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Scholarships for Belgium 2026: Full Guide
Finance May 15, 2026

Scholarships for Belgium 2026: Full Guide

VLIR-UOS covers full tuition + €1,250/month, ARES-CCD funds Walloon master's, and Erasmus+ tops up across Europe. Here's how to fund a Belgian degree in 2026.

Study Abroad Editorial Team
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May 15, 2026
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10 min read
| Finance
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Belgium is already one of the most affordable serious-degree destinations in Europe — EU students pay €835–1,030/year at public universities — so scholarships here often go further than the tuition number suggests. The flagship awards for non-EU students are the Flemish VLIR-UOS scholarships (full tuition plus around €1,250/month living allowance) and the French-Community ARES-CCD programme (comparable cover for master's at UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, and partners). On top of that, Erasmus+ funds both exchange and full-degree (Erasmus Mundus) master's, and every major Belgian university — KU Leuven, Ghent, UCLouvain, ULB, VUB — runs its own merit awards. This guide maps every realistic funding route for 2026 and how to win them.

How Much You Need to Fund

Start by knowing the gap a scholarship has to close. EU tuition runs €835/year (French Community public) or about €1,030/year (Flemish public), with some specialist programmes up to €4,175. Non-EU tuition is higher — €1,000–6,000+ at public universities, €10,000–15,000 at private and branch programmes. Living costs add €800–1,200/month in Brussels, less in Leuven or Ghent — see our cost of studying in Belgium breakdown. Most Belgian scholarships for non-EU students are development-focused (targeted at specific partner countries) or merit-based; for EU students, awards are mostly merit-based or programme-specific.

VLIR-UOS Scholarships (Flemish Community)

VLIR-UOS is the flagship Flemish development-cooperation programme, funded by the Belgian government and administered through the Flemish universities and university colleges. It targets students from a defined list of partner countries (mostly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America).

  • Covers: Full tuition at the host institution, monthly living allowance of around €1,250, return flight, insurance, and an installation allowance.
  • For: Students from VLIR-UOS partner countries enrolling in specific master's programmes ("ICP — International Course Programmes") and selected training courses at Flemish institutions.
  • Eligibility: Citizen and resident of an eligible country, strong academic record, relevant professional experience for some programmes, under 35 (typically) at the time of application, and acceptance into a listed master's programme.
  • How to apply: Through the host institution (KU Leuven, Ghent, Antwerpen, VUB, ITM Antwerp, etc.) — application windows usually open October–February for the following September.

VLIR-UOS is competitive but well-funded; academic excellence plus a sharply argued plan to apply your skills in your home country is what wins.

ARES-CCD Scholarships (French Community)

ARES (Académie de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur), through its development-cooperation arm CCD, runs the French-Community equivalent of VLIR-UOS. It funds master's and short-course training for students from partner countries at UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, UMons, UNamur, and ULB-affiliated schools.

  • Covers: Full tuition, monthly living allowance, travel, and insurance for the duration of the master's or specialist course (usually one year).
  • For: Students from ARES-CCD partner countries enrolling in specific master's programmes ("Master de spécialisation") and short courses in development-relevant fields — public health, water, agriculture, governance, education.
  • Eligibility: Citizenship and residence in an eligible country, relevant professional experience (typically 2+ years), under 40 for masters / under 45 for short courses, and acceptance into a listed programme.
  • How to apply: Application portal opens annually around September–February via the ARES-CCD website.

Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus

Both Belgian communities participate fully in the European Erasmus+ programme, which funds two distinct routes:

  • Erasmus+ exchange: Spend a semester or year at a Belgian university as part of your home-degree exchange agreement, with a monthly grant of roughly €350–500/month depending on country pair. Apply through your home university's international office.
  • Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM): Full two-year master's run jointly by Belgian universities and 2–3 European partners, fully funded for selected students — covers tuition, living allowance (around €1,400/month), travel, and installation. Worldwide eligibility. Apply directly to each EMJM consortium 6–12 months ahead.

Belgian institutions coordinate or partner in many EMJM courses — search the EU's Erasmus Mundus catalogue and check KU Leuven, UCLouvain, and Ghent for their featured joint masters.

University Merit and Excellence Scholarships

Every major Belgian university runs its own institutional awards, usually for non-EU master's students:

  • KU Leuven Science@Leuven, FLOF, and Faculty Scholarships: Partial to full tuition waivers plus living allowances of roughly €10,000–12,000/year for outstanding international master's applicants in specified faculties.
  • Ghent University Master Mind and Top-Up Grants: Excellence scholarships for top-ranked international applicants (Master Mind) and supplements for selected nationalities (Top-Up).
  • UCLouvain Coopération au Développement scholarships: Partial-to-full coverage for non-EU applicants from partner countries.
  • ULB Bourses d'Excellence and ULB Coopération: A mix of merit and cooperation awards for non-EU master's students.
  • VUB Master Mind: Tuition waiver plus a stipend for excellent international master's students.

These are decided at admission, so research them before you accept an offer and apply for the named award alongside (or just after) your admissions file.

Other Funding Routes

Beyond the flagship programmes, several smaller routes can stack:

  • National scholarships from your home country: Many governments (DAAD partners, Colfuturo, CONACYT, China Scholarship Council, etc.) fund their own citizens to study at Belgian universities — check your national scholarship agency.
  • King Baudouin Foundation: Belgian private foundation funding specific calls, often for African and Latin American students.
  • FNRS / FWO doctoral fellowships: Belgian national research funds support PhD scholarships at Belgian universities. Highly competitive — most go through a host professor.
  • Specific bilateral schemes: Belgium has bilateral education-cooperation agreements with several countries; check your country's Belgian embassy site.

Funding Without a Full Scholarship

If you do not land a full award, Belgium's low EU tuition and student-friendly mutuelle and transport make self-funding realistic for EU citizens:

  • Savings and family support: An EU bachelor's at €835–1,030/year plus a kot in Leuven or Liège puts a total bill under €10,000/year all-in.
  • Part-time work: EU students can work without limit. Non-EU students may work up to 20 hours per week during term and full-time in official holidays at €12–14/hour gross — useful for rent and groceries.
  • Instalment plans: Most Belgian universities let you pay tuition in two instalments rather than upfront.
  • "Prêt étudiant" (student loans): Belgian banks offer low-interest student loans to residents, though these are mainly for citizens and long-term residents.

Model your full budget with the cost-of-study calculator.

How to Write a Winning Application

Belgian scholarship committees — VLIR-UOS and ARES-CCD especially — reward academic strength plus a concrete development or research plan. The pattern that wins:

  1. Lead with your record. Make your GPA, prizes, publications, and any professional experience easy to find and verify with documents.
  2. Be concrete about your plan. Don't write that you want to "contribute to development." Name the field, the problem, and how the specific master's at the host institution equips you to address it on return.
  3. Show why Belgium and this programme. Reference the faculty, research group, or course content; explain why this specific master's beats alternatives.
  4. Strong references that speak to your work. A supervisor who can describe your master's thesis or job in detail beats a famous name who barely knows you.
  5. Start very early. VLIR-UOS opens October–February for the following September; ARES-CCD opens around the same window. Draft your documents weeks ahead, not the night before — and budget for translations of transcripts and a sworn equivalence if needed.

Timeline for a September 2026 Intake

  • October 2025–January 2026: Shortlist VLIR-UOS / ARES-CCD eligible programmes, line up references, and start the equivalence file if you studied abroad.
  • November 2025–February 2026: Submit VLIR-UOS, ARES-CCD, and Erasmus Mundus applications — these are the earliest, most competitive deadlines.
  • February–April 2026: Submit university admissions applications with attached merit-scholarship forms (KU Leuven Science@Leuven, Ghent Master Mind, ULB Excellence, etc.).
  • April–June 2026: Receive offers; merit scholarships often confirmed with the offer letter. VLIR-UOS and ARES-CCD outcomes typically follow in April–May.
  • June–August 2026: Accept your award, confirm your place, begin the long-stay D visa (non-EU) — see our how to apply to Belgian universities guide and the visa walkthrough.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most generous scholarship for Belgium?

For non-EU master's students, VLIR-UOS (Flemish Community) covers full tuition plus a monthly living allowance of around €1,250, travel, and insurance. ARES-CCD (French Community) offers comparable cover at UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, and partners. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters fund similar amounts for selected students worldwide.

Can I get a full scholarship as a non-EU international student?

Yes. VLIR-UOS, ARES-CCD, and Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters all offer fully-funded packages for eligible students. University merit awards (KU Leuven Science@Leuven, Ghent Master Mind, ULB Excellence, VUB Master Mind) range from partial tuition waivers to full coverage plus stipend. Apply to several routes to maximise your funding.

When are Belgium scholarship deadlines?

VLIR-UOS and ARES-CCD open October–February for the following September — these are the earliest. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters deadlines run November–February depending on the consortium. University merit scholarships share or follow the admissions deadline (typically February–April for non-EU, April–May for EU).

Are there scholarships for EU students in Belgium?

Some, but EU tuition is already very low (€835–1,030/year at public universities), so the focus shifts to merit awards, Erasmus+ exchange grants, and Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters for European-wide funding. Many EU students self-fund or rely on home-country aid because the total bill in Belgium is modest by EU standards.

Are Belgian scholarships need-based or merit-based?

VLIR-UOS and ARES-CCD are merit-and-development-based: they target excellent students from defined partner countries. Erasmus Mundus is purely merit-based. University awards are mostly merit-based. The Belgian "bourse d'études" for residents has a need component, but it is for Belgian and long-term-resident students.

Can I fund my studies without a scholarship?

Realistically, yes — Belgium's low EU tuition helps. For EU students, public tuition starts at €835/year and living costs run €800–1,200/month, so savings, family support, semester instalments, and part-time work can cover a degree. Non-EU students self-funding need to plan for higher tuition and the visa proof-of-funds (~€750–800/month).

How competitive are VLIR-UOS and ARES-CCD?

Very competitive, with hundreds of applications for each programme's limited seats. A strong academic record, professional experience relevant to development, and a sharp programme-specific application are essential. Applying for a less-saturated specialisation often improves your odds versus the headline tracks like public health.

For the complete funding and cost picture, see Study in Belgium, our why study in Belgium guide, and the step-by-step how to apply to Belgian universities walkthrough.

Tags: Scholarships Belgium Funding VLIR-UOS ARES-CCD

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