Scholarships for refugees

The deadlines below are with regard to academic year 2024-2025. It is no longer possible to submit an application for this academic year.

Information with regard to academic year 2025-2026 will be available from May 2025 onwards.  

A limited number of scholarships is available for refugees.

Target audience

• Young people (aged 17 to 25) planning to continue their studies: this means they have finished secondary school, achieved a qualification that allows them to enter higher education, and would like to start Dutch-language higher education.
  OR
• Adults planning to continue their studies: this means they have already attained a Bachelor or Master in their own country and would like to continue studying in Dutch-language higher education.

Conditions

• You can prove your identity with a valid passport or identity card. Documents, such as an attest van immatriculatie (orange card) or a bijlage 3, 5, 26, etc. will not be accepted as valid proof of identity without a valid passport or identity card
• Refugee status in Belgium: asylum seeker / refugee status / subsidiary protection / displaced persons from Ukraine with temporary protection​
• You have a copy of the degree certificate that gives direct access to higher studies in the country where you obtained your degree (if this document is in a language other than English, Dutch, French or German, you will need to submit a translation of this document into one of these four languages in addition to the original document).
• You have a copy of the original academic transcripts (if this document is in a language other than English, Dutch, French or German, you will need to submit a translation of this document into one of these four languages in addition to the original document).
• A score of at least 40 out of 48 on the COVAAR test (for students aged 17-25 who only completed their secondary school)
   OR
   A Bachelor or Master degree
  (For more information about the COVAAR test, please contact the Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering)
• Language proficiency: intermediate knowledge of English (CEFR level B1). You can also prove that you have studied English as a foreign language (either as a curricular course, or as an extra-curricular course consisting of at least 50 hours).
• Ability to attend classes in a full time study programme 
  
• Plans to continue studying in Flemish higher education
• Income criterion:
  You have a total gross family income of less than €3000 per month (or less than € 2000 per month for a single person).
  You can prove this using a recent document (less than one month old) in one of the following categories:
  • evidence that you receive a replacement income from the social security services (e.g. leefloon, stempelvergoeding, document from payment institution or public centre for social welfare/OCMW, etc.).
  • evidence that you or the person who supports you receive(s) a limited income (e.g. payslip, proof from accountant if self-employed, etc.).
  • If you are cohabiting or married your partner’s income will also be taken into account, so you will have to prove your partner’s replacement income or low income. You should also take proof of your family situation.

Deadlines and other important dates

• Applications will open on 1 May 2024.
  
• The deadline for submitting your online application is 4 July 2024.
• Your application and your documents are reviewed on 5 July 2024.
• On Tuesday 9 July 2024 the applicants selected for a written test receive an appointment by E-mail.
• The written test will be held on Tuesday 16 July 2024. The applicants that scored high enough on the written test will receive an appointment for an interview by email.
• The interviews will be held on Wednesday 17 July 2024. The applicants who have not been selected based on the written test and/or the interview are notified about this decision on the same day.
• In the second half of August or early September, an academic committee selects the candidates for the scholarships that are available. The committee also decides upon a list of alternate candidates. You will be notified of the committee’s decision as soon as possible.
• The programme starts with a welcome week on 16 September 2024 and ends on 30 June 2025.

How to apply

• You can apply for a scholarship by completing the online application form below (available and visible from 1 May 2024 until 4 July 2024).
• Important: Please be aware that a submitted application needs to be complete before the application deadline. An application will be evaluated on the predetermined date (see deadlines). If one ore more documents are missing, the application will be rejected; you will not have the opportunity to add missing documents after the application deadline has passed.