Master Mind Scholarships (Flanders) 2027/2028

About this scholarship

The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training awards Master Mind Scholarships to outstanding international students for a master's programme at a participating university or university of applied sciences and arts in Flanders or Brussels. The scholarship includes a grant of EUR 10,225 per academic year and a tuition fee waiver, and two scholarships are reserved for Palestinian students. The programme is currently under review by the ministry, so the grant, selection process and modalities may change for 2027/2028.

Funding type

Based on the 2026/2027 call (2027/2028 terms may change because the programme is under review): Grant: EUR 10,225 per academic year; one year for a 60-ECTS master's, two years for a 120-ECTS master's. Tuition: fee waiver; the institution may still charge the lowest reduced tuition rate (EUR 136.50 in 2026/2027). First-year instalments: EUR 4,600 after arrival and registration (or EUR 2,000 before departure and EUR 2,600 after arrival), EUR 4,100 in February and EUR 1,525 on completing the year. Second year (120-ECTS programmes): EUR 6,125 before the year starts, EUR 4,100 in February and EUR 1,525 on completion, provided at least 54 ECTS were earned in year one. The final instalment is withheld if the degree is not obtained, and part of the grant must be refunded if studies are discontinued. No separate travel or insurance allowance is mentioned. Cannot be combined with another Flemish government scholarship, Erasmus+ or Erasmus Mundus, BAEF or Fulbright. The 2026/2027 budget was EUR 480,000 for about 30 scholarships.

Tuition fees

Covered

Living costs

Covered

Travel

Not covered

Insurance

Not covered

Eligibility requirements

Nationalities

All except listed nationalities — Russia

Residence condition

No residence condition

All nationalities except Russian nationals. Two scholarships are reserved for Palestinian applicants (alongside Japan 3, Mexico 3 and USA 5); unused reserved places go to the general ranking. Academic excellence: GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0 on your last bachelor's or master's degree, calculated with the Scholaro tool. Your previous degree must not be from a Flemish higher education institution (earlier Erasmus+ or credit mobility in Flanders is allowed). You must not already be enrolled at a Flemish institution, except certain students in a preparatory programme leading to the master's. The programme must be a master's of at least 60 ECTS per year; preparatory, bridging and distance-learning programmes are excluded, and at least half the credits must be earned at the Flemish host institution. You must be admitted to the programme by the host institution and can be nominated by only one institution.

Minimum grade

Not stated

Work experience asked for

Not stated

Return condition

Return condition not stated

How to apply

Through a nomination

Language requirements and exemptions

Language test required IELTS 7 TOEFL iBT 94 Other test Waiver possible

Universities and universities of sciences: IELTS 7.0 overall (IELTS Indicator accepted), TOEFL 94 (including TOEFL iBT Home Edition), CEFR C1, or a similar result in another official test recognised by the host institution. Schools of arts: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 90 or CEFR B2. Proof must be no older than three years when the institution processes the application. A letter of exemption from the host university can be submitted instead of test results.

University admission details

Required later?

You must apply to, and be admitted by, a participating Flemish host institution; admission may be confirmed after the scholarship selection, but the award depends on it. Participating institutions (2026/2027): KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Ghent University, Hasselt University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts, HOGENT, KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts, LUCA School of Arts, Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts (EhB), PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and Antwerp Maritime Academy. Each institution sets its own scholarship deadline; in the 2026/2027 round these ranged from 15 January 2026 (KU Leuven) to 13 April 2026 (EhB), while Antwerp Maritime Academy and PXL asked applicants to contact their international office. If your institution is not on the list, you cannot apply.

Required documents

Profile photo Copy of passport or national ID CV including your American GPA (4.0 scale), publications, awards and previous scholarships Transcript of records (certified translation if not in Dutch, French, German or English) English test results or an exemption letter from the host university Motivation letter in English Two signed recommendation letters in English from professors or a recent employer Copy of diploma(s) (certified translation if not in Dutch, French, German or English) The host institution also uploads its own statement of reasons for nominating you.

Application steps

Status: the 2027/2028 call has not yet been announced, and the programme is under review. In the 2026/2027 round the call opened in January 2026 and institutional deadlines ran from 15 January to 13 April 2026; check the official page for new dates. 1. Check the eligibility criteria and confirm that your chosen institution participates. 2. Apply to the host institution and its master's programme before the institution's scholarship deadline. 3. The institution preselects up to 20 candidates and creates their files in the Mobility Online tool. 4. If preselected, you receive an email from Mobility Online; register and complete your file before the stated deadline. 5. The institution validates and submits your file (2026/2027 final deadline: 27 April 2026, 23:59 GMT+1). 6. A selection committee scores motivation (30), transcript (30), each recommendation letter (10 + 10), the institution's motivation (10) and top-talent profile (10); 2026/2027 results were announced at the end of May, with studies starting in September. 7. After the mobility, scholarship holders submit an essay and a short questionnaire.

Requirement checklist

Scholarship contacts

VLUHR International (Master Mind Scholarships): [email protected]Copy · Contact form (opens in a new tab)