All about France and the French educational system. (MBA Prospect)?

Question

Hi Everyone,

I am currently living in the United States and would really love to Study for my MBA in France.

The Problem is I know nothing about the educational system there. Though I have done a couple researches as to find out about reputable schools out there, it seems like a daunting task right now.

There are some questions I would like answered:

- I was told that education in France is free; I don’t know if that is true for only French and, EU citizens or if it applies to international student too.

-Can an international student get scholarship or some kind of aid/grant?

- What is it like for a black foreigner in France?

- What is the cost of living like—(pick a state) in comparison to a state like California?

-The same question applies to getting a job out there.

So, if there anyone out there with some knowledge of the French higher educational system, Kindly respond please. Any help would be highly appreciated.

Answer 1

I'm not an expert by any means, but I think I can help some. First of all, education regardless of nationality is not free but very cheap, if you enroll the same way as a French student (by which I mean, not in a program through an American university). However, to succeed in classes alongside French students requires a high level of proficiency in the language, a level not easily obtainable without spending a considerable amount of time living in a French-speaking country beforehand. Have you completed a four-year college degree yet? If you have, you can enter a master's program in France. As an international student not enrolling through an American university, I'm pretty certain you won't be eligible for any grants. Cost of living will be the much greater expense as it is equal or higher to your average American city. Keep in mind that the American dollar is much weaker than the Euro. Also, stay far, far away from Paris if you don't want to go broke! Finally, as for blacks in France, there are many, most of them from former French colonies. France has always seemed to me to be to be very accepting and non-racist. However I have heard that the riots of a couple summers ago were due to racial tension, so perhaps things aren't as peachy as they seem. I really think that you will have the same experience in France as a white American (the "American" part will be the bigger problem!). I venture to say that the racial tension in France may be due more to religious tension and class tension, as many of the black people are Muslim and/or in the lower financial stratus.