Beneficial for Everyone
By inviting foreigners to their country and even funding the most capable among them, the French are by no means engaged in charity, as one might think. In this way, they build loyalty to their country and a favorable image among foreign elites. After all, a young foreigner who graduates from a French university will forever remain a bearer and promoter of their national culture, their way of thinking, their lifestyle. Moreover, the influx of foreigners gives state universities (especially those in the provinces) a new impetus for development, improvement, and modification of programs, transforming them from regional institutions into international educational centers. And there are nearly a hundred state universities throughout France. Imagine, a hundred or more international higher schools. That means connections, contacts, information, participation in all kinds of projects. And it also means big money, if we think in contemporary economic terms. So it is safe to say that France looks at education from the perspective of tomorrow, not yesterday.
Students in France have many social benefits and privileges. Perhaps this excessive guardianship goes against modern policy, largely shaping passive citizens accustomed to relying on the state, but try to change anything here – and students take to the barricades, revolutionarily achieving the repeal of unfavorable laws. Be that as it may, the government's care for the younger generation promises considerable benefits for a foreigner who goes under the shadow of the tricolor for knowledge. Therefore, it is no coincidence that every tenth student in the country is a foreigner.
All French universities are public; there are also private higher education institutions, but they do not have the status of universities. And characteristically, a diploma from a public institution is valued higher in France than one from a private institution, no matter how good the latter may be. The only exception is, perhaps, a field such as international business. Of course, the world-renowned business school Insead is unrivaled here, although traditional French business schools have recently been gaining momentum and becoming more confident in global rankings.
A French diploma implies truly fundamental training, perhaps even too fundamental. The state takes care of this, annually allocating huge sums for the equipment of educational institutions, libraries, and dormitories. However, France cannot ignore the demands of the times, and as a result, more and more applied, practically oriented study programs are appearing, with the participation of enterprises and companies that are potential employers of graduates. And of course, the main news of recent years is the transition to a pan-European education model under the LMD scheme – "License-Master-Doctorate" (the "license" degree in this case is analogous to a bachelor's). Since 2005, the new scheme has been introduced everywhere, leaving behind the complex multi-stage model of higher education that was previously adopted, which, however, allowed for staged study and the choice of a university diploma from five or six possible ones. The new organizational method is expected to promote greater mobility of students within the EU and mutual recognition of diplomas in the job market.
Choosing the Best
A significant part of French higher education institutions are concentrated in Paris and the capital region. There are more than a dozen universities here, some numbered, some named after a suburb (for example, Nanterre). The most famous brand is the Sorbonne (and there are three universities with this name in Paris – a result of the administrative division of 1968, but they all belong to a single structure). But the Sorbonne is not the only university in France. Each capital and provincial university has its own priority areas of study, its own faculties, its own famous professors. An oceanographer would do better to go to the Mediterranean University of Marseille, a chemist and philosopher to one of the universities of Bordeaux, and philologists to Poitiers. The University of Montpellier is famous for teaching natural sciences and medicine, the University of Strasbourg for history, law, and the German language.
Each specialization has its own group of leaders among French universities. A special state agency for the promotion of French education abroad, EduFrance, will help you figure this out. By the way, its specialists advise choosing a provincial university. Take a closer look at the universities of Auvergne, Lorraine, Limousin, Franche-Comté, Normandy, and Corsica – they are more generously funded, so student life there is better organized: more university dormitories, student cafeterias, and laboratories. Life here is much cheaper, and crime is several times lower.
In Paris, it is difficult to find housing, dormitories are not easy to come by, and prices are high, which gives rise to the myth of the high cost of French free education. At the same time, provincial living expenses are quite comparable to ours: you can get by on 500 euros per month. Moreover, the concept of a "university city" is a modern reality in France. In Marseille, Bordeaux, and Grenoble there are four universities, and in Lille even more – six. In such educational centers, the abundance of foreigners among the student population surprises no one, so local residents are understanding of various problems. And the atmosphere in university cities is more comfortable and conducive to contact. Furthermore, France is a country with a fairly rich set of climatic zones, and studying can be made pleasant if you place yourself in the environment you have preferred since childhood. Skiing, mountains, clean air – Grenoble. Hot Mediterranean, palm trees, bronzed tan – Corsica, etc.
But you can study in France not only at university. Besides them, there are about 300 specialized higher schools (Grandes ecoles). The most prestigious among them are ranked by employers above any university. The Grandes ecoles include commercial, engineering, agricultural, military, civil and public administration, pedagogical, legal, artistic, religious schools, etc. The first of them were created before the French Revolution: the Mining School in 1783, the Royal School of Construction a year later. As a rule, the path to big business and big politics lies precisely through them.
It is not easy to get into the most famous schools (for example, Ecole Normale, HEC. Ecole Polytechnique. Ecole Nationale d'Administration) even for a French person, let alone a foreigner: students are admitted on a competitive basis with initial higher education (two years) or after two years of study at a preparatory department. The academic course usually lasts three years.
However, some of these schools have special short-term programs for foreign students. You can also take a full course at a school with a slightly less famous name, but with no less highly regarded education. For example, in legal, engineering and art schools. Under the auspices of EduFrance, separate websites have been created dedicated to education in the arts, engineering sciences and law, which describe in detail the requirements for our students, deadlines for submitting documents and conditions for obtaining scholarships. Let us only say that the general requirements are initial higher education (at least three years of university, and for lawyers a university diploma) and knowledge of French (for engineers, English is sufficient). By the way, future engineers have the most opportunities to receive a scholarship. Documents for participation in these programs are accepted by EduFrance at the beginning of each year.
How to become a French student
The first thing to do is to contact the agency EduFrance, which has been mentioned many times in this article. No one but the French themselves knows better all the intricacies of entering a French university and overcoming the inevitable obstacles that foreigners face. Moreover, the French government annually allocates a certain number of scholarships for our students, individual universities develop special programs to attract foreigners and open language courses and summer schools for them, so this is also a way to stay up to date with the latest news and choose the most optimal study option in France.
It is important that each French university has the right to independently decide the fate of the candidate, including a foreign one, based on impressions of their preparation and motivation. In theory, this means that even with an excellent school diploma, one can become a French student. But in practice, one still cannot do without one or two years of university.
If you do not have a French secondary education diploma (BAC) and you are not among the scholarship holders of the French government or participants in exchange programs, then approximately the following path awaits you.
The first step is to perfect your knowledge of the language. All other things being equal, preference is always given to those who know French better. University admission requires a mandatory check of how fluently you speak French - for this purpose, the TCF-U test is used. Those who have a DALF diploma (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) do not need to take it. You can obtain DALF at home by passing the corresponding exam at one of the branches of the French Cultural Center.
To enroll in the first year of a state university, you need to prepare a preliminary registration dossier (DAP). Those who enter a private university or creative specialties through a competition are exempt from this procedure. A motivation letter is also a mandatory document, in which you must justify your choice, describe why you want to study in this country, at this institution, in this specialty, how you plan to use the knowledge gained in the future, and how you see the learning process.
Your educational documents are also required - a school certificate and a certificate from your university, where you must be studying in the specialty you are applying for in France. The certificate must contain information about academic performance and the number of courses and hours taken; a notarized translation must be attached to it (as well as to other documents). If the candidate has an insufficient level of education in a certain specialty but has work experience in that field, he or she may undergo a procedure of 'validation of professional skills' (validation d'acquis professionnels), based on the results of which an appropriate level of study will be offered.
On the basis of the sent documents, the admissions committee determines the level at which the foreign student can be enrolled. The French recommend starting the admission process at least a year in advance. The full package of documents must be sent to the university no later than January-February (for individual programs and specialties, the deadlines for submitting documents may be different, but, as a rule, most educational institutions close admissions at the end of March).
Applying for postgraduate education is somewhat easier. With a domestic higher education diploma, you can continue your education in a French master's or doctoral program; at this stage it is also easier to get a scholarship or other financial aid.
By the way, despite the fact that French education is almost free (fees range from 100 to 700 euros per semester depending on the university), when applying for a visa you will still be required to provide proof of funds for education, or rather – for living abroad: at least 5,000 per year. Dormitory accommodation costs 140-400 per month, food - 130-200 depending on the university's location. Foreign full-time students are allowed to work part-time during their studies, but no more than 19.5 hours per week or 84.5 per month. Minimum wage is 6.72 euros per hour.
If all stages are successfully completed and you are enrolled in a university, all that remains is to understand the complexities of the French academic process, get used to the system of modules, coefficients, compulsory and elective subjects, learn the principles of completing typical French assignments (dissertation, commentaire compose, explication de texte), learn to sign up for exams on time, get used to the 20-point grading system, obtain a temporary residence permit (carte de sejour), and if not become a true French person, then at least try to uncover the secret of the French art de vivre - the art of living easily and happily.