If I do not get the scholarship, can I apply for public universities in France for a Bachelor's/Master's?

You do not need a scholarship to study at a French public university. Admission and funding are treated as two separate questions, so as long as you can show you can support yourself financially, your application is judged purely on your academics, language proficiency and motivation letter.

What You Pay Without a Scholarship

How to Apply and Prove Your Funds

• Apply through the Etudes en France (Campus France) portal if your country is covered, or directly through the university portal otherwise.
• Note that some public universities partially waive the differentiated fee for international students, so always budget for the full amount but check for waivers.
• Prepare personal bank statements, a guarantor letter or a blocked account to prove the monthly living amount for your visa.
• Keep your language proficiency scores, French or English depending on the program, ready, since these carry real weight in your admission decision.

My Advice

Do not let a missed scholarship stop you from applying to French public universities, since the fee gap between EU and non-EU rates is still far smaller than in the US, UK or Australia. Start building your proof-of-funds file early, whether that is a bank statement, a guarantor or a blocked account, so your visa application is not the bottleneck once your admission comes through.