Master Mind Scholarship Programme 2023-2024 for International Students to Study in Belgium.The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training awards scholarships for master’s programmes in Flanders and Brussels to outstanding students from around the world. A Master Mind Scholarship includes a grant of €9 600 + a tuition fee waiver per academic year (60 ECTS). Master Mind Scholarship holders only pay an administrative enrolment fee. The grant is paid in instalments and covers accommodation costs, insurances and a significant amount of their living expenses. If you are interested, you first need to apply to one of the Flemish host institutions that participates in the Master Mind Scholarship Programme.
DETAILS
- The duration of mobility is one academic year for a master’s programme of 60 ECTS and two academic years for a master’s programme of 120 ECTS.
- The incoming student is awarded a maximum scholarship of €9 600 per academic year according to the details mentioned in the section Payment of the scholarship.
- If a student completes a one-year Master programme, but does not obtain the Master degree at the end of the academic year in 2024 (July or September) the final installment of €1 600 will not be awarded.
In case of a two-year Master Programme at least 54 ECTS must be obtained in the first academic year in 2024 (July or September) to be able to receive the final installment of €1 600 of the first year and to be entitled to the scholarship for the second academic year. More information can be found in the section Payment of the scholarship.
Exceptions to this rule can only be granted by VLUHR in agreement with the hosting institution and the Department of Education and Training. - The host institution can ask the applicant for a tuition fee that equals the lowest rate of the yearly tuition fee for a student who receives a study grant from the Flemish government. The rate for the academic year 2023-2024 is €128,80. This rate may increase slightly from year to year.
- If a student loses his/her scholarship, the student will have to pay the full tuition fee if he/she wants to continue the programme without the scholarship.
- There are a number of scholarships reserved for students from certain countries: Japan (3), Mexico (3), Palestine (2) and USA (5). These countries are priority countries for the Flemish government. If a scholarship is not taken up, it is awarded to the candidate ranked highest by the Flemish selection committee.
- Students should not combine this scholarship with another scholarship from the Flemish government or an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.
- Upon completion of the mobility, all students are expected to submit an essay and fill in a short questionnaire about their mobility.
- A maximum of 20 applications can be submitted per Flemish higher education institution.
ELIGIBILITY
- The applicant applies to take up a master’s degree programme at a Flemish higher education institution.
- The applicant should have a high standard of academic performance and/or potential:
- The student has a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 out of 4.0:https://www.scholaro.com/gpa-calculator/ (see annex 1 How to calculate your American GPA)
- The student has a good knowledge of the English language:
- An overall minimum band score of 7.0 on the IELTS test
- A minimum total score of 94 on a TOEFL test
- A C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference
- Or a similar result in another official language test (recognized by the host institution)
- Online language tests of IELTS and TOEFL will also be accepted:
- IELTS Indicator (https://www.ieltsindicator.com/)
- TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition (https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/)
- Students who apply for a master’s programme at a school of arts have at least:
- An overall band score of minimum 6.5 on the IELTS test
- A minimum total score of 90 on the TOEFL test
- A B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference
- Or a similar result in another official English language test (recognized by the host institution)
- Online language tests of IELTS and TOEFL will also be accepted:
- IELTS Indicator (https://www.ieltsindicator.com/)
- TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition (https://www.ets.org/s/cv/toefl/at-home/)
- The host institution also performs an academic check of the student’s file. The student has to be accepted by the host institution in order to receive the scholarship. This criterion applies even if the host institution’s decision to accept the student is taken after the selection for the Master Mind Scholarship programme.
- The applicant can be nominated by only one Flemish higher education institution. If the applicant is preselected by more than one Flemish higher education institution, he/she has to choose one Flemish higher education institution to submit his/her application into the Mobility Online tool.
- All nationalities, except for Russian (see news item for more information), can apply. The previous degree obtained should be from a higher education institution located outside Flanders. International students who have been on credit mobility in a hosting Flemish higher education institution are still eligible for a Master Mind Scholarship.
- Students who are already enrolled in a Flemish higher education institution cannot apply. The only exception is made for international students who, at the moment of their application in Spring 2023, are already enrolled in a specific preparatory programme in order to start a master’s programme in September 2023.
- Students who enrol for the following programmes for the academic year 2023-2024 are not eligible for the Master Mind Scholarship:
- Preparatory programmes
- Bridging programmes
- Distance learning
- Student mobility to partner institutions outside Flanders and Brussels during the master’s programme is allowed. However, at least half of the study credits of the master’s programme must be obtained at the Flemish host institution.
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
The scholarship amounts to €9 600 for the academic year 2023-2024 and €9 600 for the academic year 2024-2025 in case an application was submitted for a two-year Master programme.
An installment of €4 800 is transferred on a Belgian or European account after arriving in Belgium and uploading the registration certificate which the student will receive from the Flemish higher education institution when he/she arrives.
Or if preferred, a first installment of €2 000 can be transferred to the student’s bank account (European or foreign bank account) prior to the start of the academic year. Additionally, the remaining installment of
€2 800 will be transferred on a Belgian or European account after arriving in Belgium and uploading the registration certificate.
A second installment of €3 200 is transferred in February 2024 upon completion of the first semester.
A final installment of €1 600 is transferred upon completion of the first academic year in July 2024, or in September/October 2024 in case of re-sit examinations. If a student completes a one-year Master programme, but does not obtain the Master degree at the end of the academic year in July 2024, or in September 2024 in case of re-sit examinations, the final installment of €1 600 will not be awarded.
In case of a two-year Master Programme, and on the condition that at least 54 ECTS were obtained in the first academic year, €4 800 is transferred to the student’s bank account prior to the start of the second academic year 2024-2025 (or in September/October 2024 in case of re-sit examinations).
A second installment of €3 200 is transferred in February 2025 upon completion of the first semester of the second academic year.
A final installment of €1 600 is transferred upon completion of the second academic year (in July 2025, or in September/October 2025 in case of re-sit examinations). If a student does not obtain the Master degree at the end of the second year, the final installment of €1 600 will not be awarded.
If a student enrolled in a two-year Master programme does not obtain 54 ECTS at the end of the academic year in July 2024, or in September 2024 in case of re-sit examinations, the student will not be awarded the third installment of €1 600 and will not receive the grant for the second year of the Master programme.
In case of discontinuation prior to the end of the Master programme for which a Master Mind scholarship has been awarded by the Flemish Government: if a student only completes a part of a one or two-year Master programme, he or she will need to refund part of the scholarship, e.g. when a student only completes one semester, he or she can keep half of the totally awarded sum i.e. €4 800.
HOW TO APPLY?
Find out how to apply for the Master Mind Scholarships.
- STEP 1 Check if you are eligible to apply and if the Flemish institution of your choice participates in the Master Mind Scholarships
- STEP 2 Submit your application to the host institution
- STEP 3 The host institution preselects the eligible applications
- STEP 4 The host institution starts the application procedure for the Master Mind Scholarship by creating your application file in the Mobility-Online application tool
- STEP 5 You receive an email generated by the Mobility-Online tool notifying you of being preselected for a Master Mind Scholarship
- STEP 6 You register in the Mobility-Online tool and complete your application file in the Mobility-Online tool before the deadline. Documents to be uploaded:
- Passport photo
- International passport or national ID
- A Curriculum Vitae (including your American GPA out of 4.0 and if applicable your publications, academic awards, previous scholarships, etc.)
https://www.scholaro.com/gpa-calculator/ (see annex: How to calculate your American GPA) - Transcript of records; if written in a language other than Dutch, French, German or English, a certified translation must be enclosed.
- English language test results or letter of exemption provided by the host university
- Letter of motivation written in English
- Two signed letters of recommendation from professors of your (previous) home university, university of applied sciences (and arts) or recent employer written in English.
- Copy of acquired diploma(s); if written in a language other than Dutch, French, German or English, a certified translation must be enclosed.
- STEP 7 The host institution validates and submits the completed application file in the Mobility-Online tool before the deadline of 28th April 2023 23h59 GMT+1. Applications validated submitted after 28th April 2023 23h59 GMT+1 will not be accepted.
