Maastricht University Scholarship 2026 in Netherlands | Fully Funded
Maastricht University runs 21 fully funded scholarships each year for exceptional master’s students from outside the EU/EEA, combining two funding streams — the university’s own High Potential Scholarship and the Dutch government’s NL Scholarship — into one award that covers tuition, living costs, insurance, and visa fees.
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The 2026/27 cycle’s scholarship deadline was February 1, 2026, so that round has closed. Maastricht University has already confirmed the next cycle directly: applications for 2027-2028 participating programmes open October 1, 2026, and the scholarship application deadline is February 1, 2027. This is one of the most selective scholarships covered on ScholarWaka — roughly 2% of applicants are selected each year — so this guide covers exactly what you need lined up well before that window opens.
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About This Funding Structure
What makes this scholarship distinct from a typical university award is that it’s actually two funding sources merged into one application. The High Potential Scholarship comes directly from Maastricht University’s own scholarship fund, while the NL Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in partnership with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences more broadly.
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Combining them means recipients get a genuinely comprehensive package rather than partial funding that still leaves gaps — tuition, living costs, insurance, and visa expenses are all covered under the same award rather than split across separate applications. Maastricht University uses this scholarship deliberately to bring high-achieving international students into its master’s programmes, and in return, recipients are expected to act as UM ambassadors during and after their studies — a condition worth taking seriously, since it’s stated as part of the eligibility terms rather than an optional extra.
Maastricht University Scholarship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | Maastricht University |
| Host Country ⇒ | Netherlands |
| Study Level ⇒ | Masters |
| Benefits ⇒ | Full tuition, living costs, visa fees, insurance, and pre-academic training, for the duration of the master’s programme |
| Funded by ⇒ | Maastricht University Scholarship Fund and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (NL Scholarship) |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All countries outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and Suriname |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | 2026/27 cycle closed February 1, 2026. Next cycle: programme applications open October 1, 2026; scholarship deadline February 1, 2027 |
What the Scholarship Actually Covers
This is where the discrepancies across scholarship blogs get worse — several quote a flat “€34,000” or “€36,000 per year” figure, but Maastricht University’s own breakdown is itemised and depends on your programme length, not a single flat number:
- Living expenses: €15,925 for a 13-month (one-year) master’s programme, or €30,625 for a 25-month (two-year) programme — this is the largest component, and the figure that changes most depending on which programme you’re admitted into.
- Health and liability insurance: covered up to €700.
- Visa application costs: fully covered.
- Tuition fees: fully covered for the full duration of your programme.
- Pre-Academic Training costs: covered, including the mandatory two-week orientation programme that runs in the first week of August before your studies begin.
- Accommodation: provided directly by Maastricht University, but with two conditions worth knowing before you apply — acceptance of the university-provided accommodation is mandatory if you’re awarded the scholarship, and it’s arranged for individual students only, not for partners or children who might be joining you.
One cost this scholarship explicitly does not cover: airfare. Budget for that separately, since it’s the one major expense left entirely to the recipient.
Who Can Apply
- You must hold a nationality outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Suriname, and not hold dual nationality with any EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
- You need to meet entry visa and residence permit requirements for the Netherlands — if you already hold a residence permit for another Schengen country, it needs to remain valid through the relevant intake date, so check this specifically rather than assuming it applies to you.
- You must apply for and be admitted to a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht University for the relevant academic year — the scholarship application only opens once your programme application is submitted, not before.
- You need a GPA of at least 7.5 out of 10 (or the recognised equivalent on your own grading scale), backed by a transcript.
- You must be 35 years or younger on September 1 of the intake year.
- You must never have completed a degree-seeking programme in the Netherlands before — exchange programmes don’t disqualify you, but a prior Dutch degree does.
- You’re limited to one application only. Submitting more than once doesn’t improve your odds; it disqualifies the excess submissions.
Documents to Prepare
- A CV, capped at two pages — anything longer isn’t reviewed in full, so trim rather than pad.
- A motivation letter, written using Maastricht University’s official template rather than a freeform format.
- Proof of academic excellence: your transcript showing a GPA of 7.5/10 or higher, plus a separate document explaining your institution’s grading system if it doesn’t map directly onto a 10-point scale.
- A personal statement of financial need, describing your specific financial circumstances and why the scholarship matters to your ability to study.
- A reference letter from a professor, lecturer, or employer — family members aren’t accepted as referees, and the letter needs to be dated after February 2025 to remain current.
- Full referee contact details: name, position, work phone number, and institutional email address, so the university can verify the reference if needed.
How to Apply — For the 2027/28 Cycle
- Apply for admission to a participating master’s programme at Maastricht University through Studielink first. This has historically closed around early-to-mid December, ahead of the scholarship deadline — check the confirmed 2027-2028 date once applications for that intake open on October 1, 2026.
- Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive a UM student ID, which unlocks the separate scholarship application form — you cannot access the scholarship portal without this step completed first.
- Log in to your UM account and complete the NL-High Potential Scholarship Application Form.
- Upload every required document in .doc, .docx, or PDF format — incomplete submissions aren’t accepted, and you only get one submission.
- Submit before the scholarship deadline. For the 2027/28 cycle, that’s February 1, 2027.
- Meet all admission requirements by the scholarship deadline itself, with limited exceptions — legal residence, tuition payment, and a hard copy of your diploma are the only pieces that can follow later.
- If shortlisted, expect interviews as part of the process. Maastricht University has confirmed that candidates for the 2027/28 cycle will be informed of their status by April 2027, with waitlisted applicants resolved to selected or rejected by May 2027 at the latest.
- If selected, you’ll receive details of the mandatory two-week Pre-Academic Training, which begins in the first week of August 2027, ahead of the academic year starting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Maastricht University Scholarship still open for 2026/27?
No. The scholarship deadline for that cycle was February 1, 2026. Maastricht University has already confirmed the next cycle: programme applications for 2027-2028 open on October 1, 2026, with a scholarship deadline of February 1, 2027.
How much is the scholarship actually worth?
It depends on your programme length rather than a single flat figure. Living expenses alone are €15,925 for a one-year (13-month) programme or €30,625 for a two-year (25-month) programme, on top of fully covered tuition, visa costs, insurance up to €700, and pre-academic training.
Can Nigerian or other African students apply?
Yes. The scholarship is open to all nationalities outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and Suriname, with no country-specific restriction beyond that.
How competitive is this scholarship really?
Very. Only about 21 scholarships are awarded per academic year, and roughly 2% of applicants are typically selected — this is one of the more selective postgraduate scholarships available in Europe.
Do I need to apply to Maastricht University separately from the scholarship?
Yes, and in a specific order. You must first apply for and be admitted to a participating master’s programme via Studielink, which generates the student ID you need to even access the scholarship application form.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from Maastricht University’s official website as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on Maastricht University’s official scholarship page before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Maastricht University.
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