How Much Knowledge Costs
In French universities, there is no tuition fee. Moreover, it does not matter whether the student is "local" or "foreign." The only thing that must be paid annually is the so-called registration fee. The amount ranges from 171 to 550 euros (it depends on whether the applicant is studying for a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree). The student must also have health insurance in France; purchasing student social insurance costs about 200 euros per year.
In addition to classical universities, France has so-called "grandes écoles" in various fields. They focus on practical training of their graduates in a specific industry, with a more individualized approach to each student (there are far fewer students than in universities). They also have established relationships with enterprises, making it easier for students to find internships during their studies and later employment. Studying at "grandes écoles" is considered more prestigious. But the cost of knowledge is much higher – from 3,000 to 10,000 euros per year (sometimes even 20,000 euros). While most universities have no entrance exams, to get into a "grande école" one needs an excellent diploma, complete two-year preparatory courses, and pass several difficult exams.
First-Year Students
A Ukrainian school graduate can "hunt" for a French university (not a "grande école"!) immediately after finishing 11th grade. However, before that, he will still have to enroll in a local university in the same field he wishes to pursue in France. Also, students can go to study in France regardless of what year they are in. The admission procedure for a foreign university depends on which year you are applying for: for potential first- and second-year students, one procedure; starting from the third year and above, a completely different one.
Those wishing to study in the 1st or 2nd year of university are not allowed to submit their documents directly to the institution. There is a pre-registration process for them. To begin, the prospective student should choose three universities that offer the desired specialty. To speed up the search, one can use the online catalog www.campusfrance.org/en/page/find-your-program. By the way, there are also programs in English here.
Then the prospective student must fill out the so-called "white dossier" (and "yellow dossier" for applicants to architectural schools). It can be obtained at the CampusFrance bureau in Ukraine (Kyiv, 84 Honchara St., or 37 Pobedy Ave., building 6), or printed from these websites: for the "white dossier" – www.ukraine-campusfrance.org, for the "yellow dossier" – www.archi.fr/ECOLES/index.html#formulaires.
Next: if it is an 11th-grade graduate, he must attach to the completed questionnaire a transcript of his grades for the last 5 semesters of study (with a certified translation into French). And at the time of final enrollment in the university, submit the original and certified translation of his diploma, as well as a certificate that he has enrolled in a Ukrainian university. This is necessary for the French university to verify that the graduate has obtained the right to access higher education.
If it is a student (already enrolled in Ukraine), it is a bit simpler: he attaches to the questionnaire a copy and certified translation of his diploma, a printout of all pages of his grade book, and when he is finally enrolled, the original documents. Also, both the 11th-grade graduate and the student need to confirm their knowledge of French by passing the special language exam TCF-DAP. Exemption from this test is granted only if the applicant to the French university has a DELF B2 certificate (minimum) or if he is a graduate of bilingual French-Ukrainian classes.
What next? The completed package of documents must be submitted to the French-Ukrainian Center for University and Scientific Cooperation (CFUCUS) (Kyiv, 84 Honchara St.) by January 31. Universities must make their decisions (on whether to accept the student) in the following time sequence: the first priority university by April 30. If the first refuses, the student's documents are forwarded to the next institution. The second university has until May 31. And the third until June 30. Letters confirming their decision will be received by potential students within 15 days.
For 3rd-Year Students and Master's Students
To enter a French university in the third year or a master's program, you need to contact the educational institution directly to find out all requirements and deadlines. As a rule, the admission campaign in French universities starts in December-January (or March) and ends in late April-May. Decisions on student enrollment are announced somewhere from June-August to September. The list of documents for admission is approximately as follows:
* Application form to be filled out on the university's website
* Autobiography (CV)
* Notarized and translated copies of documents on received education (diploma, all pages of grade book or bachelor's diploma and its supplement with grades and number of hours listened for each subject)
* Motivation letter
* Scientific project
* 1-2 recommendation letters (may or may not be required)
* Language certificate (you will have to take either TCF, DELF/DALF, or an internal university language exam, depending on requirements).
Students who want to apply for the third year or a master's program should hedge their bets. Future third-year students should submit documents directly to the university and also, just in case, fill out the "white dossier" (for admission to the second year). And future master's students should submit documents for the master's program they want to enter, and for one year below.
Why is that? After studying the documents about the education received at a Ukrainian university, the university may decide that the student's preparation is insufficient (for example, insufficient number of lecture hours in some subjects). Therefore, he should make up for the lost time by studying one course lower. And a person can enroll there only if he has submitted the necessary documents.
Ukrainian students can only enter the 'higher school' starting from the 4th year. These guys should contact the educational institution directly to find out what requirements need to be fulfilled for admission, since each 'school' has different requirements.
Tuition fees
The main obstacle to entering a French university is obtaining a student visa. One of the conditions for obtaining it: the student's bank account must have at least 5,000 euros per year (based on 450 euros per month). (This information may change, so before applying, be sure to check this point at the embassy.) What to do in such a situation? Get a scholarship for studies.
Information about popular programs can be read at www.ukraine-campusfrance.org. The administration of the French government's scholarship programs is handled by the CampusFrance office (information about programs at www.ambafrance-ua.org). Among these programs: a scholarship for master's studies in any specialty; for working on a dissertation under joint French-Ukrainian supervision; the 'n+i' master's program for graduates of engineering faculties; the COPERNIC master's program for economists and engineers.
The scholarship covers the costs of university enrollment, insurance, and the scholarship recipient receives 767 euros monthly. By the way, about 25-30 scholarships under these programs are allocated annually for Ukraine, and the number of potential scholarship recipients is about 120 people per year. The entire package of documents for the scholarship must be submitted by March 15 (February 28 for the COPERNIC program). Winners of the first stage of the competition (based on documents) will have an interview in Kyiv (second half of April), and the final results will be in the first half of May.
So, the documents that need to be submitted for the scholarship:
1. Completed scholarship application form (must be downloaded from the website www.ambafrance-ua.org);
2. Resume (CV);
3. Detailed research project (2 pages); and 4. Motivation letter (1 page);
5. Letter from the French university confirming interest in the potential scholarship recipient's candidacy;
6. Copy of the diploma of higher education and its supplement, translated into French and notarized.
By the way, the maximum age for applying for a scholarship for studies is 30 years.
In addition to CampusFrance, where everyone can get answers to their questions, there is also the Association of Graduates of French Educational Programs (AUDESF, www.audesf.org.ua), which is located in Kyiv. You can directly contact them with any question. Also, AUDESF annually organizes practical seminars for future French students, which cover practical aspects of preparing for studies and life in France.
To be continued.