“Choose France for Higher Education”: a better strategy for international students
27/05/2026
CDEFI welcomes the announcements made under the “Choose France for Higher Education” plan, presented at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne on 21 April by the French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste. It welcomes the continuation of the work undertaken since 2018 to enhance the international attractiveness of French higher education. In particular, it welcomes the development of a more qualitative approach to this strategy, complementing the initial quantitative objectives of the “Bienvenue en France” initiative, which are soon to be achieved.
CDEFI therefore acknowledges the evolution of the strategy towards a more qualitative and targeted approach, in a context of increasing global competition for talent and growing demand for scientific and technological skills. This shift calls for particular attention to the overall coherence of the framework, in order to reconcile attractiveness, clarity of academic pathways, and the effectiveness of public policy.
CDEFI recalls that higher education and research institutions are a major showcase for France’s international influence. Engineering schools, which on average welcome 20% international students and train both future engineers and future doctoral graduates, make a decisive contribution in this regard. CDEFI congratulates all institutions and organisations that, since 2018, have actively contributed to the progress achieved in welcoming international students. The development of programmes taught in English on the one hand, and the growth of the “Bienvenue en France” label on the other, reflect strong collective mobilisation around a shared objective: the internationalisation of education is now a strategic priority for all stakeholders in French higher education and research.
While CDEFI is not opposed in principle to the application of differentiated tuition fees for international students, it considers that the setting of tuition fees falls within the autonomy of institutions. In particular, it emphasises that the initially proposed 10% cap on fee exemptions risked limiting institutions’ ability to pursue an ambitious social inclusion policy. Following discussions held during the 12 May session of the CNESER (National Council for Higher Education and Research), CDEFI welcomes the proposed change to raise this cap to 30% exemptions from the next academic year onwards, together with the introduction of an intermediate threshold enabling institutions to reach a 20% exemption rate by 2028. This development sends a positive signal to institutions committed to a policy of international openness. However, CDEFI recalls that ambitious internationalisation and student support policies rely on broader balances, combining tuition policies, exemption mechanisms, social support measures, and targeted scholarship strategies.
The international attractiveness of French higher education depends on institutions’ ability to welcome diverse profiles, regardless of geographical origin or financial means. In this context, CDEFI calls for exemptions granted under major bilateral partnerships or exchange programmes supported by France, such as the FITEC (France Ingénieurs TEChnologie) programmes, to be excluded from the proposed cap, in order not to weaken long-standing international cooperation frameworks developed by engineering schools.
Furthermore, the prospect of a forthcoming decree aimed at implementing these differentiated tuition fees as early as September 2026 raises questions regarding its operational feasibility, including in the context of raising the exemption cap to 30% of the maximum exemption rate. CDEFI stresses the importance of preserving clear procedures for international applicants and calls for consideration to be given to institutional timetables and the varied situations of international students already engaged in these processes, in order to avoid any negative impact on the reception of these students.
Similar concerns are emerging regarding the proposed expansion of the Études en France platform. While the objective of simplifying and centralising applications is understood, certain arrangements could affect institutional autonomy in recruitment matters. CDEFI also draws attention to the need for alignment between the platform’s timetable and institutions’ own procedures: in many cases, deadlines set in advance lead to applications closing prematurely, even though institutions continue to receive and assess a significant number of applications in the following months, creating a risk of losing high-quality candidates.
More broadly, CDEFI stresses the importance of clarifying the distribution of responsibilities among stakeholders in order to ensure coherence in the recruitment process: academic assessment of applications should remain the responsibility of institutions, while diplomatic authorities should handle document verification and the assessment of residency conditions. It also recalls that certain mobility schemes, particularly those established within inter-institutional partnerships (dual degrees, academic exchanges) or joint programmes, constitute a key driver of attractiveness and international cooperation. These schemes rely on structured selection processes that should not be subject to additional complexity or filtering. In such cases, the platform should remain a support and facilitation tool, serving transparent and streamlined pathways for international applicants, within an overall coherent framework.
CDEFI also wishes to emphasise the importance of measures relating to the reception of international doctoral candidates and researchers. The announced continuation of master’s and doctoral visas, together with the wider implementation of the “Talent-Researcher” residence permit, are particularly important. CDEFI fully supports any initiative aimed at facilitating reception, administrative procedures, and living conditions for these profiles. It calls for ensuring the coherence and smooth functioning of the proposed mechanisms in order to strengthen France’s attractiveness for these essential talents in a context of intensified international competition.
Finally, CDEFI welcomes the recognition by public authorities of the growing need for engineers and the emphasis placed on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within this strategy. It reaffirms its full commitment to supporting these priorities and emphasises that engineering schools are intended to play a central role in implementing this strategy, in close connection with the skills needs of scientific and technological sectors.
CDEFI therefore acknowledges the evolution of the strategy towards a more qualitative and targeted approach, in a context of increasing global competition for talent and growing demand for scientific and technological skills. This shift calls for particular attention to the overall coherence of the framework, in order to reconcile attractiveness, clarity of academic pathways, and the effectiveness of public policy.
CDEFI recalls that higher education and research institutions are a major showcase for France’s international influence. Engineering schools, which on average welcome 20% international students and train both future engineers and future doctoral graduates, make a decisive contribution in this regard. CDEFI congratulates all institutions and organisations that, since 2018, have actively contributed to the progress achieved in welcoming international students. The development of programmes taught in English on the one hand, and the growth of the “Bienvenue en France” label on the other, reflect strong collective mobilisation around a shared objective: the internationalisation of education is now a strategic priority for all stakeholders in French higher education and research.
While CDEFI is not opposed in principle to the application of differentiated tuition fees for international students, it considers that the setting of tuition fees falls within the autonomy of institutions. In particular, it emphasises that the initially proposed 10% cap on fee exemptions risked limiting institutions’ ability to pursue an ambitious social inclusion policy. Following discussions held during the 12 May session of the CNESER (National Council for Higher Education and Research), CDEFI welcomes the proposed change to raise this cap to 30% exemptions from the next academic year onwards, together with the introduction of an intermediate threshold enabling institutions to reach a 20% exemption rate by 2028. This development sends a positive signal to institutions committed to a policy of international openness. However, CDEFI recalls that ambitious internationalisation and student support policies rely on broader balances, combining tuition policies, exemption mechanisms, social support measures, and targeted scholarship strategies.
The international attractiveness of French higher education depends on institutions’ ability to welcome diverse profiles, regardless of geographical origin or financial means. In this context, CDEFI calls for exemptions granted under major bilateral partnerships or exchange programmes supported by France, such as the FITEC (France Ingénieurs TEChnologie) programmes, to be excluded from the proposed cap, in order not to weaken long-standing international cooperation frameworks developed by engineering schools.
Furthermore, the prospect of a forthcoming decree aimed at implementing these differentiated tuition fees as early as September 2026 raises questions regarding its operational feasibility, including in the context of raising the exemption cap to 30% of the maximum exemption rate. CDEFI stresses the importance of preserving clear procedures for international applicants and calls for consideration to be given to institutional timetables and the varied situations of international students already engaged in these processes, in order to avoid any negative impact on the reception of these students.
Similar concerns are emerging regarding the proposed expansion of the Études en France platform. While the objective of simplifying and centralising applications is understood, certain arrangements could affect institutional autonomy in recruitment matters. CDEFI also draws attention to the need for alignment between the platform’s timetable and institutions’ own procedures: in many cases, deadlines set in advance lead to applications closing prematurely, even though institutions continue to receive and assess a significant number of applications in the following months, creating a risk of losing high-quality candidates.
More broadly, CDEFI stresses the importance of clarifying the distribution of responsibilities among stakeholders in order to ensure coherence in the recruitment process: academic assessment of applications should remain the responsibility of institutions, while diplomatic authorities should handle document verification and the assessment of residency conditions. It also recalls that certain mobility schemes, particularly those established within inter-institutional partnerships (dual degrees, academic exchanges) or joint programmes, constitute a key driver of attractiveness and international cooperation. These schemes rely on structured selection processes that should not be subject to additional complexity or filtering. In such cases, the platform should remain a support and facilitation tool, serving transparent and streamlined pathways for international applicants, within an overall coherent framework.
CDEFI also wishes to emphasise the importance of measures relating to the reception of international doctoral candidates and researchers. The announced continuation of master’s and doctoral visas, together with the wider implementation of the “Talent-Researcher” residence permit, are particularly important. CDEFI fully supports any initiative aimed at facilitating reception, administrative procedures, and living conditions for these profiles. It calls for ensuring the coherence and smooth functioning of the proposed mechanisms in order to strengthen France’s attractiveness for these essential talents in a context of intensified international competition.
Finally, CDEFI welcomes the recognition by public authorities of the growing need for engineers and the emphasis placed on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within this strategy. It reaffirms its full commitment to supporting these priorities and emphasises that engineering schools are intended to play a central role in implementing this strategy, in close connection with the skills needs of scientific and technological sectors.
Find us on social media! #CDEFI
The Conference of Deans of French Schools of Engineering (CDEFI) is a non-profit association of Deans of French state and private Schools of Engineering and universities of technology authorised by the CTI (a French accreditation agency) to deliver the French Engineering degree.
Created in 1976 by a decree issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, CDEFI is the local, national and international political and public voice of French Schools of Engineering and universities of technology.
CONTACT US :
CDEFI
44 rue Cambronne
75015 Paris - FRANCE
44 rue Cambronne
75015 Paris - FRANCE
Should you need any further information about schools and curricula, please contact Engineering Schools directly.