Your Complete Scholarship Guide to Studying in Belgium: Europe’s Hidden Gem
Belgium is at the crossroads of Europe and has a unique mix of cultures, languages, and high-quality schools. This little country is home to the European Union’s administrative capital and has world-class colleges, a lively international scene, and a cost of living that is surprisingly low compared to some of its neighbours. Scholarships can help international students, especially those from outside the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), get the most out of their Belgian education.
This detailed guide will show you all the scholarships that are available to overseas students who want to study in Belgium in 2025–2026 and beyond. We will talk about important financing sources, strategic application tips, and other important things to keep in mind as you work towards academic achievement in the heart of Europe.
Why Should You Study in Belgium?
Belgium is more than only its tasty chocolates and old cities:
Belgium is a great place to start travelling Europe because it is close to France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It is easy to get to big cities like Paris, Amsterdam, and London by train.
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French, and German. This makes it a multilingual place. This wide range of languages gives you a great chance to learn new ones and get to know other cultures. A lot of schools have programs that are only taught in English.
excellent-Quality Education: Belgian universities and university colleges have excellent academic standards and offer degrees that are recognised around the world. The country has a long history of doing research and coming up with new ideas.
Tuition rates are reasonable: Public university tuition fees in Belgium are lower than in the UK, the US, or even some other EU countries. This makes it a good choice even if you do not get a full scholarship.
Brussels is the capital of the EU and NATO, thus it has a lot of people from all over the world living there. This makes the area cosmopolitan and offers a lot of chances to meet new people.
Rich Culture and History: Belgium has a lot to offer beyond the classroom, including mediaeval towns, beautiful buildings, world-class art, and great food.
Getting to Know the Belgian Scholarship Scene
While fees for public universities in Belgium are generally lower (from about €1,000 to €4,500 per year for Bachelor’s, €2,500 to €6,000 for Master’s, and €500 to €4,000 for PhDs for non-EU/EEA students), scholarships are very important for many students because they help pay for tuition, living expenses, and travel.
The Belgian scholarship system is a little different from others because it is made up of three language communities: the Flemish Community (Dutch-speaking), the French Community (French-speaking Wallonia and Brussels), and the German-speaking Community (very small, usually part of Wallonia). These different groups often start or run scholarship programs.
Most scholarships fit into one of these big groups:
Government- or regional-funded scholarships are quite popular because they give a lot of money to students from impoverished nations.
University-Specific Scholarships: These are given directly by each university to get top international students to apply.
European Union Programs, like Erasmus+, which makes it easier for students to move around Europe and grants full funding for some joint degree programs.
External Organisations and Foundations: These are private groups that may have very strict rules on who can join.
How to Apply for Major Scholarships
To get a scholarship in Belgium, you need to be proactive, plan well, and write a solid application. Here are some of the biggest scholarship providers and how to apply for their scholarships:
1. Programs run by the Belgian government and regions
These are frequently the most complete and well-known scholarships, especially for students from poor nations.
ARES Scholarships (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur):
Summary: ARES gives fully financed scholarships for Master’s programs and training courses that focus on development in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (French-speaking community). Belgium’s development cooperation programs include these scholarships.
Benefits: Very complete. Usually pays for international travel, a monthly living stipend (like €1,150/month), direct and indirect tuition fees, accommodation, health insurance, and visa fees.
Eligibility for the 2025/2026 intake (with some small changes):
To be eligible, applicants must be citizens of and live in one of the developing countries on ARES’s list. This list usually includes countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Haiti, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Vietnam.
For master’s programs, you must be under 40 years old, and for continuing education programs, you must be under 45.
Must have a Bachelor’s degree that is the same as a Belgian undergraduate degree.
At least two years of relevant work experience after getting their bachelor’s degree.
You should be able to speak French or English well, depending on the curriculum you choose.
You can not have gotten an ARES scholarship before.
How to Apply:
You can apply online through the GIRAF website.
Timeline: The application period usually starts in August and ends in October for the next school year. The deadline for 2025–2026, for instance, was October 18, 2024. So, expect applications to commence in August 2025 for the years 2026-2027.
Important Steps:
Make an account on the ARES GIRAF platform.
Make sure all the information is correct when you fill out the online application form.
Upload all the necessary papers, such as your CV, academic transcripts, diplomas, proof of professional experience, language proficiency certificates, a motivation letter, two recommendation letters (one from an academic and one from a professional), and any other documents that the course requires.
Make sure to send in your application before the deadline.
Selection: The selection procedure is hard and can take a few months. Most of the time, successful candidates are told by email in June of the school year before they start.
VLIR-UOS Scholarships (Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Development Cooperation):
The Flemish Community runs VLIR-UOS, which is like ARES but gives fully financed scholarships for Master’s degrees and short training courses that help developing countries become more sustainable. Flemish universities teach classes in English.
Benefits: Paid for in full. It pays for education, transport (a round-trip overseas flight), health insurance, and a monthly living allowance (for example, €1,400/month for an all-in study allowance).
Eligibility (for the 2025/2026 intake, with minor changes):
Applicants must be citizens of and reside in one of the 30 eligible developing countries, as specified by VLIR-UOS.
Age limits: You can not be older than 35 for a Bachelor’s or first Master’s degree, and you can not be older than 45 for an advanced Master’s degree as of January 1 of the year you start.
Must have the right work experience and background. People who work in higher education, government, or civil society are given priority.
You can not have gotten a scholarship from the Belgian government or studied in Belgium before.
You need to be able to speak and write English well (e.g., IELTS/TOEFL).
How to Apply:
You can apply for VLIR-UOS scholarships as part of the application procedure for the International Course Programmes (ICPs) that they fund. VLIR-UOS does not have a distinct deadline for scholarship applications; they follow the program’s admission deadlines.
Timeline: Most programs open applications in the fall or winter (for example, October to November for the next school year). To find the exact deadlines, visit the various ICP websites.
Important Steps:
The VLIR-UOS website has a list of ICP programs that you can apply to and their unique deadlines.
Choose a program that is taught at a Flemish institution and is eligible. For example, the Master of Science in Food Technology at KU Leuven, the Master of Epidemiology at the institution of Antwerp, or the Master of Water Resources Engineering at KU Leuven/VUB.
To get into the ICP, you need to apply directly to the university you want to go to. You must say that you are applying for the VLIR-UOS scholarship when you fill out the application.
Along with the required admission paperwork, please send in the following scholarship-specific documents: a motivation letter, a CV, academic records, proof of professional experience, and letters of recommendation.
Selection: VLIR-UOS gets in touch with the chosen applicants personally, usually by mid-June, when the institution has made its decision on admissions and preliminary scholarship selection.
Master Mind Scholarships from the Government of Flanders:
Summary: These merit-based scholarships are meant to bring top international Master’s students to Flemish colleges and universities.
Benefits: A grant of €10,000 per academic year (for 60 ECTS) and a full waiver of tuition fees for the whole Master’s program (1 or 2 years). This award pays for housing, insurance, and a large part of living costs.
Who can apply:
All applicants must be international students from different countries.
You must be accepted into a Master’s degree program at one of the Flemish universities or university colleges that are taking part.
Must have a high level of academic achievement (at least a 3.5 GPA out of 4.0 or the same).
Show that you are very good in English (IELTS, TOEFL, or a comparable test).
The host institution must put your name forward.
How to Apply:
You can not apply for this scholarship directly. Before you may do this, you need to be accepted by a Flemish higher education institution.
As a student, your job is to find the Flemish university and Master’s program you want to go to. Send in your application to the program. Ask them about their internal selection procedure for the Master Mind Scholarship during the application process or after you get an offer.
What the university does: If the institution chooses you, they will then use the Mobility-Online service to put your name forward for the scholarship.
Timeline: Institutions had until April 27, 2025, to suggest candidates for the 2025–2026 school year. So, you should try to get into college and show interest in the scholarship by early 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year.
Documents needed (usually sent to the university for nomination): an online application form (through Mobility-Online), a copy of a valid passport, a recent passport-sized photo, academic transcripts, a Bachelor’s degree certificate, proof of English proficiency, a motivation letter, and two letters of recommendation.
Program Erasmus+:
Overview: A full EU-funded program that makes it easier for students to move around. It has Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees (EMJMDs) that are quite appealing. An worldwide group of higher education institutions runs these integrated study programs. They usually involve studying in two or three different European nations, one of which is Belgium.
Benefits: EMJMD scholarships usually cover all of the costs of the program, including tuition, travel, insurance, and a monthly living stipend for the whole time (1–2 years).
Anyone in the world who is a student can apply. You do not apply to each university separately; you apply to the consortium that offers the EMJMD.
How to Apply: Look through the Erasmus+ catalogue for EMJMDs that have Belgian universities in their consortium. You can apply directly through the website of the EMJMD consortium that is right for you. Deadlines are different, but they usually fall between October and January of the following school year.
2. Scholarships for certain universities
To get and help overseas students, many Belgian universities offer their own scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. These might be anything from partial tuition waivers to whole packages.
How to Find Them:
University Websites: Always look at the “International Students,” “Admissions,” “Fees & Funding,” or “Scholarships” parts of the websites of the schools you want to go to. Some important institutions are:
The Flemish Community includes KU Leuven, Ghent University, the University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and Hasselt University.
French-speaking schools: Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Université de Liège, Université de Mons, and Université de Namur.
Departmental Websites: Some scholarships are only available to students in a certain faculty or department, and they are usually linked to research initiatives.
Contact the International Office: Emailing the international admissions office directly is a smart way to find out about financial options for international students.
Types of Scholarships that Most Universities Offer:
Merit-Based Scholarships: These are given to students who do well in school (GPA, research potential). The Science@Leuven Scholarship from KU Leuven is an example. It gives €10,000 to cover tuition, insurance, and living expenses for a Master’s in Science. There are further grants for specific faculties.
Ghent University Top-up Grants: For students from developing countries who are studying for a Master’s degree in English, these grants cover part of their tuition and give them a monthly stipend.
Scholarships from the University of Liège for exceptional Master’s and PhD students from other countries.
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) gives scholarships for some Master’s programs, notably the European Master of Science in Photonics, which pays €10,000 a year to help with living costs.
Research Assistantships (RA) and Teaching Assistantships (TA) are more popular at the graduate level (Master’s by Research, PhD). In these positions, students get paid to help professors with research or teaching. These usually need you to talk to your lecturers directly.
How to Apply: Most of the time, you apply to the university first. If you are accepted, you can then apply for a specific university scholarship, or in some situations, you will be automatically considered based on your admission application. Deadlines for university scholarships can be the same as or different from deadlines for admission.
3. Other Groups and Foundations
Fellowships from the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF):
Overview: Very important fellowships for American citizens who want to do research or graduate studies in Belgium, and for Belgian nationals who want to do research or study in the US.
Benefits: Can be fully supported for one academic year, which means that tuition, health insurance, and a living stipend are all covered.
Eligibility: Only for those from the US and Belgium.
Application Process: Very competitive; requires a long application and interviews. Usually, the deadlines are in October for the next school year.
Specific Private Foundations: There are a lot of smaller foundations and charities out there, and they usually have extremely specific qualifying requirements, like for certain fields of study, geographies, or social backgrounds. These need a lot of independent research. Use academic networks and internet scholarship databases.
Important Tips for Applying for Scholarships
There are a lot of people that want to get scholarships in Belgium. To make your application stand out, keep these important suggestions in mind:
Start Early and Do Your Research: You can apply for scholarships months or even a year before the school year starts. Start your research right away. Make a complete spreadsheet for each scholarship that includes the due dates, required documentation, and contact information.
Academic Excellence is Paramount: A solid academic record (high GPA, outstanding grades, relevant coursework) is frequently the main thing that merit-based and competitive scholarships look for. Make sure to show off your academic successes.
Write a Strong Motivation Letter or Personal Statement:
Answer the “Why”: Clearly explain why you want to pursue your chosen program in Belgium and why you are applying for this particular scholarship.
Show Passion and Purpose: Talk about how much you care about your field, your academic and career goals, and how the scholarship will help you reach them.
Connect to Impact: Tell ARES and VLIR-UOS how your studies will help your home nation, your community, or sustainable development when you get back.
Be Specific: Instead of making general claims, give specific instances of your abilities, experiences, and accomplishments.
Make Each Letter Unique: Do not use a letter that is the same for all of them. Make sure to tailor your motivation letter to each scholarship by talking about their individual criteria and values.
Perfect Writing: Make sure your message is well-organised, makes sense, and has no mistakes in spelling or grammar. Get it checked by more than one person.
Get Strong Letters of Recommendation:
Pick referees (such professors, academic advisors, or employers) who know you well and can give specific instances of your skills, character, and potential.
Give them everything they need, like your CV, personal statement, program specifics, scholarship conditions, and the deadline. Give them enough time, at least two to three weeks.
Show off your language skills:
For programs that are in French (ARES, UCLouvain, ULB): Show that you are very good at French (DELF/DALF scores).
For Dutch-speaking programs (VLIR-UOS, KU Leuven, Ghent University): Most programs are in English, however knowing some Dutch can help.
For programs taught in English, you need to show that you can speak and write English well by taking standardised exams like the IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT. Aim for scores that are higher than the minimum.
Show off your extracurricular activities and leadership: Many scholarships look for individuals who are well-rounded and have shown leadership qualities, community involvement, volunteer work, or major achievements outside of school.
Develop a Strong Research Proposal (for Graduate Studies): A clear and interesting research proposal is very important for Master’s by Research or PhD programs. It should clearly state your research issue, approach, expected results, and how it fits with the faculty’s area of expertise.
Prepare Organised Documentation: Make sure that all of the needed documents are translated (if necessary, by a sworn translator), apostilled/notarized (if necessary), and arranged in the exact order that the scholarship criteria say to. If your application is incomplete or not well-organised, it could be turned down right away.
Important Things to Think About Before Your Trip to Belgium
Cost of Living (2025 Estimates): The cost of living in Belgium is different from place to place. Brussels is usually the most expensive, followed by Antwerp and Ghent.
Average per month (roughly):
Brussels: €1,200 to €1,800
Antwerp/Ghent: €900 to €1,400
€800 to €1,200 for Leuven and other minor cities
Important Costs:
Living arrangements: Student dorms (koten) are usually the cheapest, costing between €250 and €600 per month. In big cities, a one-bedroom flat can cost anything from €600 to €1,200 to rent. A lot of people choose to live in shared homes.
Food: Groceries might cost between €200 and €300 a month. Student restaurants serve cheap meals.
Transportation: Public transportation, like trains, trams, and buses, works well. You can get student discounts on monthly passes, which cost between €20 and €50. A lot of students ride bikes in cities.
Utilities and the Internet: Basic utilities and the Internet cost between €80 to €150 per month.
Health Insurance: International students are required to possess health insurance. You usually have to sign up with a Belgian mutuality (health insurance fund), and the payments are not too high.
Financial Requirements for a Belgian Student Visa in 2025:
To get a long-stay student visa (Type D) for Belgium, you need to show that you have enough money to pay for your living expenses while you are there.
The minimum amount needed for the 2025–2026 school year is €835 per month.
You can present proof of funds by:
A scholarship certificate is the best option because it explicitly proves that you have the money.
A “financial guarantee” form (“Annexe 32” or “Bijlage 32”) filled out by a sponsor (a person, not a firm) who lives in Belgium or another EU/EEA nation and can show that they have enough money to support the student (for example, €2,131.28 net/month plus €835 for each dependent, including the student).
You put the needed amount (for example, 12 months x €835) into an account run by your university, which subsequently gives you monthly allowances. This is called a blocked account operation. Many colleges and institutions help with this.
Your bank statements, which should show enough money for at least a few months and are usually anticipated to cover the whole year.
Navigating Linguistic Communities: Make sure you know if the university and program you want to attend are in the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) or French (French-speaking) community. This affects the language of education, certain regional scholarship programs (ARES vs. VLIR-UOS), and everyday life. English is spoken a lot in schools and around the world, but learning some basic French or Dutch would make your trip much better.
Job Options: Students from other countries with a valid student visa can work part-time (up to 20 hours a week) during the school year and full-time during university breaks. Most of the time, you need a work permit or an exemption from the work permit requirement because you are a student. This can help you pay for living expenses, but you should still rely on your scholarship for most of your money.
In conclusion
Belgium is a great place to study since it is a dynamic, multilingual, and strategically placed European country that offers a high-quality education. While public university costs are already more reasonable than in some other popular study destinations, scholarships provide a key gateway for many overseas students to make this goal into a reality. You can greatly improve your chances of getting the money you need for your Belgian academic adventure by carefully looking into all the different government, regional, university, and outside funding options, writing a strong application that shows off your academic excellence and motivation, and making sure you have all the necessary paperwork. Start getting ready today, and get ready to enjoy all the great things Belgium has to offer in terms of culture and education!
