Selection

• The scholarship is awarded on academic merit and alignment with the profile sought by Sciences Po (academic excellence, potential, and fit with the programmes).
• Only complete applications (programme + scholarship + all required documents) submitted by the scholarship deadlines are considered.

When the scholarship is awarded

• Bachelor’s level: The Émile Boutmy Scholarship is granted to students starting their first year at the Undergraduate College.
• Master’s level: The scholarship is granted to students starting the first year of a two-year Master’s programme through the relevant admission procedure.

If you defer your admission after being awarded the scholarship, the award is cancelled and cannot be carried forward to the following year.

If you do not validate your academic year, the scholarship is also lost.

• Undergraduate – Applicants from foreign secondary schools
• → Deadline to apply for the Émile Boutmy Scholarship: Tuesday 20 January 2026
• (Results communicated before mid-May.)
• Undergraduate – Applicants from French secondary schools (Parcoursup)
• → Scholarship deadline: date to be announced in October 2025 (officially “The date will be announced in October 2025.”)
• Master’s programme→ Émile Boutmy application must be submitted by one of the two scholarship committees:
  • 19 October – 1st committee (results before 30 December)
  • 30 November – 2nd committee (results before 2 March)

Important:

• No Émile Boutmy application will be accepted after the relevant scholarship deadline.
• For undergraduate admissions in the international pathway, admissions deadlines (for the programme) run on a rolling basis up to early March 2026, but the Boutmy deadline stays fixed at 20 January 2026, so students must apply earlier if they want to be considered for this scholarship.
• Deadlines are based on Paris time (11:59 pm).

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a first-time applicant to Sciences Po (for a Bachelor’s or a two-year Master’s programme);
• Come from a non-European Union country;
• Have a household that does not file taxes in any EU member state;
• Be admitted to an eligible Bachelor’s or Master’s programme at Sciences Po via the correct admission procedure (international or French where applicable).

Who is not eligible?

According to the official Émile Boutmy page, the following categories cannot receive the scholarship:

• Swiss and Norwegian applicants, who may instead qualify for CROUS scholarships;
• Applicants with dual nationality including an EU citizenship;
• Master’s applicants from Quebec (they may benefit from the sliding-scale tuition fees used for European students).
  • Quebec candidates for a Bachelor’s degree remain eligible.
• Candidates applying to the Joint Master’s in Journalism and International Affairs or the Master’s in Journalism;
• Master’s-level dual-degree candidates, except for:
  • Dual degree in Journalism (Sciences Po / Columbia University);
  • Dual degree with Fudan University (Europe-Asia in Global Affairs – only applicants with Chinese nationality);
  • Dual degree with Peking University (only applicants with Chinese nationality);
• PhD (thesis) students;
• Students applying for one-year Master’s programmes;
• Bachelor dual degree candidates (unless a specific agreement explicitly includes Émile Boutmy);
• Exchange students;
• Candidates applying through the French graduate admission procedure.

Combining the Émile Boutmy Scholarship with other funding

• The Émile Boutmy Scholarship cannot be combined with any other scholarship awarded by Sciences Po or its partners (e.g. Mastercard, CARE, Fondation de France / René Seydoux, China Scholarship Council, etc.).
• It can be combined with external scholarships such as Eiffel, AEFE, or French government scholarships.

Undergraduate Admissions – Dispensation Procedure (Bachelor Only)

Some students who already finished high school but did not apply during their final year may still be allowed to use the international undergraduate procedure through a “dispensation”.

Who can request a dispensation?

You may request a dispensation if:

• You obtained a non-French secondary school diploma between October 2024 and September 2025;
• You had to complete mandatory military or civilian service;
• Health reasons prevented you from applying during your final school year.

To be considered, your request must meet all of these conditions:

• You have not been enrolled in any higher-education institution since finishing secondary school (including prep classes);
• If you took a gap year, you must be able to document what you did (internship, job, service, volunteering, etc.);
• You must provide supporting documents (in French or English) that cover your activities for the whole academic year, with the number of hours per week clearly indicated.

How to request a dispensation

• Deadline for dispensation requests for the 2026 intake: 1 March 2026.
• Check that you meet all criteria listed above.
• Fill out the official online dispensation request form and upload all required supporting documents, including translations where necessary. Requests sent by email are not accepted.
• Only complete requests are reviewed; incomplete dispensation requests are rejected.

You should wait for a positive decision on your dispensation before submitting your application, as the application fee is not refunded if your dispensation is denied.

If your dispensation is refused, Sciences Po suggests applying later for a Master’s programme after completing a Bachelor’s degree elsewhere.

For Undergraduate Applicants (Foreign Secondary Schools)

For all applicants (international pathway):

• CV / Résumé in French or English (depending on the language of the programme);
• Official transcripts for the last three years of secondary education (including current year grades where available);
• Two academic references from high school teachers or school leadership (mandatory). You may add extra academic or professional references if you wish;
• Final secondary school diploma, if already obtained;
• Copy of your ID or passport;
• Optional: standardized tests (e.g. SAT, ACT) and language tests (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, DELF, DALF, etc.).

Specific cases:

• International Baccalaureate (IBDP / IBCP):
• You must also submit predicted grades issued during the current school year, signed and stamped by the school. Without this document, the application is considered incomplete.
• US High School Diploma:
  • Multi-year school transcript (with unweighted GPA out of 4 if possible, signed and stamped);
  • School profile;
  • All available AP scores (official score report), if any;
  • Optional: SAT or ACT results.
• A-Levels or International A-Levels (UK):
  • Official transcript of A-Level results in at least three subjects if already obtained;
  • Or official predicted A-Level grades if exams are not yet taken;
  • AS-Level results if relevant.
• European Baccalaureate (EB):
  • Transcripts for S5 and S6 if applying before January;
  • Transcripts for S5, S6 and the “note préliminaire” if available.
• Italian Esame di Stato (liceo):
  • For current final-year students: grades from years 3A and 4A plus first-semester grades of the final year (if available at application);
  • For graduates: final exam results.
• Indian CBSE / ICSE:
  • Applicants must also provide grade X results (CBSE/national board) or IGCSE results if previously in an A-Level system.

Translation rules:

• All transcripts and diplomas must be uploaded in the original language, plus a translation into French or English where needed.
• You should not submit your own grade conversions; Sciences Po uses its own assessment methods.
• If admitted, you must show original copies of transcripts and diplomas at registration.

For Master’s Applicants (International Graduate Admissions)

For the two-year Master’s programmes (international procedure), you normally need:

• Completed online application form;
• CV / résumé;
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates for higher education (and, where requested, secondary education);
• Two references (academic and/or professional, depending on the programme);
• Language test results (if required for your programme) – these must be available by the scholarship deadline;
• Motivation letter(s):
  • Written in the language of instruction of the chosen programme;
  • If you apply for two programmes, you must write two separate letters, one for each programme;
• Any programme-specific documents listed on the programme page (writing sample, portfolio, etc.);
• Application fee payment (unless you qualify for a fee waiver under the categories listed on the admissions page).

Sources:

• Bachelor Documents
• Master Documents
• Language Requirements (Bachelor)
• Language Requirements (Master)

Officially, eligibility is based on citizenship and tax residence, not a fixed country list.

For the Émile Boutmy Scholarship:

• You must come from a non-EU country;
• Your household must not pay taxes in any EU member state;
• Certain groups are excluded (Swiss, Norwegian, EU dual nationals, some Quebec master’s applicants, etc., as detailed under Eligibility).

So, in practice, the scholarship is open to applicants from all non-EU countries, subject to the specific exclusions listed above.

Bachelor’s level (Undergraduate College)

• The scholarship provides either:
  • a full tuition fee exemption (total waiver), or
  • a €9,500 reduction in annual tuition fees.
• The amount is decided at admission and may be adjusted each year to follow any changes in tuition fees.
• If you spend your third year abroad (mandatory year abroad in the bachelor), you keep your tuition fee waiver during that year.
• If you fail the year or defer your admission, you lose the scholarship.
• If you continue to a Sciences Po Master’s programme directly after your bachelor, the Émile Boutmy Scholarship is automatically renewed at graduate level (subject to programme eligibility).

Master’s level

• The scholarship provides an €18,500 reduction of tuition fees per year, for each of the two years of the Master’s programme.
• As at bachelor level, the amount is set when you are admitted and may be updated in line with tuition fee changes.
• If you fail the academic year or defer admission, the scholarship is cancelled.

The scholarship is not automatic. You must follow the correct steps within your degree application.

Bachelor’s – Applicants from Foreign Secondary Schools (International Undergraduate Admissions)

Step 1 – Create your online application

• Go to Sciences Po’s admissions portal and create an account using your email address.
• Activate the account using the link sent to your email (this can take up to two hours).

Step 2 – Choose your programmes

Through the international pathway, you must:

• Either choose two minors of the Bachelor of Arts (on the regional campuses, excluding Paris), or
• Choose one dual degree programme (as first choice) plus one Bachelor of Arts minor (excluding Paris).

If you select two minors and are admitted, Sciences Po will assign you to one of the two requested programmes.

Step 3 – Prepare your documents and references

• Upload all the required documents (see the Required Documents section).
• Ensure your two academic referees submit their reference forms on time; applications without two academic references are not evaluated.

Step 4 – Apply for the Émile Boutmy Scholarship

• In the “Financial information” section of your application, tick that you wish to apply for the Émile Boutmy Scholarship.
• Make sure your completed application (including references and all documents) is submitted before 20 January 2026 if you want to be considered for Boutmy.

Step 5 – Pay the application fee and submit

• Pay the €150 application fee (refund only in very specific situations such as refugee status)
• Submit your completed application before the deadline. Once submitted, you cannot modify it.

Important: Once your Sciences Po application is submitted, you cannot later add a Boutmy request. If you forgot to tick the scholarship box or apply after the deadline, you will not be considered for the scholarship.

Bachelor’s – Applicants from French Secondary Schools (Parcoursup)

For applicants studying in a French secondary school and applying via Parcoursup:

• You apply to the Bachelor through the French undergraduate admission pathway on Parcoursup.
• After your Parcoursup application is validated, and once the specific scholarship form is available, you must contact the Admissions Office by filling out the dedicated online form (linked from the Émile Boutmy page).
• The scholarship deadline date for this route will be announced in October 2025.

Master’s – Two-Year Master’s Programmes (International Graduate Admissions)

For non-EU students applying to a two-year Master’s programme via the international graduate procedure:

Step 1 – Check programme and eligibility

• Confirm that:
  • Your programme is eligible for Émile Boutmy (not one-year programmes, not excluded journalism degrees, etc.);
  • You are eligible for the international graduate procedure (Non-French undergrad degree or equivalent);
  • You meet language requirements and have or can obtain any required language tests before the scholarship deadline.

Step 2 – Create your online application

• Create an account on the Master’s admission portal and start a new application file.
• Select your Master’s programme.

Step 3 – Prepare documents and motivation letter(s)

• Upload all required documents, including:
  • CV;
  • Transcripts and diplomas;
  • References;
  • Motivation letter(s) for each chosen programme;
  • Language test scores, where applicable (must be uploaded by the scholarship deadline).

Step 4 – Apply for the Émile Boutmy Scholarship

• In the “Financial information” section of your application, indicate that you wish to be considered for the Émile Boutmy scholarship.
• Ensure your application (including references and test scores) is complete by:
  • 19 October for consideration in the first committee, or
  • 30 November for the second committee.

Step 5 – Pay the application fee and submit

• Pay the €150 application fee (unless you fall under one of the official fee-waiver categories).
• Submit your application before the earliest relevant deadline (programme + scholarship).

Special case – Candidates in deferral (Bachelor or Master)

If you were admitted previously and obtained a deferral:

• You can apply (or re-apply) for the Émile Boutmy Scholarship only if:
  • You did not apply for Boutmy in your original application; or
  • You obtained the scholarship previously but lost it due to deferral.
• In this case, you must contact Admissions by the official contact form, including your CV, information on your tax residence, household income, and number of dependent children and siblings in higher education.
• You still must meet the scholarship deadline; late requests are not considered.

• You cannot apply only for the scholarship; you must apply for and be admitted to a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme first.
• Current Sciences Po students (other than automatic renewal cases for their own undergrads moving into Master’s) cannot start a new Boutmy application – the scholarship is reserved for first-time applicants.
• The Admissions Department is responsible for awarding Émile Boutmy Scholarships; scholarship evaluation takes place after your admission decision.
• If you accept your admission offer while waiting for the scholarship result and later do not receive the scholarship, you may still be able to request a deferral (but you cannot re-apply for Boutmy in the same admission round).