20+ Scholarships in Belgium for International Students (+Fully Funded)

Looking for scholarships in Belgium for international students? You just found it. Belgium is a country that can offer you a fantastic study experience. It is wonderfully multicultural and would be a fantastic choice for international student. Known for its high quality of life, healthcare and education, the country ranks as one of the safest and most peaceful cities in the world.

There are many excellent higher education institutions throughout Belgium, offering high quality education at all levels. You will find 7 Belgian universities in the QS World University Ranking top 500, and 4 of these are in the top 200! The top ranked is KU Leuven, coming in at 71st place.

Cost of Studying & Living in Belgium

There are both public and private institutions in Belgium, and your tuition fee will depend on which of these you choose. EU/EEA country students who choose to go to public institution, can expect to pay around €850 per year. If you are from any other country, you can expect to pay between €1,000 and €4,000 per year. For a master’s or doctorate degree, most students will have to pay an application fee. A private institution will most likely charge more than this. There are scholarships available, but they are competitive. See list below for more information on scholarships.

Your living costs will depend on where you choose to live, as well as whether you stay in university accommodation or private accommodation. On average, your living costs can be between €750 and €1,100 per month. This includes accommodation, travel, groceries and course equipment. If you are from any country other than the EU/EEA countries, you may need to seek permission in the form of a work permit in order to work during your studies, and will probably be allowed to work up to 20 hours. Your university will be able to provide information about this.

Visas requirement

If you are from any country other than EU/EEA countries, you will need to apply for a visa to study in Belgium. You will need to get a ‘long stay’ visa, and can start this process at the Belgian embassy or consulate in your home country. It might take some time for your application to progress and your visa to be granted, so make sure to leave plenty of time.

Language

Belgium has three official languages; Dutch (Flemish), French and German. Whilst there are courses taught in all of these languages, but the majority are offered in French. You will no doubt be able to study programmes in the English language.

If you are applying for a course taught in any of the official languages of Belgium, you will need to have advanced language skills, and be able to pass language proficiency tests. If you are applying for a course taught in English, you will also need to pass an English language test. It is common for institutions to offer courses to improve your language skills if you are not able to pass proficiency tests.

Scholarships in Belgium for International Students (+Fully Funded)

We have put together a comprehensive list of masters, and PhD scholarships in Belgium for international students. Be sure to bookmark this page because we will be reviewing it from time to time.

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1. ARES Masters and Training Scholarships for Developing Countries

International Courses and Training Programmes are part of the global study programmes of the Higher Education Institutions. They are open to all students who satisfy the conditions of qualification, but aim at proposing training units that distinguish themselves by their openness towards specific development issues. It is one of the top scholarships in Belgium for international students.

Application Deadlines: 8th February

Number of Scholarships: ARES grants 150 scholarships for participation into the masters and 70 scholarships for participation into the training programmes.

Value of Scholarship: Travel (internal and external), Monthly living allowance, Indirect mission costs, Installation costs, Tuition fees, Registration fee, Insurance costs, Housing allowance, Allowances for dependents, Return fees, In 1st session completion bonus (June).

Duration of Scholarship:  Period of study

2. VLIR-UOS Masters & Training Scholarships in Belgium for African/Developing Countries

VLIR-UOS funds and facilitates academic cooperation and exchange between higher education institutions in Flanders (Belgium) and those in developing countries, which aims at building capacity, knowledge and experience for a sustainable development. The master programmes focus on specific problems of developing countries. These are designed to enable graduates to share and apply acquired knowledge in the home institution and country. In the shorter training programmes the focus is on transferring skills rather than knowledge, thus creating opportunities for cooperation and networking.

Application Deadline: depends on candidate’s chosen programme. Deadline generally between November – March

Number of Awardees: VLIR-UOS will award up to 180 scholarships to first-year master students and 70 scholarships to training participants.

Value of Scholarship: The scholarship covers ALL related expenses (full cost).

Duration of Scholarship: The master programmes will last for one or two academic years while the shorter training programmes will last 14 to 90 days.

3. Government of Flanders Mastermind Scholarships for Excellent International Students

The programme aims to promote the internationalization of the Flemish Higher Education, as stated in the Action Plan for Student Mobility. Students cannot apply directly. Applications need to be submitted by the Flemish host institution.

Application Deadline: Varies by institution. Some institutions have as deadline 15th February.

Number of Awardees: 30 to 40

Value of Scholarship: The incoming student is awarded a scholarship of maximum €8000, – per academic year.

Duration of Scholarship: The duration of mobility is minimum 1 academic year and maximum the full duration of the master programme. If the student obtains less than 45 ECTS in the first year, then he/she loses the scholarship in the second year.

4. Government of Flanders Priority Country Scholarship Programme for African/International Students

The selection for the Priority Country Programme is made only once a year. In this respect, those who are planning to exchange in the Spring Semester (January-August) should apply. The aim of this programme is to promote exchange of students between Belgium/Flanders and following priority countries.

Application Deadline: 2nd April

Number of Awards: It is estimated that 100 to 120 students can benefit from the Priority Country Programme.

Value and Duration of Scholarship: 

• The grant amount is €650/month for the Flemish
  student with a total maximum of €2.600 and €800/month for the international
  student with a total maximum of €3.200.
• The students receive a supplementary
  reimbursement for travel expenses.

5. Hasselt University Masters of Transportation Sciences Scholarships for Students from Developing Countries

The International Course Programme (ICP) trains students to identify transportation and road safety issues in order to create innovative solutions by using an integrative approach based on three pillars: the individual, the environment and the society. Road safety in this programme is approached as a cross-border field, incorporating elements of psychology, economy, urban planning, environmental studies, engineering and more.

Application Deadline: 1st March

Number of Awards: 12

Value of Award:  

• Allowance: € 890/month
• Accommodation allowance: € 390/month
• Insurance, international travel and tuition fee

Duration of Program: 2 years

6. Hasselt University Masters Scholarship Program for Students from Developing Countries

The Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR-UOS) offers 12 scholarships each year for our ICP Master’s programme Master of Statistics.

Application Deadline: 1st March

Number of Awards: 12

Value of Award: Which costs are covered by the scholarship?

• Allowance: € 890/month
• Accommodation allowance: € 390/month
• Family allowance: € 62 per dependent
  person/month
• Several one-time payments
• Insurance, international travel and tuition fee

7. Erasmus Mundus Joint Scholarships at University of Antwerp

The objective of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree EGEI is to develop competences in the core subjects of the programme for European and non-European economics students. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. It is essentially geared to students interested in careers in research, in government and international organizations, and in the research and strategy departments of large banks and industrial and commercial corporations.

Application Deadline: 31st December.

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Fully-funded

Duration of Scholarship: 2 years

8. International Masters in Rural Development (IMRD) Scholarship – Erasmus Mundus

Being an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree, the IMRD programmes is entitled to – each academic year – award a limited number of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree (EMJMD) Student scholarships to promising nationals of Erasmus+ Partner Countries. The aim of these scholarships is for these promising students to finance their participation to the IMRD programme. It offers the opportunity to become an international expert on rural development in its diversity of approaches and applications.

Application Deadline: 1st March

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:  

• 2 year Programme Costs for the IMRD programme (= 2 x 9,000 => 18,000 EUR)
• 2 year full worldwide insurance coverage
• contribution to travel and installation costs (either 5,000 or 7,000 EUR)
• 24 monthly subsistence allowances (= 24 x 1,000 => 24,000 EUR)

Duration of Scholarship: 2 years

9. Science@Leuven Scholarships for International Students

The Science@Leuven Scholarships are for motivated and talented international students who are interested in participating in an international master programme of the Faculty of Science of the K.U.Leuven.

Application Deadline: 15th February

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: The amount of the scholarship can be up to 10.000 Euro for 1 year. The scholarship will always cover the tuition fee for 1 year, the insurance and a basic health insurance coverage. The amount awarded for living expenses can vary.

Duration of Scholarship: 1 year.Most master programmes of the Faculty of Science are 2-year programmes. The scholarship for the second master year will only be continued for students having had outstanding results the first master year.

10. Erasmus+ Masters in Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead) Scholarship Program for International Students

The Master in Digital Communication Leadership (DCLead) approaches the vast and recent field of digital communication from an interdisciplinary and international point of view bringing together advanced academic discussion with practical knowledge and skills. The programme promotes a non-techno-deterministic, social and ethical reflection on digital communication for future leaders of the field.

Application Deadline: 1st December

Number of Awards: 12-15

Duration of Award: 24 month

Value of Scholarship: Partner Countries E+ Scholarship grantees receive a stipend of 1.000 EUR per month. 1.000 or 3.000 EUR for travel costs depending on the distance of the home country to the coordinating university (University of Salzburg), and 1.000 EUR for installation costs. The grant also covers the participation costs.

11. World Veterinary Association (WVA) Veterinary Student Scholarship Program for Students from Developing Countries

Based on the successful deliverance of the MSD Animal Health/WVA Veterinary Student Scholarship Program, MSD Animal Health and WVA agreed to continue the good collaborations and to launch the Veterinary Student Scholarship Program.

Application Deadline: 1st January

Number of Awards: 41      

Value of Award:  US 5000$ each

12. Elisabeth & Amelie Grants for Students from Developing Countries Studying

Here, the Elisabeth & Amelie Fund takes into consideration an integrated approach to water management that includes technical and/or sociological aspects. The internship will take place in a developing country (the student’s country of origin or another country). It will be tied to a master’s thesis (or an equivalent) and under the responsibility of the Belgian academic institution where the student is studying.

Application Deadline: 23rd October

Number of Awardees: 10

Value of Scholarship: The grant will cover the expenses inherent to the internship, up to a maximum of €5.000.

Duration of Scholarship: The internship, which should last 1 to 2 months, must take place between December and the end of August next year.

13. Ghent University PhD Scholarship Grants for Candidates from Developing Countries

These grants take the form of a so called “sandwich” scholarship: the candidate obtains a scholarship on an alternating basis on the PhD at Ghent University (‘North’) and at the university or research centre in a developing country (‘South’). Only for the periods the scholarship holder works at Ghent University the scholarship holder will receive a monthly income. The rest of the PhD research is done in the partner university, for which no funding is provided through this scholarship.

Application Deadline: 7th March

Value of Scholarship: 

• The value of the scholarship at Ghent University
  depends on, the researcher’s family situation and is approximately € 1.958 per
  month.
• The Ghent University promoter also receives a
  bench fee of €15.440 to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as the
  travelling costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local
  promoter.

Duration of Scholarship: The candidate obtains a scholarship for maximum 24 months which must be divided into several periods within a span of 4 years.

14. Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship Program for PhD Students in Developing Countries

The aim is to give students the opportunity to conduct PhD research in a ‘sandwich’ system, which means that 50%of the research takes place at KU Leuven and 50%at the home institution of the scholar, supported by a local co-promoter. The PhD-degree is awarded by KU Leuven. It is the oldest university of the Low Countries. The scholarships are offered to excellent proposals that deal with a development-relevant research topic, preferably linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Application Deadline: 31st January

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The scholarship covers ALL related expenses (full cost).

Duration of Program: The Doctoral programmes will last for one or two academic years while the shorter predoctoral programmes will last 14 to 90 days.

15. Ghent University Doctoral Scholarships

With support from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF), Ghent University wishes to support university research groups or research centres in developing countries in their aim to grow into excellent research centres by upgrading local academic personnel. These grants take the form of a so called “sandwich” scholarship. It is one of the top scholarships in Belgium for international students.

Application Deadline: 6th March

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:

• The value of the scholarship at Ghent University depends on, the researcher’s family situation.
• The Ghent University promoter also receives a bench fee to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as the travelling
  costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local promoter.

Duration of Scholarship: These grants take the form of a so called “sandwich” scholarship: the candidate obtains a scholarship for maximum 24 months to work within a span of 48 months on an alternating basis on the PhD at Ghent University (‘North’) and at the university or research centre in a developing country (‘South’).

16. K.U. Leuven University PhD Scholarships for Developing Countries

This is one the top scholarships in Belgium for international students. The programme is organized and managed by IRO, the University’s Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation. This programme is intended for the student to do his or her whole research at KU Leuven.

Application Deadline: 31st January

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Tuition fee, Health and Life Insurances, partner and child allowances, monthly stipend, travel.

Duration of Scholarship: 

• PhD: 48 months (4 years)
• Predoctoral programme: 12 extra months (1 year)

17. Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) PhD Scholarships for Developing Countries

The Catholic University of Louvain is Belgium’s largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve, which was expressly built to house the university. UCL has satellite campuses in Brussels, Charleroi, Mons and Tournai. It offers one of the top scholarships in Belgium for international students. The PhD scholarship for students from developing countries reflects its wish not only to help strengthen the academic systems of developing countries but also to create new partnerships between UCL and research or higher education institutions in these countries.

Application Deadline: 30th March

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Award: Recipients receive a UCL PhD scholarship that includes support. One or more round-trip airline tickets between the international airport nearest to the recipient’s home country residence and Brussels Airport.

Duration of Scholarship:  for no more than 36 months

18. KU Leuven Travel Grants for Researchers from Developing Countries

With this programme, KU Leuven wishes to stimulate South-North exchanges. The programme intends to offer new opportunities to researchers to stimulate capacity-building in the South. The programme is funded from the KU Leuven development cooperation budget, which is managed by the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation (IRO). IRO will also select the candidates

Application Deadline: 30th September 

Number of Awardees: Not stated

Value of Award: Grants will include:

• a monthly allowance of € 1,500
• a plane ticket (with a maximum of € 1,200)
• insurance coverage during the stay in Leuven.

Duration of Fellowship: Minimum duration of 90 days

19. MISF Du Pré Grants for Multiple Sclerosis Researchers from Developing Countries

MISF offers Du Pré Grants to MS researchers from emerging countries to enable them to make short visits to established MS research centres outside their own country, either to learn from each other or to carry out parts of joint research projects. The aim is to encourage cross-fertilization of skills through collaborative research projects. Two of the annual awards are supported by Stichting MS Research (the Dutch MS Research Foundation).

Application Deadline: 30th June

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Research: Each grant is likely to be between £2,000 and £4,000, to a maximum of £5,000. The funds are intended to go towards travel and living costs, or to top up an existing grant to extend a visit.

Duration of Research: Visits generally last between two and six months.

20. International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) Fellowship for Developing Countries – Belgium

The purpose of the program is to promote the awareness of peritoneal dialysis by encouraging qualified individuals to extend their knowledge and expertise of peritoneal dialysis by visiting a center of excellence for up to 3 months. Each award recipient is expected to submit a brief summary of their experience within 3 months after completion of the visit and how they feel their experience will assist them on their return to their home institution and country. Preference is given to promotion of peritoneal dialysis in developing countries.

Application Deadlines: 31st March and 30th September

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: 

• Awards are given for up to $3000 for 2 to 3 months of study. The funds are to be used to support travel and living expenses
  and for educational expenses during the visit to the host institution.
• Awards for shorter stays will be considered if applicants have specific and defined goals and objectives that they would like to pursue as a host institution.

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