Émile Boutmy Scholarship 2026 at Sciences Po: Tuition Support for Non-EU Bachelor's and Master's Students

Émile Boutmy Scholarship 2026 at Sciences Po: Tuition Support for Non-EU Bachelor’s and Master’s Students

The Émile Boutmy Scholarship is Sciences Po’s flagship financial aid programme for international students who come from outside the European Union. Named after Émile Boutmy, the political scientist who founded the school in 1872, the scholarship exists so that the strongest non-EU candidates can afford to study in Paris or on one of Sciences Po’s regional campuses without tuition costs standing in their way. It is not a stand-alone grant that you chase separately after you are admitted. It is built directly into the admission process, and the decision arrives alongside your admission result.

That structural detail matters more than any single number, so it is worth stating plainly at the start: there is no separate Émile Boutmy application form and no way to request the scholarship after you have already been admitted or after you have started your studies. You either signal your interest and submit the required financial documents while you are applying for admission, or you miss the opportunity for that cycle. Everything else in this guide follows from that single rule.

Key Details at a Glance

The figures above are drawn from Sciences Po’s official scholarship page. Where a value is program-specific or changes year to year, the body sections below flag it so you can confirm the current number against the official source before you rely on it.

What the Scholarship Offers

The Émile Boutmy Scholarship reduces or removes tuition fees. It is expressed as an exemption applied to the tuition you would otherwise pay, rather than as a cash transfer into your bank account. The exact benefit depends on whether you are entering an undergraduate or a master’s programme.

For undergraduate (bachelor’s) students, the award takes one of two forms: a total exemption from tuition fees, or a fixed exemption of €9,500 per year. Which of these two you receive depends on the committee’s assessment of your financial situation. A candidate whose household has very limited means may receive the full exemption, while a candidate with somewhat greater means but still genuine need may receive the €9,500 reduction.

For master’s students, the scholarship provides an €18,500 exemption from tuition fees for each of the two years of the programme. Because a Sciences Po master’s is a two-year course, this is a substantial multi-year commitment when it is renewed for the second year.

One point deserves emphasis because it is a common source of confusion: the Émile Boutmy Scholarship is a tuition instrument. Sciences Po’s official description of the award frames it in terms of tuition exemptions, and it does not describe a separate living stipend attached to the Boutmy award itself. If you need help with living costs in Paris, plan to combine the Boutmy tuition support with an external scholarship (more on combining awards below) or with your own resources. Do not assume the Boutmy figure covers rent, food, and travel, because it is designed to address tuition.

Who It Fits

This scholarship is aimed at a specific profile: an academically excellent student from outside the European Union who has earned admission to Sciences Po on merit and who cannot comfortably cover Sciences Po’s international tuition rate from family resources.

If you fit that description, the Boutmy Scholarship is arguably the single most important piece of the financial puzzle for studying at Sciences Po, precisely because it attacks the largest fixed cost. If you are an EU national, or if your household is taxed within the EU, this particular award is not for you, and you should look at the need-based aid channels that apply to EU-resident students instead.

The scholarship also fits first-time applicants only. It is meant to attract new talent into Sciences Po, not to reward students who are already enrolled. If you are already studying at Sciences Po, or if you previously studied there, you are outside the target group.

Eligibility in Detail (Non-EU Focus)

Sciences Po sets out eligibility conditions that combine nationality, tax residence, application status, and programme. Read these carefully, because the non-EU requirement is stricter than “not living in Europe right now.”

• Nationality: You must be a national of a non-European Union state. Sciences Po’s official page specifies that Swiss and Norwegian nationals are not eligible, and that dual citizens who hold an EU nationality are excluded even if they also hold a non-EU nationality.
• Tax residence: Your household’s tax residence must be outside the European Union. This is about where your family is taxed, not only where you currently live or study. A non-EU passport combined with EU tax residence generally does not qualify.
• First-time applicant: You must be applying to Sciences Po for the first time. Current and former Sciences Po students are not eligible.
• Eligible programme: You must be admitted to an eligible bachelor’s or master’s programme. The official page lists exclusions, which include (among others) PhD candidates, one-year master’s students, exchange students, the journalism programme, master’s applicants going through the Quebec procedure, most dual-degree tracks, and applicants going through the French graduate admission procedure. Because these exclusions are specific and can change, confirm your exact programme’s eligibility on the official page before you count on the award.
• Merit and need: Selection rests on two pillars. First, academic excellence — strong enough that you earn admission to Sciences Po in the first place, since the scholarship is drawn from the pool of admitted applicants. Second, demonstrated financial need, assessed from the household financial and tax documents you submit.

If any one of these conditions is not met, the application will not qualify, regardless of how strong the others are. The nationality and tax-residence rules in particular are absolute filters rather than factors that can be balanced against a brilliant academic record.

How It Links to the Admission Application

This is the mechanical heart of the process, and getting it right is what separates candidates who are considered from candidates who are silently passed over.

There is no separate Émile Boutmy application. You request consideration inside your Sciences Po admission application. The exact step depends on your route:

• Undergraduate applicants from a foreign secondary school: Indicate your request in the “Financial information” section of the Sciences Po application, and provide the financial and tax documents the committee needs to assess your household situation.
• Undergraduate applicants from a French secondary school: The route runs through the national Parcoursup platform. According to Sciences Po’s guidance, these candidates email Sciences Po admissions after their Parcoursup application is validated to signal their interest in the scholarship.
• Master’s applicants: Indicate your request within the master’s application, and attach the required supporting materials, including language test results where those are required for your programme.

In every case, the scholarship decision is made from the same file you use to seek admission, and it is communicated in connection with your admission result. You will not receive a separate “Boutmy application deadline” that sits apart from admissions — the admission deadline for your programme and track is effectively the deadline for being considered.

Timeline and Deadlines

Because the scholarship is tied to admission, its timing follows the Sciences Po admission calendar, and that calendar differs by programme and by applicant route. Sciences Po’s official page lists the following reference dates for the current cycle:

• Undergraduate, foreign secondary school applicants: application deadline of January 20, 2026.
• Undergraduate, French secondary school applicants: a later date of April 1, 2026, reflecting the Parcoursup-based route.
• Master’s applicants: two review committees, with reference dates of October 19 and November 30. Applying to the earlier committee generally means an earlier decision.

These dates move year to year, and the master’s committee dates in particular fall in the autumn preceding the year of entry. That is why the front-matter deadline field on this page is intentionally left blank rather than pinned to one date — a single date would misrepresent a scholarship that runs on several programme-specific admission deadlines. Before you plan around any of the dates above, confirm the exact deadline for your specific programme and applicant route on the official Sciences Po admissions and scholarship pages. The safe rule is simple: treat your programme’s admission deadline as your scholarship deadline, and give yourself a comfortable buffer to gather financial documents, which often take longer to obtain than academic records.

Required Materials and Documents

The academic side of your file is what earns you admission, and admission is the gateway to the scholarship. The financial side is what lets the committee assess need. Expect to prepare, at minimum:

• A complete Sciences Po admission application for your target programme, with the scholarship request indicated in the correct section.
• Household financial and tax documents that show your family’s income and tax situation. Because households outside the EU produce these documents in many different formats and languages, you may need certified translations. Start early, since obtaining and translating official tax records is frequently the slowest part of the whole process.
• Academic records, transcripts, and any programme-specific requirements such as language test results (for example, for master’s applicants where a language certificate is required).

Sciences Po’s exact document checklist can vary by programme and by the applicant’s country, so verify the precise list against your programme’s official admission requirements rather than assuming a universal set applies.

Preparation Strategy

Treat the admission application and the scholarship as one project, because they are. A weak admission file cannot be rescued by a strong financial-need case, since only admitted candidates are considered for the award.

Start with the admission bar. The scholarship is competitive because the applicant pool is competitive, and academic excellence is the primary selection factor. Build the strongest possible academic file — transcripts, motivation, and any required test scores — as if the scholarship did not exist. Then handle the financial documentation with the same seriousness, treating it as a graded component rather than an afterthought.

Sequence your work around the earliest relevant deadline. Master’s committees, for instance, meet in the autumn, and applying to the earlier committee can mean an earlier answer. If your family’s tax documents are hard to obtain, request them months in advance so that a slow bureaucracy in your home country does not cost you the deadline.

Finally, build a realistic total budget. Because the Boutmy award targets tuition and does not include a living allowance, map out your housing and living costs in France separately and identify how you will cover them — whether through an external scholarship, family support, or savings.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting until after admission. The single most damaging mistake is assuming you can apply for the scholarship once you are admitted. You cannot. Signal your interest and submit financial documents during the admission application.
• Misjudging the non-EU rule. Holding a non-EU passport is not enough if you also hold an EU nationality or your household is taxed within the EU. Confirm your status against the exclusions before you count on eligibility.
• Skipping the financial documentation. Indicating interest without providing the household tax and financial documents leaves the committee unable to assess need. Incomplete files are weak files.
• Assuming it covers living costs. The award is a tuition instrument. Plan separately for rent, food, and daily expenses in France.
• Missing the correct route. Undergraduate applicants from French secondary schools follow a different, Parcoursup-based path than those from foreign schools. Use the process that matches your situation.
• Relying on third-party figures. Amounts and dates on aggregator sites can be out of date. Confirm the current numbers on the official Sciences Po page before you rely on them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I fill out a separate scholarship form? No. There is no separate Émile Boutmy application. You request consideration inside your Sciences Po admission application and submit the required financial documents there.

Can I apply after I am admitted? No. The scholarship is decided from your admission file, and it is not available after admission or once you have begun your studies.

How much is the award? For undergraduates, it is a full tuition exemption or a €9,500 exemption. For master’s students, it is an €18,500 exemption from tuition fees for each of the two years. Confirm the current figures on the official page.

Does it include money for living expenses? Sciences Po describes the award in terms of tuition exemptions and does not attach a separate living allowance to it. Budget for living costs separately.

Can I combine it with other scholarships? You can combine it with external scholarships such as Eiffel or AEFE. You cannot combine it with other Sciences Po or partner scholarships. Verify current combination rules on the official page.

What happens if I fail the year or defer? According to Sciences Po’s guidance, the scholarship can be lost if you fail the academic year or defer your admission. Treat continued eligibility as conditional on satisfactory academic progress.

Are Swiss or Norwegian nationals eligible? No. Swiss and Norwegian nationals, and dual EU citizens, are excluded.

Official Links

• Émile Boutmy Scholarship (official page): https://www.sciencespo.fr/students/en/fees-funding/bursaries-financial-aid/emile-boutmy-scholarship/
• Sciences Po (institution homepage): https://www.sciencespo.fr/en/

Always confirm amounts, eligibility, exclusions, and deadlines on the official Sciences Po pages above before you apply, because programme-specific rules and cycle dates are updated each year. This guide summarizes those official facts as a starting point, not as a replacement for the school’s own current guidance.