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The Maastricht University (UM) NL-High Potential Scholarship programme offers 21 full scholarships of € 34,000 (including tuition fee waiver and monthly stipend) each academic year for highly talented students from outside the European Union (EU) who have been admitted to a master’s programme at UM.
The Scholarship programme consists of both the High Potential Scholarship (funded by the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund), and the NL Scholarship, which is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in conjunction with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences. It is designed for international students from outside the EU/EEA who wish to pursue a full degree program in the Netherlands.
Scholarship Summary
Institution(s): Maastricht University (UM)
Degree level: Master's
Scholarship Coverage: Fully Funded
Eligible Nationality: Non-EU/EEA Countries
Award Country: Netherlands
Deadline: Varies by course
Courses Covered
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences:
MA Arts and Culture: spec. Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education
MA Arts and Culture: spec. Modern Political Culture: Ideas and Discourses in Context
MA Arts and Culture: spec. Contemporary Literature and Arts: Cultural Interventions and Social Justice
MSc Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology
MA European Studies
MSc European Studies: spec. Histories of European Integration
MSc European Studies: spec. Democracy and Representation in Europe
MSc European Studies: spec. Europe and the World
MA European Studies on Society, Science and Technology
Faculty of Law:
LLM European Law School: spec. European Business Law
LLM European Law School: spec. European Public Law & Governance
LLM European Law School: spec. General programme
LLM European Law School: spec. Law for a Sustainable Europe
LLM European Law School: spec. Law & AI
LLM Forensics, Criminology and Law
LLM Globalisation and Law: spec. Corporate and Commercial Law
LLM Globalisation and Law: spec. General programme
LLM Globalisation and Law: spec. Human Rights
LLM Globalisation and Law: spec. International Trade and Investment Law
LLM International and European Tax Law: spec. International and European Tax Law
LLM International and European Tax Law: spec. Customs and International Supply Chain Taxation
LLM International and European Tax Law: spec. Tax and Technology
LLM Advanced Master in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management
MSc Advanced Master in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences:
MSc Epidemiology
MSc Global Health
MSc Governance and Leadership in European Public Health
MSc Health and Digital Transformation
MSc Health Education and Promotion
MSc Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Management
MSc Human Movement Sciences: spec. Health and Rehabilitation
MSc Human Movement Sciences: spec. Sports and Nutrition
MSc Occupational Health & Sustainable work
Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience
MSc Forensic Psychology
MSc Psychology: spec. Neuropsychology
Research Master Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience: spec. Clinical Psychology School of Business and Economics
MSc Digital Business and Economics
MSc Econometrics and Operations Research
MSc Economic and Financial Research: spec. Econometrics
MSc Economic and Financial Research: spec. Economic & Financial Research
MSc Economics: spec. Inequality and social inclusion
MSc Economics: spec. Sustainable and resilient economies
MSc Economics: spec. Technology, markets and societal change
MSc Economics and Strategy in Emerging Markets
MSc Financial Economics: spec. Asset Pricing
MSc Financial Economics: spec. Banking
MSc Financial Economics: spec. Financial Analysis
MSc Human Decision Science
MSc International Business: spec. Accounting and Business Information Technology
MSc International Business: spec. Accounting and Control
MSc International Business: spec. Managerial Decision-Making and Control
MSc International Business: spec. Entrepreneurship & Business Development
MSc International Business: spec. Strategic Corporate Finance
MSc International Business: spec. Information Management and Business Intelligence
MSc International Business: spec. Marketing-Finance
MSc International Business: spec. Organisation: Management, Change and Consultancy
MSc International Business: spec. Strategic Marketing
MSc International Business: spec. Strategy and Innovation
MSc International Business: spec. Supply Chain Management
MSc International Business: spec. Sustainable Finance
MSc Learning and Development in Organisations
MSc Public Policy and Human Development
MSc Sustainability Science, Policy, & Society: spec. Policy for Sustainability
MSc Sustainability Science, Policy, & Society: spec. Business for Sustainability
Scholarship Benefits
Living expenses € 15,925 (13 months) or € 30,625 (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 the cost for the first block only. Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk
Please note that a mandatory part of the Scholarship is a room that will be allocated to you. Accepting the Scholarship means you accept the room. The accommodation provided to Scholarship students is not suitable for partners/spouses and/or children. Preferences with regard to the accommodation, e.g., religious beliefs, will be taken into account. Refusing the room means your Scholarship will be cancelled.
The amount of € 15,925 for living expenses (€ 1,225 per month) covers the following expenses and can be broken down as follows (amounts are subject to change):
Housing: € 600
Groceries and personal hygiene: € 160
Telephone: € 60
Travel: € 100
Books and study materials: € 90
Clothing, hobbies and going out: € 125
Miscellaneous: € 90
Eligibility Criteria
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 applying to see in which country you need 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 2025. If your residence permit expires before 2 September 2025, 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 (participating programmes) for the 2025-2026 academic year.
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.
You are not older than 35 years of age on 1 September 2025.
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 can only submit an application once, please make sure all documents meet the requirements before you start your application. We cannot add or replace documents after you submit the application
How to Apply for the NL-High Potential Scholarship
Step 1: Apply for one of the participating master’s programmes at UM (participating programmes)
For further details on how to apply for a master’s programme at UM, please see your prospective programme’s webpage. Once you have submitted your application via Studielink, you will receive a student ID number for UM. You will need a student number to complete and submit the Scholarship Application Form.Step 2: Please fill in the application form, you need to log in with your UM account
Please fill out the application form here. We can only accept applications via the application form.Upload the following documents in .doc, .docx or PDF format, and submit your application. Please note that you will only be able to submit your application once, so please ensure that all of your documents and referee contact details are up-to-date. If you have applied for multiple UM study programmes, the UM International Services Desk will ensure that your complete scholarship application is considered for all eligible programmes for which you have a conditionally approved or approved admissions status.
Curriculum vitae
Your CV should be up-to-date, contain relevant information about your education and (job) experience, and should not be longer than two A4 pages. If you have received any awards or prizes, please do not forget to mention these on your CV.Letter of motivation
Please use the template for the motivation letter. This template will focus on your motivation for the scholarship.Proof of academic excellence
Please upload:
1. Your university transcript or an official document from your home university showing your most recent GPA of 7.5 or higher Only applicants with a grade point average of 7,5 out of 10 or higher will be considered
2. A document explaining your grade system. Your university transcript has to show at least 75% of the maximum grade, for example a 3 out of 4 that would be equivalent to a 7.5 out of 10 at Maastricht University.Personal statement of financial needs.
Please explain why you would benefit from being awarded a scholarship and describe your personal circumstances such as financial difficulty, sole parent/caretaking responsibilities, medical condition, disability, refugee status etc.A reference letter. We have prepared scholarship reference letter guidelines; please forward them to your referee, as they will help your referee to write a good reference letter on your behalf. Please note that referees must be (former) professors, lecturers, or employers, and not family members. Recommendation letters should be dated and written no earlier than February 2024. Letters that do not adhere to the guidelines are not taken into account, which means your application is incomplete. You need to upload the reference letter yourself; this cannot be done by your referee. Please note we may check your reference.
The contact details of one referee
Please note that we might check the authenticity of your referee by contacting your referee. Therefore, ensure that you take the following steps when choosing a referee and submitting their details:Relationship to applicant; indicate your referee’s connection to you. Is this your professor, thesis supervisor, employer? Please remember that family members may not function as referees.
Work telephone number of your referee; be sure to include the applicable country calling code.
Work or institutional email address of your referee. Letters referencing only a personal email address will be rejected.
Application Deadline: Varies by course
Official Link: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/studeren/toelating-inschrijving/financing-your-studies/scholarships/maastricht-university-nl-high
Meet the Author!
Hi, I’m Nzube Ohalete, the voice behind ScholAfrica. I am pursuing a fully funded Ph.D. in Data Science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, USA. I have received over $439,508 in scholarships, and I’m on a mission to help 1 million African scholars achieve the same.
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