Types of Students

Identifying yourself within one student type is essential to understanding the Campus France and Etudes en France application process.

The first thing you need to do as a prospective student in France is understand your student type. Knowing your student type is critical for completing the Etudes en France application correctly, understanding how Campus France’s role, and accessing the correct instruction materials.

There are six distinct student types that fall into two overarching categories, describing generally the way in which you are using the Etudes en France application and working with Campus France.

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The two student categories are:

1. Candidates – Students using Etudes en France as a common application to apply for one or more degree programs in French universities. Candidates will work with a Campus France advisor to apply to multiple programs in France for which they are qualified. The benefit of applying through Etudes en France as a candidate is that students use one application to apply to multiple programs in France (up to 3 as a DAP candidate, and up to 7 and an HDAP candidate). Applicants to L1 programs must apply as a DAP Candidate through Etudes en France. Candidates fall into two student types: DAP and HDAP. These students have not yet been accepted to a program in France.
    
2. Pre-Consular Applicants – All other students who are not using Etudes en France to apply to French universities will complete a Pre-Consular application.  These students have already been accepted to a program in France. The Pre-Consular application is very simple, and is a mandatory step before students apply for a student visa. All US students who are planning to study in in France for a period of over 90 days will complete a Pre-Consular Etudes en France application before they apply for a student visa. Campus France verifies the nature of the program, maintains a database for France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and is tasked with verifying that each applicant meets the criteria to apply for a student visa.

The six distinct student types are:

1. DAP Candidates – Students using Etudes en France to apply to enter a French university at the Licence 1 level. These candidates may apply to up to three L1 programs using one application.
    
2. HDAP Candidates – Students using Etudes en France to apply to enter a French university at the Licence 2, Licence 3, or Masters level. These candidates may apply to up to seven programs using one application.
    
3. Study Abroad/Exchange/Dual-Degree - Pre-Consular Applicants – Students enrolled in a US college or university who will study abroad in France, in any type of institution, for a period of over 90 days.
    
4. Independent - Pre-Consular Applicants – Students who have been admitted independently to a non-degree-granting program in France. This may be a certificate program, a FLE (French as a foreign language) program, an art or gastronomy program, etc. If you are not earning a Licence, Masters, or Doctoral degree during your program in France, you are an independent student.
    
5. HDAP Allégé - Pre-Consular Applicants – Students who have applied directly to a French institution of higher education and already gained admission to a L2, L3, or Masters program. Essentially, if you’ve been admitted to a degree program in France by applying directly through the institution, you will still need to complete a Pre-Consular Etudes en France application to apply for a visa, and you are considered HDAP Allégé (which is a simplified HDAP application).
    
6. Doctoral Students - Pre-Consular Applicants – Students who have been admitted to a doctoral program in France by applying directly through the French institution. These students may still be required to complete a Pre-Consular Etudes en France application if they plan to apply for a student visa.