Study Scholarships

Candidates that meet the following criteria* may apply for an ICP Connect scholarship:

• Nationality and country of residence: Candidates must hold nationality from one of the 30 eligible countries and reside in any of these countries at the time of application (though not necessarily in their country of origin).
• Age: Candidates for a bachelor or initial master programme cannot be older than 35 as of 1 January of the intake year, while candidates for an advanced master cannot be older than 45. Additionally, candidates for a bachelor programme must be at least 19 years old by 1 January of the intake year.
• Professional background and experience: Preference will be given to candidates employed in higher education, government, or civil society, or those targeting a career in one of these sectors. Newly graduated candidates or those employed in the private sector with no work experience may also be considered if they provide strong motivation and a compelling profile.
• Scholarship applications: Candidates may apply for only one ICP Connect scholarship per year. Candidates cannot receive any other scholarship or grant to participate in this study programme or another programme simultaneously.
• Previously awarded scholarships: Candidates may not have previously received a scholarship from the Belgian government to attend a study programme, nor may they have enrolled in a study programme at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the year of intake.

*Please note that additional criteria may be imposed by individual institutions. These can be found under the drop-down menu 'more detailed information & application' on this page.

Within the ICP Connect framework, scholars are seen as potential agents of change that may contribute to societal change in their home country (or region) after completing their studies. Scholars are selected following an objective evaluation of their scholarship applications based on the following criteria:

• Motivation: Candidates' motivation and professional goals must reflect their competence in transferring knowledge/skills or setting up extension activities and highlighting themes relevant to sustainable development and pertinent to the study programme. Not only are academic results important, but so are - especially - the potential and commitment of the candidates to become an 'agent of change' after completing their studies.
   
• Professional experience: Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a greater chance of implementing and/or transferring newly gained knowledge/skills upon completion in a sustainable development context, such as in the higher education sector, government, civil society or the private sector, thereby contributing to positive societal change.
   

• Gender balance: A balance between male and female candidates awarded ICP Connect scholarships is targeted. VLIRUOS strongly encourages female candidates to apply.

  Read more about our gender policy here.
   

• Regional balance: A reasonable cross-section of scholars from different countries and regions is targeted, provided there are sufficient qualified candidates.
   
• Leave No One Behind (LNOB): In case of equally qualified candidates, preference will be given to candidates from vulnerable groups.
   
• Previously awarded scholarship: Preference will be given to candidates who have never received a scholarship to study in a higher income country (bachelor or master). 

VLIRUOS ICP Connect scholarships cover tuition fees, travel, insurance and living expenses (board and lodging). We only offer scholarships for the full duration of the study programme (12/24/36 months). It is not possible to apply for a partial scholarship or an extension.

Scholarship costs may change in line with government funding decisions. 

You can find the current scholarship framework here. 

Steps to apply for a scholarship:

• Check if you are eligible based on all given criteria.
• Learn more about the selected study programmes. If you're interested in a specific programme, visit the website of the institution that offers it and follow the provided instructions.
• Through the institution’s website, apply for both the programme and the scholarship. When submitting your programme application, make sure to indicate if you are also applying for a scholarship. Do not apply for more than one ICP programme per year.

What happens next?

Each programme sets its own deadlines. We receive the selection results from the programme organisers. VLIR-UOS contacts selected candidates and those on the waiting list by email as soon as possible after the selection process, and no later than mid-June.

If you have any questions about your application or the selection process, please contact the institution directly.