Reception and monitoring foreign scholarship students

Campus France's objective is to make life in France easier for scholarship recipients, regardless of the duration and purpose (studies, internship, scientific visit, etc.). The agency offers several services as part of its management of scholarship programmes. Depending on their needs, its partners choose one or more services that they would like their scholarship recipients to receive. The details are given below.

Preparing for the trip

The trip preparation involves providing scholarship recipient with a personal online space. When they connect, they can monitor the progress of their file and access the information kits, which are useful for preparing for life in France. From this space they can also ask Campus France for help in finding accommodation.

As part of this service, scholarship recipients receive a Campus France pass prior to leaving. This document summarises all of the arrangements made to receive them, the travel itinerary, accommodation, allowance and modes of payment. It may be sent along with the first payment.

Preparing for the trip also includes providing an attestation of support, also called an initiation (mise en route), to make it easier to obtain a visa.

Travelling

On request, Campus France can organise the trip for the scholarship recipients between France and their country of residence, providing airplane tickets through a travel agent. This service covers the transfer of the scholarship recipients to where they will be studying, not just to the nearest airport.

Personalised reception on arrival in France

Campus France provides scholarship recipients with personalised reception and makes sure that their arrival in France goes as smoothly as possible.

Their transfer from wherever they arrive in France to their accommodation is supervised. If a same-day transfer isn't possible, temporary accommodation is offered until they can reach their permanent quarters.

To make sure they are not penniless on arrival, at the request of the partners, Campus France can provide the scholarship recipients with the first scholarship payment, through an exchange office at the airport or by Western Union money transfer.

Supervision throughout their stay

Accommodation

Thanks to the agreement signed with the CNOUS (Centre National des Oeuvres Universitaires - the National Centre of University Works), Campus France has an annual quota of rooms in university residences. Students whose scholarships are managed by the agency have priority for these rooms.

Depending on the case, Campus France can also offer scholarship recipients accommodation in as private student residence or a hotel residence for the total time of the stay or until room is available in a university residence.

Insurance

To protect against risks linked to health problems or accidents, Campus France systematically provides insurance for all scholarship recipients older than 28, as well as for those who do not have student social security. This is required of all of the partners in addition to other services offered by Campus France.

There are several formulae for the social protection provided by Campus France, adapted to where the person is staying (in France or abroad) and to the level of social coverage desired by the partner (80% or 100% of the French social security ceiling or real cost). It generally includes:

• reimbursement of the healthcare and hospitalisation expenses;
• monitoring of specific cases by the Campus France consulting doctor;
• civil liability;
• pension contributions;
• complementary health insurance coverage with approved healthcare professionals;
• repatriation assistance.

As with all insurance, it includes exclusions and does not cover expenses due to illness contracted prior to the stay.

Scholarship recipients who are under 28 years of age are automatically covered by French student social security. Campus France makes sure they are duly registered. Depending on the provisions of the scholarship programme, scholarship recipients may be reimbursed for the amount of the registration fees. That may also be the case for costs from taking out complementary health insurance.

Administrative assistance

Campus France assists scholarship recipients with their administrative procedures, by helping them obtain their residency permit, for example. The streamlining of several public and private services to have a single contact has made most of these procedures easier.

In addition to this administrative assistance, Campus France provides each scholarship recipient with:

• a contact in charge of monitoring the recipient's academic, administrative and financial status;
• a personal online space;
• a unique e-mail address for communicating with all contacts;
• a dedicated Internet site;
• a booklet relating to the scholarship programme;
• free 24/7 telephone assistance.
   

Academic monitoring 

In addition to customised scholarship programmes, Campus France can provide scholarship recipients with individual monitoring throughout their studies. To this end, some information is collected from the host institute. Campus France:

• makes sure that the scholarship recipient has duly enrolled for the current year;
• keeps up to date on any difficulties encountered by the scholarship recipients and instructors;
• receives a copy of the recipient's marks at the end of the semester and/or at the end of the academic year.

This information is collected throughout the stay and is sent on to the partner:

• at the start of each academic year through an individual sheet covering the scholarship recipient's progress from the time of arrival in France;
• at the end of the academic year, by communicating the scholarship recipient's marks, as certified by the host institute;
• at any time if the scholarship recipient encounters difficulties.
   

Cultural activities

Campus France offers a semester programme of cultural activities in France or Europe. These visits to culturally-significant sites or short stays in Europe encourage discussion between scholarship recipients in different programmes or from different countries.

At the request of the partners, Campus France can also organise specific cultural days or visits, on an individual or group basis.

The France Alumni platform

Campus France helps scholarship recipients launch their careers through France Alumni platform. The site, for graduates of French higher education, provides them with many advantages and lets them:
 

• advertise their experience through an extensive worldwide network;
• contact or find former international scholarship recipients;
• participate in discussion groups;
• contact people living abroad who had studied in France;
• maintain contact with France and stay up to date on the news here;
• keep up to date on events organised by Campus France, in France and abroad;
• develop ties with the corporate world.