Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027–28

The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship programme gives 18 full scholarships each year to highly talented students from outside the EU who are admitted to a master's programme at Maastricht University (UM). It combines UM's High Potential Scholarship with the Dutch government's NL Scholarship. Only about 2% of applicants win one.

What it covers

• Tuition fees at cost
• Living expenses: €20,150 for a 13-month (one-year) master's, or €38,750 for a 25-month (two-year) master's
• Health & liability insurance (€700), visa costs, pre-academic training, and the first block of the International Student Ambassador Programme
• A room is allocated to you as a mandatory part of the scholarship

Who can apply

• Nationals of a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Suriname — Cameroonians can apply; no dual EU/EEA/Swiss nationality
• Able to get a Dutch entry visa (MVV) and residence permit
• Not older than 35 on 1 September 2027; preference for applicants without a master's degree
• GPA of 7.5/10 or higher on your latest transcript
• Never enrolled in a degree programme in the Netherlands (exchange is fine)
• Agree to act as a UM ambassador; one application, one scholarship only

Two deadlines — the first is the one that bites

1. Admission file for a participating full-time master's (2027–28) must be complete and submitted before 10 December 2026 — this card counts down to 9 December, 23:59 CET
2. Scholarship applications are open 1 October 2026 – 1 February 2027, 23:59 CET

Documents cannot be added or replaced after you submit, so check every file first.