Application Deadline: Applications are open from 1 October 2026 until 1 February 2027 at 23:59 hrs.
LOCATION: The Netherlands
The Maastricht University (UM) NL-High Potential Scholarship programme offers 18 full scholarships. The NL Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in conjunction with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences. It is aimed at international students from outside the EU/EEA who wish to follow a full degree programme in the Netherlands.
ELIGIBILITY:
All candidates must meet the following requirements:
You hold a nationality in a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Surinam and meet the requirements for obtaining an entry visa and residence permit for the Netherlands. Please check this website before you apply to see in which country you have to collect your MVV visa for the Netherlands . If you already have a residence permit for another Schengen country, you can only apply if this residence permit is still valid until at least 2 September 2027. If your residence permit expires before 2 September 2027, you can only apply for the scholarship from your home country via an MVV visa application. More information can be found on the webpages of the Visa Office.
You do not have dual nationality from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
You have applied for admission to a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht University for the 2027-2028 academic year and have submitted your application file in full, meeting all admission requirements as stated on the website, before 10 December 2026.
Participating programmes 2027-2028
For participating programmes for academic year 2028-2029 you can apply from 1 October 2027 onwards. Please check this link: Participating programmes 2028-2029 (this link will become available as soon as possible).
You meet the specific admission requirements of the UM master’s programme to which you have applied.
You have never participated in a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands. Students who have completed exchange programmes in the Netherlands are welcome to apply.
Preference will be given to candidates who have not yet obtained a Master’s degree.
You are not older than 35 years of age on 1 September 2027.
You have obtained excellent results during your prior education programmes, as demonstrated by your latest grade transcript showing a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher.
You agree to become an active UM NL High Potential and UM ambassador during and after your studies by committing to share your experiences during at least one (information)
session for students and/or other stakeholders.
You can only submit an application once and for one scholarship only. Please make sure all documents meet the requirements before you start your application. We cannot add or replace documents after you submit the application.
Please note, this is a very competitive scholarship; only 2% of the applicants get awarded the scholarship.
Duration of the UM NL-High Potential scholarship:
13 months for a one-year master’s programme
25 months for a two-year master’s programme
BENEFIT:
Amount of the UM NL-High Potential scholarship programme:
| Living expenses | € 20,150* (13 months) or € 38,750* (25 months) | Paid to students by the UM International Services Desk |
| Health & liability insurance | € 700* | Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk |
| Visa application costs | At cost | Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk |
| Tuition fees | At cost | Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk |
| Pre-Academic Training costs | At cost | Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk |
| International Student Ambassador Programme (ISAP) | At cost for the first block only | Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk |
These amounts are subject to change for academic year 2028-2029
