Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship

The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship is a fully funded award designed to attract top international talent for full-time Master’s programmes at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. It combines funding from the university’s scholarship fund and the Dutch Ministry of Education to support outstanding students from non-EU/EEA countries.

What’s Offered

• Full tuition fee waiver for participating Master’s programmes.

• Monthly living stipend: for a one-year (13-month) programme approx €15,925; for a two-year (25-month) programme approx €30,625.

• Coverage of health & liability insurance (approx €700) and visa application costs.

• Additional support such as pre-academic training and participation in the International Student Ambassador Programme.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must hold nationality from a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Suriname.

• Age limit: Not older than 35 years on 1 September of the intake year.

• Applicants must apply for a full-time Master’s programme at Maastricht University and meet that programme’s admission requirements.

• Applicants must not have previously completed a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands (exchange programmes allowed).

• Academic excellence is required: typically demonstrated by transcripts showing high grades (e.g., a GPA equivalent of 7.5/10 or better).

Process & Structure

• Applicants first apply for admission to a participating Master’s programme at Maastricht University by the programme deadline.

• Once conditionally admitted, applicants submit the scholarship application form with required documents (CV, motivation letter, transcript, statement of financial need, recommendation letter).

• The selection process is highly competitive — only about 2 % of applicants receive the scholarship.

Deadline

• For the upcoming 2026/27 academic year, applications are expected to open on 1 October 2025, with the deadline around 1 February 2026 (23:59 CET) for full consideration.