The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 offers talented international students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area an opportunity to pursue a fully funded master’s degree at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
For the 2027–2028 academic year, Maastricht University will award 18 full scholarships to highly talented students who are admitted to participating master’s programmes. The scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a substantial living allowance, health and liability insurance, visa costs, and pre-academic training.
Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close on 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. However, applicants must complete their application for an eligible Maastricht University master’s programme by the earlier deadline of 10 December 2026.
Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 at a Glance
Host University: Maastricht University
Country: Netherlands
Scholarship: UM NL-High Potential Scholarship
Study Level: Master’s degree
Eligible Applicants: International students from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and Suriname
Number of Scholarships: 18
Scholarship Type: Fully funded
Duration: 13 months for a one-year master’s or 25 months for a two-year master’s
Applications Open: 1 October 2026
Master’s Admission Deadline: 10 December 2026
Scholarship Deadline: 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET
Study Start: 2027–2028 academic year
Competition is forceful. Maastricht University states that only around 2% of applicants ultimately receive the scholarship.
About the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship
The scholarship combines two funding schemes: the Maastricht University High Potential Scholarship and the NL Scholarship.
The High Potential component is financed by the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund, while the NL Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences.
Together, they provide comprehensive financial support to selected international students pursuing participating full-time master’s programmes at Maastricht University.
Importantly, not every master’s programme at Maastricht University is included. Applicants must confirm that their chosen programme is included in the participating programme list for 2027–2028.
Is the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 Fully Funded?
Yes. The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 covers most of the major costs associated with completing a master’s degree in the Netherlands.
For a one-year master’s programme, recipients receive €20,150 in living expenses over 13 months.
Recipients of an eligible two-year programme receive €38,750 over 25 months.
The scholarship package includes:
- Full tuition fee coverage
- €20,150 living allowance for a 13-month programme
- €38,750 living allowance for a 25-month programme
- Approximately €1,550 per month toward living expenses
- Health and liability insurance
- Visa application costs
- Pre-Academic Training costs
- First block of the International Student Ambassador Programme
- Scholarship-arranged accommodation during the specified housing period
However, international airfare is not covered. Recipients must pay for their travel to the Netherlands.
A cleaning fee of approximately €75 for the allocated accommodation is also excluded.
Monthly Living Allowance and Accommodation
The living allowance works out to approximately €1,550 per month.
This amount is intended to support expenses such as accommodation, groceries, personal expenses, telephone costs, local travel, books, study materials, and other living expenses.
Accommodation is arranged as part of the scholarship system. By accepting the scholarship, recipients also accept the accommodation allocated to them for the specified housing period.
Applicants should note that scholarship accommodation is not intended for spouses or partners, children, or pets.
For students enrolled in two-year programmes, university-arranged scholarship housing does not cover the full second year. Recipients will therefore need to arrange their accommodation for the remaining period.
Who can apply for the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship in 2027?
Applicants must satisfy the scholarship’s nationality, academic, age, and admission requirements.
Candidates must:
- Hold nationality from a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and Suriname
- Meet the requirements for obtaining a Dutch entry visa and residence permit
- Not hold dual nationality from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- Apply to a participating full-time Maastricht University master’s programme for 2027–2028
- Meet the admission requirements of their chosen programme
- Complete their master’s admission application by 10 December 2026
- Demonstrate excellent academic performance
- Be 35 years old or younger on 1 September 2027
Applicants who have previously participated in a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands are not eligible.
However, students who have previously completed an exchange programme in the Netherlands may still apply.
Preference is also given to applicants who have not already obtained a master’s degree.
Academic Excellence Requirement
This scholarship targets academically outstanding candidates.
Applicants need a GPA equivalent to at least 7.5 out of 10, according to Maastricht University’s grading conversion.
Depending on the grading system, this score may correspond to at least 75% out of 100% or approximately 3 out of 4.
Applicants must provide evidence of their latest GPA together with documentation explaining the grading system used by their previous university.
Therefore, candidates should not rely solely on their own GPA conversion.
Can Cameroonians, Nigerians, and Ghanaians Apply?
Yes.
Students from Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana can apply for the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027, provided they satisfy the other eligibility requirements.
Applicants from other eligible African countries can also apply, including those from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and many other countries outside the EU/EEA.
For Cameroonian applicants specifically, Cameroon falls within the eligible non-EU/EEA nationality category. However, applicants must still meet the academic requirements, age limit, programme admission requirements, and Dutch immigration conditions.
Participating Master’s Programmes
Only selected Maastricht University master’s programmes are eligible for the scholarship.
Eligible programmes for 2027–2028 cover several academic areas, including:
- Arts and Social Sciences
- Business and Economics
- Health and Life Sciences
- Law
- Psychology and Neuroscience
- Science and Engineering
Examples include programmes in areas such as European Studies, Global Health, Epidemiology, Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Management, Health and Digital Transformation, Forensic Psychology, Globalisation and Law, European Law School, and International and European Tax Law.
Applicants should confirm that their exact program is listed on the official participating-programme list before proceeding with the scholarship application.
Documents Required
Applicants should prepare their scholarship documents carefully because the scholarship application can only be submitted once.
Required documents include:
1. Curriculum Vitae
The CV must be current and should present the applicant’s education, relevant professional experience, achievements, awards, and other important qualifications.
It must not exceed two A4 pages.
2. Letter of Motivation
Applicants must use Maastricht University’s official template for the scholarship motivation letter.
The letter should explain why the applicant is seeking the scholarship and why they should be considered a strong candidate.
3. Proof of Academic Excellence
Applicants need an academic transcript or other official university document showing their most recent GPA.
They must also provide information explaining the grading system used by their university.
4. Personal Statement of Financial Needs
Candidates must explain why receiving the scholarship would be financially important to them.
The statement should clearly describe the applicant’s financial circumstances and ability to fund postgraduate study abroad.
5. Reference Letter
One reference letter is required.
The referee may be a current or former professor, lecturer, or employer. Family members cannot act as referees.
For the 2027–2028 application cycle, recommendation letters should be dated no earlier than February 2026.
6. Referee Contact Details
Applicants must provide their referee’s contact information, including their professional relationship with the applicant, work telephone number, and institutional or professional email address.
Important Rule: You Can Apply Only Once
Maastricht University allows applicants to submit their scholarship application only once and for only one scholarship.
Furthermore, documents cannot be added or replaced after submission.
Applicants should therefore carefully review their CV, motivation letter, GPA evidence, financial needs statement, reference letter, and referee information before submitting the application.
How to Apply for Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027
The application process consists of two main stages.
Step 1: Apply for an Eligible Master’s Programme
Applicants must first apply for admission to a participating Maastricht University master’s programme.
The admission process begins through Studielink, the Dutch national higher education registration platform.
After registering for the programme, applicants receive a student ID from Maastricht University. This number is required to proceed with the scholarship application.
Most importantly, candidates seeking the scholarship must submit their complete master’s admission file and meet the relevant programme requirements by 10 December 2026.
Step 2: Apply for the Scholarship
After receiving a Maastricht University student number, eligible candidates can complete the scholarship application using their UM account.
Applicants must upload all required documents and review the application carefully before submission.
The scholarship application period runs from 1 October 2026 until 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET.
Don’t Miss the 10 December 2026 Admission Deadline
One of the easiest mistakes applicants can make is to focus only on the 1 February 2027 scholarship deadline.
The earlier deadline is equally important.
Candidates seeking the NL-High Potential Scholarship must complete the relevant Maastricht University Master’s admission application by 10 December 2026.
Therefore, students should not wait until January to begin their university application.
If the selected programme requires a handling fee, applicants must also pay this fee themselves as part of the admission process. The scholarship does not cover applicable admission handling fees.
Selection Process
After the scholarship deadline, Maastricht University checks applications for completeness and forwards eligible applications to the relevant faculties.
The faculties assess candidates and select the strongest applicants.
Shortlisted candidates may then be invited to an online interview.
Scholarship decisions are expected during April 2027, with final statuses generally communicated by early May.
Candidates may be selected, placed on a waiting list or rejected.
Successful applicants must formally accept the scholarship by signing and returning their award letter.
Mandatory Pre-Academic Training
Selected scholarship recipients must participate in Maastricht University’s mandatory pre-academic training.
For the 2027–2028 scholarship cycle, the programme is expected to begin in the first week of August 2027 and last approximately two weeks.
The cost of this training is included in the scholarship.
Important Dates
Applications open: 1 October 2026
Complete master’s admission application: 10 December 2026
Scholarship application deadline: 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET
Faculty assessment: February–March 2027
Online interviews: Following faculty selection
Scholarship results: April 2027, with final statuses expected by early May
Pre-Academic Training: First week of August 2027
Final Thoughts
The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 offers 18 full scholarships to academically outstanding international students from outside the EU/EEA who wish to pursue eligible master’s programmes in the Netherlands.
The scholarship provides full tuition coverage alongside €20,150 for a 13-month programme or €38,750 for a 25-month programme, plus health and liability insurance, visa costs and pre-academic training.
Students from Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and other eligible African countries can apply.
Applications open on 1 October 2026, and the scholarship deadline is 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. However, candidates must remember the crucial earlier deadline: the complete master’s admission application must be submitted by 10 December 2026.
With only around 2% of applicants ultimately receiving an award, candidates should prepare their documents carefully and begin the admission process early.
Official Links
Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship:
Official Scholarship Page
Maastricht University Master’s Programmes:
Official Master’s Programmes
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