Study in France

France is more economical for international students; the country offers a great multicultural study experience, bringing together cultures from all over the world. The French education system has a good reputation for having one of the best education systems throughout the world. There are numerous universities and educational institutions offering world-class education for students far and wide.

Every foreign student has the right to work while studying in France. As an international student you may be eligible for a Scholarship offered by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program.

Many Universities now offer either bilingual programs or programs taught entirely in English. International students can apply to as many as 20 different universities with one single application on the web.

Depending on the level of studies there is only a nominal tuition fee of around €200-€400 per year. Majority of higher education institutions are State-funded. The overall living costs in France depends on your lifestyle and your chosen location for living. 

List of Universities

1. Université de Haute Alsace
2. Université de Bordeaux
3. Université de Bordeaux 1
4. Université Michel Montaigne
5. Université Montesquieu
6. Université Ségalen
7. Université de Pau et du Pays de l’Adour
8. Université Blaise Pascal
9. Université d’Auvergne
10. Université de Rennes 1
11. Université de Rennes 2
12. Université de Haute Bretagne
13. Université de Bretagne occidentale
14. Université de Bretagne sud 
15. Universite de Bourgogne
16. Université d’Orléans
17. Université Rabelais
18. Université de Reims
19. Université Paoli
20. Université de Franche Comté
21. Université de Paris 1
22. Université de Paris 2 Panthéon Assas
23. Université de Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle
24. Université de Paris IV Sorbonne
25. Université Descartes Paris 5
26. Université Diderot Paris 7
27. Université catholique de Paris
28. Université Paris VIII Vincennes à Saint Denis
29. Université Paris Ouest
30. Université Paris est Créteil Val de
31. Université Paris XIII nord
32. Université Paris Est Marne la Vallée
33. Université de Cergy Pontoise
34. Université de Versailles  Saint Quentin en Yvelines
35. Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne
36. Université Paris sud Paris XI
37. Université de Montpellier 1
38. Université de Montpellier 2
39. Université Paul Valery Montpellier 3
40. Université de Nimes
41. Université de Perpignan
42. Université de Limoges
43. Université de Lorraine
44. Université de Lorraine
45. Université de Lorraine
46. Université de Toulouse 1 Capitole
47. Université de Toulouse II Le Mirail
48. Université Paul Sabatier
49. Institut Catholique de Toulouse
50. Université Champollion
51. Université d’Artois
52. Université de Lille 1
53. Université de Lille 2
54. Université Charles de
55. Université Catholique de Lille
56. Université du Littoral
57. Université de Valen ciennes
58. Université de Basse Normandie 24
59. Université du Havre
60. Université de Rouen
61. Université d’Angers
62. Université catholique de l’Ouest
63. Université du Maine
64. Université de Nantes
65. Université de Picardie
66. Université de technologie de Compiègne
67. Université de La Rochelle
68. Université de Poitiers 
69. Aix Marseille Université
70. Université d’Avignon 
71. Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis
72. Université de Toulon 
73. Université de Savoie
74. Université Joseph Fourier
75. Université Pierre Mendès France 
76. Université Stendhal Grenoble III
77. Université Claude Bernard Lyon I
78. Université Lumière Lyon II
79. Université Jean Moulin Lyon III
80. Université catholique de Lyon
81. Université Jean Monnet

There are different types of student visas for France:

Short Stay Student Visa:  If the duration of study is upto three months then the students can opt for this visa. There is no need to apply for separate residence permit.

Temporary Long-Stay Visa: If the duration of study is between three to six months then the students can apply for this Visa. There is no need for residence permit, however this visa is not renewable.

Long-Stay Visa: If the duration of the course is more than 6 months then the student has to apply for a Long Stay Visa. The validity of this visa is co-terminus to the duration of the course. Which means this visa is valid for three years for Bachelors, two years for Masters and four years for PhD. Long-stay visas also act as residence permits. These are called VLT-TS.  

Visa Fees: Rs 12,500

Visa Processing Charges: Rs 3546 

Documents Required:

• Long stay application form for duration of more than 90 days.
• Two passport size photographs. 
• A copy of Passport .
• A print out of your Campus France ID number.
• Letter of Registration from the Academic Institution.
• Cover letter explaining the study project and a CV / Resume.
• Proof of funds – tuition fees + a minimum of 615 Euros/month, for the complete Academic term.
• Proof of medical insurance with coverage valid in France.
• Copy of your round trip airline ticket (if you are studying six months or less) or a one-way ticket if you are studying in France for more than six months).
• O.F.I.I. form (Office Francais de Immigration et de Integration).
• Proof of residency in France such as a lease, electricity bill, title of property etc. for a minimum period of three months or a hotel Reservation.
• Copies of the degree and Academic diplomas, certificates.

• Every foreign student has the right to work while studying in France.
• International students are entitled to work part time up to 20 hours a week off campus.
• French law authorizes foreign students to take on paid work of 964 hours during the year.
• France has a guaranteed minimum salary of € 8.71 gross per hour.
• While bachelor degree holders can stay on only if they have an work permit. 
• The students studying Masters have an added advantage, on completing the Masters, Student can apply for and get a temporary residence permit for a period of 24 months.

Statement Of Purpose (SOP):

SOP is the heart of the application and it should demonstrate the intentions of the student and it should cover all the points mentioned below.

• It should express the reasons for undertaking the particular course?
• Why you have chosen Australia over other countries?
• Why you have chosen that particular university?
• Why you have chosen that particular course?
• What are your future career plans?
• How this course will be useful for your future career plans?
• What is your complete educational background?
• What is your family background? How many are in your family, what they do?
• Your sponsor financial capacity?
• How your sponsor is related to you and why he/she is sponsoring your education?

Who can be the Sponsor?

• A close Relative (may  provide 60-70% of the required funds)
• 3rd party sponsor (only 30% of the required funds)

The sources of funds (annual income) can be in the form of:

• Salaried Income
• Business Income
• Agriculture Income
• Rental Income
• Pension Income

Others:

• The liquid funds (1 year expenses) to be shown for the visa purpose should be from some of the following sources:
• Fixed Deposits (more than 3 months old)
• Savings (more than 3 months old)
• Educational Loan
• Insurance Policies (surrender value)

Under Student visa subclass 500 the student must follow below mentioned rules:

• The Student needs to maintain 80% of attendance.
• The Student needs to maintain 50% of marks in all subjects.
• The Student is allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight basis.
• The Student cannot change the University for 6 months upon enrollment.
• The Student must have a valid health insurance for the entire duration of stay in Australia.
• The Student must have to notify to university/DHA if he/her change the address/Contact details within 7 working days.
• From 1 July 2016, family members of Student visa holders (subclasses 570,576) will need to apply for a subclass 500 visa if they want to join a family member in Australia.

Problems or Mistakes in writing SOP:

1. High Professionals Help: Students take high professionals help in writing their SOP. We should have a good command over English but not very high-end or over-board English & do not need great writing skills to write SOP. University admissions team gauge the student’s level of English with their IELTS/TOEFL/PTE exam and will clearly know if the students have taken the professionals help in writing the SOP. Good simple English with clear & concise meaning is required to write SOP.
2. Copy SOP: Most students copy the contents of other student’s SOPs or copy from the internet. This should never be done because SOP should be extremely personalized & unique.
3. Grammatical mistakes: Students tend to make lot of grammar & spelling mistakes in their SOP, because of their bad English which results in Admissions Team declining the application. So they should be extra careful with the grammar & spellings.
4. Too Lengthy: Students think that the SOP is lengthy, they have more chances of getting an Admission. This is not correct. They should always keep in mind that SOP is not an essay or an exam to write very lengthy. SOP should be simple, clean, straight forward & honest.
5. Unnecessary Issues: Students write all unnecessary things in the SOP which puts off the Admission Team. They should mention only important & relevant issues of their life which impresses the Admissions Team. They should clearly elaborate the main purpose to study in that country & in particular that university & course. They must give proper & correct reasons for choosing that university & course and also emphasize academic & future career goals after completion of the course. They should prove to them that they are good and fit for their university & will be an asset to the university.
6. Random Events: In the SOP, the students mention the events in their life in random order. This is totally wrong. The events mentioned must always be in order like building blocks in their own life’s journey from schooling through till the present part of life.
7. Flattery: The students in the SOP always flatter the university & program with the words like your university is the top/best/wonderful/fabulous/fantastic etc., etc., This unnecessary flattery will do more harm than good to their chances of approving their application because the university clearly knows its own status very well so it prefers honest & straight forward reviews of it.
8. Only Positives: The students always mention only the positive issues about them & highs in their life in the SOP, which is not right. They should always mention their failures, negatives, weaknesses & lows in their life’s journey & how they overcame all those with their inner strengths, abilities & knowledge.
9. Only Academics: The students boast about their academics & achievements in the SOP. This should not be done. They should not boast about anything in the SOP but only mention it. Not only academics, they should also give details about the extracurricular activities they have participated and mention about their talents & traits they have.
10. Perfect SOP: Students try to write perfect SOP thinking that a top-level SOP will guarantee an admission into the university which is totally a wrong notion. A good simple, clean, specific, truthful, straight forward & honest SOP will impress the Admissions Team.
    

Is the knowledge of French language compulsory to study in France?

It is not necessary. Many courses are taught in English Language. Courses in Economics, Engineering, Fashion, and Management are available in English language. However you will be more comfortable in France with utilitarian knowledge of French.

Where can I learn basic French language in India?

There are literally hundreds of coaching centers teaching French language in India. However only certificates from  Alliance Française are accepted. You can learn French from Alliance Francaise centres.

What are pre-qualifying tests that need to be taken? Are English language proficiency tests necessary?

GMAT for MBA, but there are also many institutes that do require GMAT. TOEFL & IELTS are required only if the institute is not able to ascertain the standard of English during the telephonic interview.

Are Indian degrees recognized in France?

Yes. To pursue undergraduate degree BaccaIaureat is required. This is equivalent to 10 + 2 in India.

What is the difference between Diplome and Diploma or is it the Same?

No it is not the same. The word “diplome” means degree like Bachelors or Masters.

Is a Polytechnique in France same as Polytechnic in India?

No. A poly technique in France offers B Sc, B. Tech, M. tech or PhD degrees whereas Polytechnics in India usually only offer Diplomas.

What is the authentic source (Government) to find out University or College rankings?

The French government does not have a policy of ranking Universities and Professional Colleges. As far as Engineering is concerned, most colleges specialize in one stream only, one college offers only mechanical another may offer only Chemical.

What are the scholarships offered in France?

There are many scholarships offered by France. The French embassy, the French External Affairs Ministry, and many institutions offer different scholarships.

What are the chances of finding a job in France after these studies?

It is perfectly legal for foreign students from finding employment in France.

Is it necessary to get any medical check done before leaving for France?

Anyway you will be made to undergo a medical test by a French doctor upon reaching France when you apply for the “carte de séjour” or the temporary resident permit. However we do suggest that you carry a certified copy (by a Registered Medical Practitioner) of your immunization schedule from India.

Is medical insurance required?

Yes. It costs around Rs. 3500 – Rs. 4500 for a coverage of USD 50000.

What are the documents required?

Birth certificate from the Hospital or Registrar of Birth. Passport or 10^th class certificate is not accepted. The birth certificate should have the names of both parents. The documents should be translated by Alliance Francaise.