Maastricht University Netherlands NL - High Potential Scholarship

Maastricht University offers the NL-High Potential Scholarship programme with a total of 18 full scholarships. Maastricht University states the programme includes a tuition fee waiver and a monthly stipend, and is funded by the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund (High Potential Scholarship) and by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in conjunction with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences (NL Scholarship). The programme is aimed at international students from outside the EU/EEA who want to follow a full degree programme in the Netherlands.

Maastricht University states eligibility is limited to students from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Surinam, who have been admitted to a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht University. The scholarship is for candidates seeking a full degree programme in the Netherlands and requires that the candidate meets the specific admission requirements of the UM master’s programme they applied to. Preference is given to candidates who have not yet obtained a master’s degree.

Maastricht University states selection is competitive, with 2% of applicants receiving the scholarship. Candidates must meet the listed eligibility requirements and submit the scholarship application by the scholarship deadline, including a complete application file. Students must also complete the programme admission process and submit the admission application file in full before the stated admission deadline for the programme track they apply to.

Support duration depends on the master’s length: 13 months for a one-year master’s programme and 25 months for a two-year master’s programme. Maastricht University states the scholarship includes living expenses paid by the UM International Services Desk, health and liability insurance arranged and paid by the UM International Services Desk, and visa and other listed costs arranged and paid by the UM International Services Desk. A mandatory part includes a room allocation until a specified date; accepting the room is required, and refusing the room cancels the scholarship. For two-year programmes, students must find housing for the second year themselves.

• Nationality in a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Surinam.
• Meets requirements for obtaining an entry visa and residence permit for the Netherlands.
• If the applicant already has a residence permit for another Schengen country, that residence permit must be valid until at least the stated date.
• If the applicant’s residence permit expires before the stated date, they can only apply from their home country via a MVV visa application.
• No dual nationality from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland.
• Applied for admission to a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht University and submitted the application file in full, meeting all admission requirements, before the stated admission deadline.
• Meets the specific admission requirements of the UM master’s programme to which the applicant applied.
• Has never participated in a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands; exchange programmes in the Netherlands are welcome to apply.
• Preference will be given to candidates who have not yet obtained a master’s degree.
• Not older than 35 years of age on the stated reference date.
• Excellent results during prior education programmes as demonstrated by a latest grade transcript showing a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher.
• Agrees to become an active UM NL High Potential and UM ambassador during and after studies by committing to share experiences during at least one information session for students and/or other stakeholders.
• Can only submit an application once and for one scholarship.
• Documents must meet the stated requirements before starting the application; documents cannot be added or replaced after submission.

• Living expenses: € 20,150 for 13 months or € 38,750 for 25 months, paid by the UM International Services Desk.
• Health and 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 first block only (arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk).
• Room allocation until the stated date; accepting the scholarship means accepting the room.
• Living expense breakdown includes: housing € 960; groceries and personal hygiene € 160; telephone € 60; travel € 100; books and study materials € 90; clothing, hobbies and going out € 125; miscellaneous € 55.
• Air tickets: not included and must be paid by the candidate.
• Cleaning fee (approx. € 75): not included and must be paid to Maastricht Housing upfront.

1. Apply for one of the participating master’s programmes at Maastricht University (apply via Studielink). After submitting via Studielink, receive a student ID number for UM.
2. Complete and submit the scholarship application form using the UM account. UM states it can only accept scholarship applications via the application form.
3. Ensure the scholarship application is submitted by the scholarship deadline; UM states you will only be able to submit the application once.
4. Upload the required documents in .doc, .docx or PDF format with the application form, including referee contact details.

• Curriculum vitae (CV) (up to two A4 pages; includes education and relevant education/job experience; awards or prizes should be mentioned).
• Letter of motivation using the provided template.
• Proof of academic excellence, including: (1) university transcript or an official document from the home university showing the most recent GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher; (2) a document explaining the grade system.
• Personal statement of financial needs, describing why the applicant would benefit from being awarded a scholarship and personal circumstances (examples include financial difficulty, sole parent/caretaking responsibilities, medical condition, disability, refugee status).
• A reference letter (referees must be (former) professors, lecturers, or employers, and not family members); letters must follow the prepared guidelines and must be dated and written no earlier than the stated month and year; UM states non-adherent letters are not taken into account and the application becomes incomplete.
• Contact details of one referee.