Maastricht University (UM) awards 18 full scholarships each academic year to highly talented students from outside the EU/EEA who are admitted to a participating master’s programme in Maastricht, the Netherlands.
It combines UM’s own High Potential Scholarship with the NL Scholarship, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with Dutch higher-education institutions. The 2027-2028 round is open until 1 February 2027.
Benefits & funding
- Tuition fees, visa costs and the Pre-Academic Training paid by UM
- Living expenses: €20,150 for 13 months (€1,550 a month) or €38,750 for 25 months; amounts may change
- Health and liability insurance (€700), arranged and paid by UM
- A mandatory allocated room (refusing it cancels the award), unsuitable for partners, children or pets; two-year students find their own housing for year two
- Air tickets not included
Eligibility
- Nationality of a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Suriname, with no dual EU/EEA or Swiss nationality
- Able to obtain a Dutch entry visa and residence permit; a residence permit from another Schengen country must be valid until at least 2 September 2027
- A complete application to a participating full-time master’s programme, meeting all admission requirements, by 10 December 2026
- No previous degree-seeking study in the Netherlands (former exchange students may apply)
- Aged 35 or under on 1 September 2027
- Latest-transcript GPA of at least 7.5/10 (or 75% of the maximum)
- Willing to serve as a UM ambassador during and after studies
- Preference for applicants without a master’s degree
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
“You have never participated in a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands.” Eligibility
Eligible nationalities
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti
+ 176 more
Jamaica · Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Falkland Islands · UK · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Serbia · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Kosovo · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Japan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Palestine · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · Guam · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau
Education required
Bachelor
Age requirement
≤ 35 yrs
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Application process
- 1Apply for a participating master’s programme via Studielink by 10 December 2026 (any handling fee is yours) to get the UM student number the scholarship form needs.
- 2Submit the online scholarship form once, by 1 February 2027 23:59 CET: CV, templated motivation letter, transcript with grading explanation, statement of financial need, and one reference letter from a (former) professor, lecturer or employer that you upload yourself.
- 3Faculties rank their top five in March 2027; shortlisted candidates have an online interview.
Program timeline
Applications open
1 October 2026
Master’s programme application deadline
10 December 2026
Scholarship deadline (23:59 CET)
1 February 2027
Results
April – early May 2027
Mandatory Pre-Academic Training starts
First week of August 2027