Can you study in France...for free?! We’ve got the 411. ☆ It’s all too easy to get lost dreaming about living in a stunning place like France...soaking up the romance and learning French through the food and history...until you look at the price tag for a typical study abroad program! We get it—everyone dreams of studying abroad in a top place like France, but a lot of programs can come with a hefty price tag because France is so popular. But this is not the case for every type of study abroad option in France, so don’t be easily discouraged!
Studying abroad in France sure does look like a million bucks, but it doesn’t have to cost nearly that much!
Study abroad used to be a rich person’s game, but thanks to new programs constantly popping up and lots of scholarships and grants available, the financial investment is much less than what it used to be to study abroad in France. Price is usually the number one reason why students don’t study abroad, but there are a ton of misconceptions about the real cost and how to realistically pay for it. If you’re eyeing studying abroad in France but are concerned about the price tag, we’ll walk you through how to study in France for free...or close to it!
Can you actually find free study abroad programs in France?
Unfortunately, nothing in life is free, but we can help you study in France for close to free! Unless you are something super fancy like a Fulbright scholar, you’re going to have to cough up some dough to study in France. But, we’ll break down our top tips to help keep the price tag manageable!
Strategies to study in France for free
Anyone on a budget knows there’s a definite strategy behind making your budget and ultimately sticking to it. Meaningful travel is no different, and no one sans unlimited bank account will get there without a set strategy. Studying abroad on the cheaper side takes creativity and hard work, so we’re here to make sure you’re starting out on the right path!
1. Apply for scholarships to study abroad in France
The first way to study in France for free is to apply for free money! Because it’s one of the most popular places to study abroad, rest assured that there are tons of France study abroad scholarships.
Be sure to check first with your home university about general study abroad scholarship information, and ask specifics about scholarships to study abroad in France. If you are a French major or minor, you might also be eligible for departmental scholarships to study abroad in France as well.
[Browse Scholarships for Studying Abroad in France]
Outside of your university, there are also privately-funded and federally-funded scholarships and grants to study in France for international students. One of the most popular is the French Ministry of Higher Education & Research, but there are so many more available, too!
Many study abroad scholarships are not country-specific, so apply for as many general ones as you can along with any France study abroad scholarships.
Everything the light touches will be yours...if you apply for scholarships to study abroad in France.
2. Check out program discounts and scholarships
Meaningful travel providers don’t want to bankrupt you, they want to show you the world! So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many actually offer their own scholarships for program participants.
Most are usually in the ~$500-1,000 range, but some based on academic merit will give you way more. Some program providers will also offer discounts for early applicants, so keep an eye on application due dates and be sure to apply as early as you can.
The early bird really does catch the worm when it comes to study in France for international students for free!
3. Fundraise/crowdsource
With the rise of meaningful travel and online fundraising platforms, it’s a no-brainer that crowdsourcing travel has become popular. If you have a particular goal from studying abroad in France or special backstory to share for why someone should donate to you, don’t hesitate to make a GoFundMe page or something similar.
Did you know that we actually have our own platform to help with this, too? Head to our sister site, FundMyTravel, to make a profile and get started. We really believe in helping to figure out how to study in France for international students for free!
4. Sign up for an internal or university-sponsored program
If your university has a study abroad program in France that’s just for students at your school, chances are any financial aid you’ve been awarded will carry over for this. The bulk of the study abroad cost usually comes from third-party program fees where financial aid doesn’t apply, since they are not part of your university.
Talk to a study abroad advisor at your university to find out what programs are available directly through your school, and if it’s possible to study in France for free...or very close to it.
The views in Paris are priceless, especially if you’re studying in France with financial aid. (Well, kinda.)
5. Get study abroad loans
If your financial aid doesn’t cover your whole program or you’re going with an external program provider, you could also consider taking out additional student loans to help fund your study abroad.
Your university’s financial aid and international education departments can help recommend specific loans to pursue depending on your family’s financial situation.
Be sure to take into consideration things like interest when taking out additional loans; over time you could end up paying a lot more than the program is truly worth (even though we think they’re all priceless!).
[Get More Tips on Managing Study Abroad Loans]
6. Find universities that don’t charge tuition for international students
Did you know that a ton of countries in Europe actually offer free public education? Some even include international students in this, not just residents! France is sort of included in this...they don’t offer free tuition, but it’s enormously cheaper than tuition in the U.S., even for international students!
This requires you enroll directly into the university though, not through a third-party program provider, but if saving money and learning French are your goals, this will surely get you there.
Do your homework though, as it’s not uncommon for study abroad programs to send students to a university that doesn’t charge tuition to international students, but the program charges as if the university does.
Don’t get fooled into paying substantially more for a formal program when you could directly matriculate into the university and pay ~$1,000 instead of ~$10,000!
7. Attend French language schools in lieu of a traditional program
You don’t have to sign up for a ~$20,000 formal program to study abroad in France. Most people think that “study abroad” means you are enrolled at a university for a semester or year paying top-dollar for tuition, but technically anything academic and for any amount of time is considered studying abroad!
One of the best ways to keep the price tag down is to pay à la carte instead of all-inclusive. Skip the traditional program and attend a French language school instead, where you usually just pay for your language classes and housing.
If you want to study French in France for free or as close to it as possible, go right to the source rather than signing up for an English-based program that includes debatably helpful things like an orientation, cultural guide, cooking classes, cultural excursions, and more.
Those activities are fun but programs charge to arrange everything for you, so you’re better off picking exactly what you want within your budget.
You gotta find a way to study in France for international students—it’ll be incredibly worth it.
8. Ask Santa (and your grandma)
Most students who study abroad on a budget do so with a little help from birthday presents, holiday gifts, pre-graduation presents, etc. Don’t underestimate the power of gift-giving to help you figure out how to study abroad in France for free!
If you have a loving grandma who likes to slip you some dough once in awhile or a particularly good relationship with Santa, save that cash to help fund your study abroad.
Some people don’t like just giving cash or a general gift card, but a big help that most people don’t think of gifting are things like airline miles, hotel points, arranging airport transportation, or even just a straight-up gift card for an airline or hotel.
Getting to and from your study abroad destination is often a huge cost for most participants, so anything your friends and family can give will help. Same goes for anything you’ll need once you’re in France...put new luggage, clothes, sneakers, etc. on your Christmas or Hanukkah list.
3 affordable study abroad programs in France
Everyone’s definition of “affordable” is very different, but the below providers offer some of the least expensive program options. From Normandy to Paris to the French Pyrenees, for one month or one year, the below providers will help you study abroad in France in English or French for pretty cheap!
1. World Endeavors
With comprehensive study abroad programs all around the world, World Endeavors is focused on helping you study abroad meaningfully and affordably in France. Their program includes campus housing and access to fun after-class excursions. World Endeavors is not all-inclusive, but fees cover things like orientation, airport pick up, 24/7 emergency support, housing, medical insurance, and more.
2. University Studies Abroad Consortium
USAC is one of our favorite all-inclusive providers to help keep you on budget. Students can sign up for a whole year abroad for about ~$17,000, which is less than what the average semester-long program in France costs. This includes housing and cultural excursions as well, so you’re really getting quite the bang for your buck! USAC offers generous scholarships on top of it and flexible program lengths to help mitigate the cost, so you can choose to stay for three weeks or up to a year in Lyon or Pau.
3. AIFS Abroad
AIFS offers moderately reasonable tuition fees for their study abroad programs. The important thing to remember is that study abroad fees are often comparable to what you would pay for school at home—or less! Whether you want to study in France in English or in French, AIFS Abroad has options. Spend a semester sipping wine in Cannes, a summer in Paris by the Seine, or a multi-country travel program through France plus England and Italy.
[Explore ALL Study Abroad Programs in France]
Figuring out how to study in France for free isn’t science de fusée!
Get out there and find the best way to study in France for free (...or close to it)!
Money is always a daunting thing, but it really shouldn’t be—making it and spending it is within your control! There are always creative ways to fund your study abroad, whether you have a benefactor in the form of grandma, or an awesome side-gig that helps pay your bills. Think outside the box to figure out how to study in France for free (or very inexpensively)!
Get Matched with 5 Affordable Study Abroad Programs in France for FREE
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