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This article discusses the implementation in France, starting in 2015, of university programs to help people in exile resume their studies. While previously the category of “exiled student” did not exist in French higher education, thus hindering the resumption of studies by people seeking asylum or under international protection, the constitution of the MEnS (Migrants in Higher Education) network and the establishment of the diplômes universitaires passerelles (gateway university diplomas) have raised public awareness about this issue. Based on a master’s research paper, interviews, archival documents, and first-hand experiences, this article analyzes the tensions in the creation and functioning of such programs. The first part looks at the gradual coordination of originally disparate initiatives, and analyzes the changing role of the Ministry of Higher Education. The second part focuses on the functioning of the passerelle university diploma, an important pillar of university action in favor of exiled students. The third part describes the challenges of a university policy on receiving refugees in the context of tougher migration policies in France and the commodification of higher education. Between horizontal coordination and ministerial supervision, and between a militant and institutional genesis, we propose an analysis of the complexities of the university policy on receiving exiled students.