Maastricht University Scholarship 2027: Excellent Master’s Funding

The Maastricht University Scholarship offers a route to funded master’s study in the Netherlands through the UM NL-High Potential award. This guide focuses on that award for 2027–28, helping you organize your eligibility checks, academic application and scholarship materials.

Start with the degree you want to study. Read its curriculum and admission requirements, then decide how it connects with your previous education and future work. A scholarship application becomes easier to explain when the academic choice already makes sense.

By Muhammad Khayam Afridi — Founder & Editor

Maastricht University Scholarship Details

Keep the two deadlines visible in your preparation plan. Waiting until the scholarship closing date to begin admission would be too late.

Maastricht University Scholarship Benefits

The advertised package includes:

• Living allowance: €20,150 for 13 months or €38,750 for 25 months.
• Tuition and visa application costs.
• Health and liability insurance: €700.
• Pre-academic training.
• The first block of the International Student Ambassador Programme.

Airfare, any required admission handling fee and an approximately €75 housing cleaning fee remain your responsibility. Assigned housing is compulsory; refusing it cancels the award. It is unsuitable for accompanying family, and two-year recipients arrange their own second-year housing.

Make a personal budget before applying. Identify expenses you must pay before departure and check when support becomes available. If you have family responsibilities, consider whether the living arrangements suit your circumstances.

For another Dutch funding route, read our Eric Bleumink Fund Scholarship guide and check that award’s separate conditions.

Maastricht University Scholarship Eligibility

Check these conditions against your circumstances:

• Eligible nationality outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Suriname; no EU/EEA or Swiss dual nationality.
• Maximum age 35 on 1 September 2027.
• GPA of at least 7.5/10, with official grading evidence.
• No previous degree-seeking higher education in the Netherlands; exchanges are permitted.
• Fulfilment of the chosen program’s admission and applicable residence requirements.
• Willingness to serve as a university ambassador.

Preference goes to applicants without an existing master’s degree.

For the Maastricht University Scholarship, do not convert your GPA informally and assume the result will be accepted. Ask your university for a document explaining the grading scale and use UM’s instructions when presenting your results.

Create a simple eligibility checklist with a place to record supporting evidence. Resolve uncertainty about nationality, previous study or academic qualifications before spending time on your statement.

Participating Master’s Programs

Only programs on the official 2027–28 participating list qualify. Examples include European Studies, European Law School, Epidemiology, Global Health, Forensic Psychology, Financial Economics and selected International Business specializations.

Check the exact specialization, rather than assuming every course in a participating faculty qualifies. Use the official participating-programs list.

When choosing a Maastricht University Scholarship course, compare its modules with your existing knowledge. Identify the skills you already have and the gaps you hope to address.

For example, an applicant interested in health policy could explain how previous study or work raised questions about service delivery. They should then connect those questions to specific elements of their selected curriculum.

Applicants comparing European graduate funding can also explore our Oxford Clarendon Scholarship guide.

Required Documents

Prepare:

• CV, maximum two A4 pages.
• Motivation letter using UM’s official template.
• Transcript or official GPA evidence and grading-system explanation.
• Financial-needs statement.
• Reference letter and referee contact details.

For the Maastricht University Scholarship reference, follow the official reference guidelines. The letter must be typed in English, signed, dated 1 February 2026 or later, and no longer than one page. It needs the author’s work or institutional email and telephone number.

Choose a professor or employer who can describe your work accurately. Share the guidelines early and remind them of a project or responsibility they directly observed. A detailed example gives a reviewer more to assess than general praise.

Keep your CV and statement consistent. Check dates, qualification names and descriptions of your contribution to team projects. Open each final file before uploading it.

GSP Guidance for a Strong Application

UM identifies academic excellence, extracurricular engagement, active citizenship and financial need among its scholarship assessment criteria.

When preparing a Maastricht University Scholarship application, organize your evidence around those areas. Select experiences you can explain clearly instead of listing every activity you have ever joined.

For your motivation, connect three things:

1. An experience that shaped your academic interests.
2. A specific learning need.
3. How you would use the degree afterwards.

For financial need, describe your circumstances plainly. Explain the gap between available resources and the cost of study. Avoid exaggeration and keep the account consistent with any evidence requested.

This is GSP preparation advice, not an official essay template. Follow the university’s actual prompts and document instructions.

Maastricht University Scholarship Deadlines

Complete the master’s admission application by 10 December 2026. Submit the scholarship application by 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET.

Set personal completion dates earlier. Leave time for academic records, language evidence where required, a reference and checking the final application.

The official page also announces portal unavailability from 22–26 October for an upgrade. Plan around this interruption and recheck the notice before submitting.

How to Apply for the Maastricht University Scholarship

Step 1: Confirm your course

Check the participating list and the selected program’s admission page. Make separate checklists for admission and scholarship materials.

Step 2: Start admission

Apply through Studielink. Obtain your UM student number and complete the program’s required tasks.

Step 3: Prepare the scholarship file

Use the current motivation template and reference guidance linked on UM’s scholarship page. Check every document before uploading.

Step 4: Submit the scholarship application

Log in with your UM account. Only one UM scholarship application is permitted, and submitted documents cannot be replaced.

Step 5: Monitor messages

Check your email and application account regularly. Keep your submitted documents and confirmation together so you can respond accurately to further requests.

For preparation beyond admission, read our Netherlands Student Visa guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a PhD scholarship?

This guide covers the master’s award. Use a separate funding search if your goal is doctoral study.

Does the funding cover flights?

No. Include airfare in your personal budget.

Should I write a generic motivation letter?

Use the official template and answer its questions. Connect your own experience to your chosen degree.

How should I choose a referee?

Choose someone who knows your academic or professional work and can give accurate examples. Send the official guidelines before they begin writing.

Can strong grades guarantee selection?

No. Treat academic eligibility as the starting point and prepare the rest of your application carefully.

What should I do first?

Check your eligibility and course, then prepare the earlier admission application.

Final Thoughts

The Maastricht University Scholarship can be a valuable opportunity when the degree, eligibility rules and practical arrangements fit your plans.

Our advice at Global Scholarship Point is to begin with your academic purpose. Choose a suitable course, gather evidence early and build a clear application around your experience and learning goals. Give the admission process the same attention as the scholarship itself.