Master Mind Scholarships

About the opportunity

The Master Mind Scholarship is an initiative by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training to promote international mobility and attract high-achieving international students to higher education institutions in Flanders and Brussels. Successful applicants receive a financial grant along with a tuition fee waiver to pursue an English-taught master’s degree programme. Participating host institutions pre-select candidates before a central Flemish Selection Committee determines the final scholarship recipients based on academic excellence and potential.

Funding and benefits

• A grant of €10,225 per academic year
• A tuition fee waiver per academic year (host institutions may charge a reduced yearly administrative tuition fee, which is €136,50 for the academic year 2026-2027)

Who can apply?

• Open to students of all nationalities, with the exception of Russian nationals
• The applicant must apply to take up an English-taught master's degree programme of 60 or 120 ECTS at a participating Flemish higher education institution
• The applicant must have a high standard of academic performance and/or potential, demonstrated by a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.5 out of 4.0 calculated via Scholaro
• The applicant must meet the English language proficiency requirements of the host institution (e.g., minimum overall band score of 7.0 for IELTS/IELTS Indicator or 94 for TOEFL/TOEFL iBT for universities; 6.5 for IELTS or 90 for TOEFL for schools of arts; or equivalent C1/B2 level)
• The previous degree used to enroll in the master's programme cannot have been obtained at a Flemish higher education institution
• The student cannot be already enrolled in a Flemish higher education institution at the time of application, except for international students enrolled in a specific preparatory programme intended to start a master's programme in September
• The student must be accepted by the host institution for the chosen degree programme

Required documents

• Profile picture
• Copy of international passport or national ID
• Curriculum Vitae (including American GPA out of 4.0, publications, academic awards, and previous scholarships if applicable)
• Transcript of records (with certified translations in Dutch, French, German, or English if originally in another language)
• English language test results or a letter of exemption provided by the host university
• Letter of motivation written in English
• Two signed letters of recommendation written in English from professors of the home university/university of applied sciences or recent employer
• Copy of acquired diploma(s) (with certified translations if applicable)

When to apply

• The call for the academic year 2026-2027 is now closed
• Host institution internal deadlines for the 2026-2027 academic year ranged from January 15, 2026 to April 13, 2026 depending on the institution (e.g., KU Leuven on January 15, 2026; University of Antwerp on February 1, 2026; Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel on April 1, 2026)

How to apply

• Check eligibility criteria and verify whether the chosen Flemish higher education institution participates in the scholarship programme
• Submit application documents directly to the chosen Flemish host institution before their internal deadline
• The host institution evaluates applicants and performs a pre-selection, submitting up to 20 applications to the Flemish Higher Education Council
• Pre-selected candidates receive an automated email invitation to register and complete their application file in the Mobility Online tool
• The host institution validates and submits the completed file in Mobility Online, after which the Flemish Selection Committee evaluates and selects the final awardees

Additional information

• The scholarship duration is one academic year for a 60 ECTS master's programme or two academic years for a 120 ECTS master's programme.
• Specific scholarships are reserved for priority countries: Japan (3), Mexico (3), Palestine (2), and USA (5). Unfulfilled reserved scholarships default to the general ranked list.
• Master Mind scholarships cannot be combined with another scholarship from the Flemish Government, an Erasmus+ or Erasmus Mundus scholarship, a BAEF scholarship, or a Fulbright scholarship.
• Student mobility to partner institutions outside Flanders and Brussels is allowed, provided at least half of the study credits are earned at the Flemish host institution.