance
- Nationality: AMU's Eiffel conditions exclude only French nationals. They do not restrict by country otherwise, and AMU describes TIGER as open to excellent international students.
- Residence: a master's Eiffel candidate must not be living in France on the application date. If you are on an exchange in France, you do not qualify at that level.
- Age: for master's, you must be born after 31 March 1997. For doctorate, after 31 March 1991.
- Fee status: non-EU students are the group affected by differentiated tuition fees, and TIGER does not remove them. EU, EEA and Swiss students are not in that group, so the fee warning matters less for them.
- One chance: Eiffel is a one-attempt scholarship at each level, so do not submit a rushed file.
For Pakistani Applicants
Pakistan is not excluded from either award. The practical issues are timing and the two application channels. The AMU Eiffel form and the Études en France procedure are separate. Our Campus France application guide gives the 2026-2027 Pakistan deadline as 18 November 2026, which is a different date from AMU's 11 November Eiffel cutoff. AMU's own application page points you to a platform based on your situation, so confirm there which one covers your TIGER application.
- Time: the AMU master's deadline is 1:00 p.m. in Pakistan on 11 November, assuming French time. Submit the day before.
- Transcripts: AMU asks for three years of results and your latest diplomas. A four-year BS means your final three years.
- Extra attestations: AMU's master's page lists none and asks you not to add unrequested documents. If you think an attestation or translation is needed, ask AMU first and do not rely on agents.
- Local help: Campus France Pakistan has an official website for guidance.
For U.S. Applicants
U.S. citizens and residents are not French nationals, so Eiffel is open to them, and TIGER is open to international students. Three points change the plan for a U.S. applicant.
- Cutoff time: 9:00 a.m. French time is 3:00 a.m. Eastern and midnight Pacific on 11 November. Treat the evening of 10 November as your real deadline.
- Fees: U.S. citizens are non-EU students, so differentiated fees are the default for a TIGER student unless AMU grants an exemption. FAFSA does not apply to this process.
- Records: AMU asks for three years of transcripts and your latest diplomas, so order your registrar copies early. Do not send ID with the master's file.
If you are on a study-abroad term in France when you apply, you do not meet the master's Eiffel residence condition.
After You Are Selected
These rules come from the Campus France Eiffel regulations. They apply once Campus France confirms your award.
- Start your studies at the host institution between 1 September and 30 November 2027. The start date cannot be postponed.
- Send Campus France your enrollment certificate, and proof of enrollment in French social security within two months of arrival. Payments can be suspended if the proof is missing by the start of the third month.
- You must stay enrolled at AMU in the program named in your application. A change is allowed only within the same field and at the same institution.
- Signing an apprenticeship or work-study contract ends the scholarship automatically, and a doctoral contract with employee status is incompatible with it.
- Return the progress reports Campus France sends twice a year, signed by your institution.
For your student visa and arrival checklist, use Campus France's official visa and residence permit page. I have not verified country-specific visa steps for this post.
Mistakes That Can Sink an AMU Application
- Treating TIGER as a form you can still file. There is no separate form. Your master's track application is the scholarship application.
- Assuming TIGER pays your tuition. AMU says non-EU students still pay differentiated fees.
- Missing the 9:00 a.m. cutoff. The deadline is a morning time, so an "end of day" plan fails.
- Sending extra files. AMU asks master's candidates not to add anything beyond the requested documents, and incomplete files are not examined.
- Using the wrong program title. The form asks for the exact French title and the faculty, institute or school.
- Applying while living in France. A master's candidate who lives in France does not meet AMU's rule.
- Waiting for Campus France's January window. AMU's internal deadline comes first.
- Using an old call. Dates here are for the 2027-2028 call. Do not reuse an earlier year's schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the TIGER and Eiffel scholarships the same award at Aix-Marseille University?
No. TIGER is a master's excellence scholarship funded by Aix-Marseille University itself. Eiffel is a French government program managed by Campus France, and AMU only screens candidates and forwards the strongest files to Campus France for external evaluation.
Do I need a separate application for the TIGER scholarship?
No. AMU says there is no separate scholarship procedure. You apply to one of the eligible master's tracks, the track coordinators choose the scholars, and you receive an award letter if you are selected. If no award notification arrives, AMU says to treat the application as unsuccessful.
What is the Eiffel deadline at Aix-Marseille University for 2027?
AMU's deadline is 11 November 2026 at 9:00 a.m. for master's candidates and 25 November 2026 at 9:00 a.m. for doctoral candidates. AMU's page does not name a time zone, so I read the times as French time. Master's candidates who are shortlisted are contacted by 11 December 2026.
How much does the TIGER scholarship pay?
AMU funds up to €10,000 for one academic year and reserves a room in a CROUS university residence if you complete the housing formalities on time. The award does not remove differentiated tuition fees for non-EU students, who still have to pay them to enroll.
How much does the Eiffel scholarship pay?
The master's allowance is €1,200 per month, plus airfare reimbursed up to 50% of the ministry's maximum rate, domestic travel, insurance and housing help. The program does not pay tuition. For doctoral candidates, the regulations say €2,000 per month while a Campus France program page says €2,100, so confirm the figure before budgeting.
Can I apply for Eiffel at AMU if I already live in France?
Not at master's level, because AMU requires master's candidates not to live in France when they apply. At doctoral level you may apply, but candidates living abroad are given priority over those living in France.
Are the TIGER and Eiffel scholarships fully funded?
No. TIGER is capped at €10,000 for one year, and Eiffel pays a monthly allowance plus services but not tuition. Both are partial funding, so plan for living costs, fees and any expenses the award does not cover.
Can I hold the Eiffel scholarship together with another scholarship?
Not with another French government scholarship, an Erasmus+ scholarship or an Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie scholarship. If you win two of these, you must decline one of them.
Official Sources and Verification
- AMU: scholarships and financial aid for international students (French page)
- AMU: scholarships and financial aid (English version, seen in search results, not opened)
- AMU Faculty of Economics and Management: 2027 Eiffel call for applications
- Campus France: France Excellence Eiffel scholarship program
- Campus France: Eiffel regulations 2027 (English PDF)
- AMU: differentiated tuition fees (English, seen in search results)
Last verified: 31 October 2026. Facts that conflict or are unconfirmed are flagged in the text. If an official page changes, I update this post and its date.
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