In the increasingly competitive world of higher education, it is important that HEC Paris is able to attract the best French and foreign students, whatever their financial situation. By offering scholarships to deserving students, HEC is able to enrich its social, intellectual and cultural diversity and ensure the presence of a dynamic student population.

A range of scholarships
In 2007, the HEC Foundation allocated €1.3 million to HEC Paris, allowing it to provide financial aid to around one in every eight students.

A number of different kinds of scholarship are available. For example, needs-based scholarships are awarded according to the financial capacity of a student or his or her parents, while excellence scholarships are awarded for outstanding academic performance. International recruitment scholarships help overseas students by meeting some of the costs involved in attending HEC while mobility scholarships help existing members of the HEC community participate in foreign exchange programs and undertake internships. The Foundation also finances scholarships that enable students from modest backgrounds to attend the preparatory classes that, in France, are a prerequisite for entering high-caliber business schools such as HEC.

A two-way street
None of this would be possible without the generosity of individual and corporate donors, many of whom are former recipients of HEC scholarships themselves. Donors like Michèle Jardin who graduated in 1978 and is now Director of STARS at Crédit Agricole Asset Management: "My HEC scholarship paved the way to a wonderful career. These scholarships mean that talented people from disadvantaged backgrounds also have a chance to develop. I wanted to contribute to that process by becoming a donor myself." Bernard Méheut, a chartered accountant, also sees his donation to the Foundation as the natural corollary of the scholarship he received back in the 1960s: "As one of eight children, I would have found it difficult to fund my studies without a scholarship. I'm delighted to be able to give the next generation the same opportunities."

Morgane Scoarnec, who graduated in 2007, describes her scholarship as "an excellent example of inter-generational solidarity", while Claire-Isabelle Roquebert, part of the current HEC intake, captured the essence of the program when asked to describe her feelings: "To tell you the truth, I don't think I could have undertaken this program without it. Not having to worry about my finances gives me the freedom to really focus on my studies."