Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26 Free Study in Europe

For outstanding international students, the Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26 provides an amazing chance to continue their education in the Netherlands with full financial support. The European University of the Netherlands, Maastricht University (UM), employs 5,000 people and has around 22,000 students. Everything we do reflects our youth, multidisciplinary nature, and social engagement. Even though we were only recently founded, we have already established a solid reputation for our top-notch research and instruction, as well as our ability to relate science to local, European, and international issues. We are one of the world’s top young colleges.

Host Country	Nederland
Host Institute	Maastricht University
Level	Masters
Eligible Nationality	All Nationalities except europian citizens
Scholarship Type	Fully Funded
Duration	13 months for a one-year master programme 25 months for a two-year master programme
Closing Date	1st Febraury, 2025

Scholarship Overview

Each academic year, 21 Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26 totaling € 34,000 (including tuition fee waiver and monthly stipend) the Maastricht University (UM) NL-High Potential Scholarship program offers to exceptionally gifted students from outside the European Union (EU) who have been accepted into a master’s degree at UM.

The scholarship program includes the NL Scholarship, which is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science in collaboration with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences, and the High Potential Scholarship, which the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund supports. International students from outside the EU/EEA who want to pursue a full degree program in the Netherlands are the target audience.

• Explore more of the latest Scholarships European Scholarships here:
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Benefits

There are the following benefits of Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26:

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 cost for first block only	Arranged for and paid by the UM International Services Desk

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants need to fulfill the following prerequisites to be eligible to apply for Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26:

1. You meet the conditions for getting an entry visa and residence permit for the Netherlands and are a citizen of a nation outside of the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Surinam. Please visit this page to find out which nation you must pick up your Netherlands MVV visa from before applying. You are only permitted to apply if you currently hold a residence permit from another Schengen nation that is valid until at least September 2, 2025. Only MVV visa applications from your home country may be submitted for the Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26 if your residency status expires before September 2, 2025. Information is available on the Visa Office’s websites.
2. You do not hold dual citizenship with Switzerland or any other EU/EEA nation.
3. For the 2025–2026 academic year, you have submitted an application to Maastricht University’s participating full-time master’s program.
4. You are eligible to enroll in the UM master’s program since you meet its special admission requirements.
5. In the Netherlands, you have never taken part in a course of study leading to a degree. Students are encouraged to apply if they have participated in exchange programs in the Netherlands.
6. As of September 1, 2025, you are under 35 years old.
7. Your most recent grade transcript, which shows a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or better, demonstrates that you have achieved exceptional outcomes during your previous educational programs.
8. Since you can only submit an application once, please ensure that all supporting documentation satisfies the requirements before beginning. Once you submit the application, we are unable to add or change documents.
9. Please be aware that only 2% of applications are chosen for this very competitive scholarship.

Documents Required to Apply

Please upload the following documents in .doc, .docx, or PDF format to apply for Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26:

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
   • Your CV should be up-to-date and no more than two A4 pages.
   • Include your education, relevant work experience, and any awards or achievements.
2. Motivation Letter
   • Use the provided template to write your motivation letter, specifically focusing on why you are applying for the scholarship.
3. Proof of Academic Excellence
   • Upload the following:
     • Your university transcript or an official document showing your GPA of 7.5 or higher (on a 10-point scale). Only applicants with a GPA of 7.5/10 or above will be considered.
     • A document explaining your grading system, so the university can understand your scores. For example, a 3/4 is equivalent to a 7.5/10 at Maastricht University.
4. Personal Statement of Financial Need
   • Write a statement explaining why you need the scholarship. Discuss any relevant personal circumstances, such as:
     • Financial difficulties
     • Sole parent or caretaker responsibilities
     • Medical conditions, disabilities, or refugee status
5. Reference Letter
   • The reference must come from a professor, lecturer, or employer (not a family member).
   • Send your referee the scholarship reference letter guidelines to help them write a strong recommendation.
   • The letter must be dated and written no earlier than February 2024.
   • You need to upload the reference letter yourself (your referee cannot do it for you).
   • Please note: We may verify the authenticity of your reference by contacting your referee.
6. Referee Contact Information
   • Provide the contact details of one referee:
     • Relationship to you: Describe your referee’s connection to you (e.g., professor, thesis supervisor, employer).
     • Work telephone number: Include the country code.
     • Work or institutional email address: We only accept professional email addresses (personal emails will not be accepted).

Deadline

The application deadline is up to and including 1 February 2025, 23:59 CET.

Application Procedure

The following procedure should be followed to apply for the Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26:

1. Enroll in one of UM’s participating master’s programs. (Taking part in programs). Please visit the website for your potential program for more information on how to apply for a master’s degree at UM. You will be assigned a UM student ID number after submitting your application through Studielink. To fill out and submit the Scholarship Application Form, you will require a student number (see Step 2 below).
   • Please be aware that UM NL-High Potential Scholarships are only available for master’s programs listed above.
   • Please be aware that in order to apply for the scholarship, you must first apply for UM’s master’s program in order to obtain your student ID. Before the scholarship deadline, you must, nevertheless, fulfill all admission requirements for your master’s degree, with the exception of legal residency. Please note that there may be a difference between the scholarship and admissions deadlines.
   • Please be aware that the UM International Services Desk will not refund handling fees if they are required to be paid as part of the admissions process for your study program. Any processing fees your program may demand must be paid by February 1, 2025. Please check the ‘Admission requirements’ menu tab on your program’s webpage to see whether there is a handling charge that has to be paid.
   • Please be aware that you must submit an official document from your home university that details your grade system and your most current GPA. Applications with a GPA of 7.5 or above are the only ones we accept. This translates to at least 75% out of 100% or 3 out of 4, depending on your grade system.
2. Please fill in the application form, you need to log in with your UM account:
   NL Scholarship Application Instructions
   • To apply for the Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26, please fill out the application form. We can only accept applications submitted via this form, so make sure all your documents and referee details are correct before submitting, as you can only submit your application once.
     If you’ve applied for multiple programs at Maastricht University (UM), the International Services Desk will ensure your scholarship application is considered for all eligible programs for which you have conditional or confirmed admission.
   • Required Documents
     Please upload the following documents in .doc, .docx, or PDF format:
   • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
     Your CV should be up-to-date and no more than two A4 pages.
     Include your education, relevant work experience, and any awards or achievements.
   • Motivation Letter
     Use the provided template to write your motivation letter, specifically focusing on why you are applying for the scholarship.
   • Proof of Academic Excellence
     Upload the following: Your university transcript or an official document showing your GPA of 7.5 or higher (on a 10-point scale). Only applicants with a GPA of 7.5/10 or above will be considered.
     A document explaining your grading system, so the university can understand your scores. For example, a 3/4 is equivalent to a 7.5/10 at Maastricht University.
   • Personal Statement of Financial Need
     Write a statement explaining why you need the scholarship. Discuss any relevant personal circumstances, such as: Financial difficulties
     Sole parent or caretaker responsibilities
     Medical conditions, disabilities, or refugee status
   • Reference Letter
     The reference must come from a professor, lecturer, or employer (not a family member).
     Send your referee the scholarship reference letter guidelines to help them write a strong recommendation.
     The letter must be dated and written no earlier than February 2024.
     You need to upload the reference letter yourself (your referee cannot do it for you).
     Please note: We may verify the authenticity of your reference by contacting your referee.
   • Referee Contact Information
     Provide the contact details of one referee: Relationship to you: Describe your referee’s connection to you (e.g., professor, thesis supervisor, employer).
   • Work telephone number: Include the country code.
   • Work or institutional email address: We only accept professional email addresses (personal emails will not be accepted).
     
     Important Notes:
     Incomplete applications (such as missing or incorrect reference letters) will not be processed.
     Double-check all your details and ensure you’ve uploaded all required documents before submitting your application.
     Best of luck with your application!

Selection Process:

The following selection process will be followed to select candidates for Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26:

“Step 1:” After February 1, 2025, the UM International Services Desk verifies that all applications are complete.

“Step 2:” All completed applications are forwarded to each UM Faculty by the UM International Services Desk in February 2025.

“Step 3:” In March 2025, the top 5% of scholarship applicants from each faculty are chosen, ranked, and sent to the UM International Services Desk for a final review.

“Step 4:” By the end of March 2025, the UM International Services Desk will have confirmed the faculty selections and invited the chosen applicants to participate in an online interview.

“Step 5:” In April 2025, the UM International Services Desk will notify each applicant of their application status following the interviews. By no later than the first of May 2025, your status will be chosen, placed on a waitlist, or denied. By May 2025, the status of applications on the waitlist will be altered to either rejected or selected. Upon receiving their award letters, scholarship recipients will be provided with more details regarding the UM Pre-Academic Training program and their arrival in Maastricht. A three-week requirement for the UM NL Scholarship program is the UM Pre-Academic Training. The first week of August 2025 is when the Pre-Academic Training is held.

“Step 6:” To accept the scholarship, you have to sign the award letter and send it back to the UM International Services Desk.

For more details, visit here or go to Apply for Fully Funded NL-High Potential Scholarship 2025-26 here

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