🇧🇪 Belgium · Scholarships
Scholarships and financial aid for studying in Belgium — government, university, and international programs.
Quick answer
In Belgium, funding differs by community: Flanders offers the Master Mind Scholarships (via Study in Flanders) for excellent master's students, while the French-speaking community funds development scholarships through ARES; VLIR-UOS also funds students from partner countries. Many universities add their own awards. Explore the community and university sites and apply by each deadline.
Belgian scholarships are split by community and institution. International students should check Study in Flanders for Flemish programmes, Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus for French-speaking Belgium and the chosen university for internal funding.
- Education is a community responsibility, so there is no single national scholarship system.
- Flanders lists Master Mind, Erasmus Mundus, VLIR-UOS and institution funding options.
- Wallonia-Brussels funding calls vary by degree level, research status, nationality and deadline.
Step-by-step
- 1
Map the funding landscape
Map Belgian funding: Flanders’ Master Mind Scholarships (Study in Flanders), the French-community ARES scholarships, VLIR-UOS and university awards.
- 2
Check eligibility and deadlines
Confirm eligibility (level, nationality, grades, language) and note that scholarship deadlines are often months before course start.
- 3
Prepare your documents
Prepare transcripts, a language-test score, reference letters, a strong personal statement and (for research) a proposal.
- 4
Apply to the scheme and university
Submit the scholarship application and, where required, a separate university/admission application by each deadline.
- 5
Interview, results and acceptance
Attend any interview or selection stage; if awarded, formally accept the scholarship and your study place.
- 6
Handle visa, funds and conditions
Apply for your student visa, arrange disbursement, and note any conditions such as progress requirements or a return/service obligation.
Checklist
- Funding sources identified (government / university / private)
- Eligibility + deadlines confirmed
- Transcripts + language test + references
- Personal statement / research proposal
- Scholarship + university applications submitted
- Interview / selection completed
- Offer accepted + funding terms understood
- Student visa + disbursement + any bond/return rules
Official authorities
- Study in Flanders — scholarships
Official Flemish scholarship overview.
- Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus — grants
Official French-speaking Belgium scholarship overview.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Master Mind Scholarships?
Flanders scholarships for outstanding international master’s students, promoted through Study in Flanders and awarded via Flemish universities.
Why does funding vary within Belgium?
Education is managed by the language communities, so Flanders and the French-speaking community run separate scholarship schemes.
What is VLIR-UOS?
A program funding scholarships and cooperation for students and institutions from partner developing countries, mostly for master’s and training.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.