International students looking for a fully funded or full-cost Master’s opportunity in Europe should keep the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027/28 on their list.
Maastricht University in the Netherlands will offer 18 full scholarships to highly talented students from outside the EU/EEA who are admitted to selected Master’s programmes for the 2027–2028 academic year. The scholarship includes a full tuition-fee waiver, €1,550 monthly living allowance, health and liability insurance, visa costs, and other academic support.
Applications for the 2027/28 round are officially scheduled to open on October 1, 2026, and the final scholarship deadline is February 1, 2027 at 23:59. However, applicants must complete their application for an eligible Master’s programme much earlier—by December 10, 2026.
Current status: Applications are not yet open as of September 13, 2026. The 2027/28 application round opens on October 1, 2026.
Maastricht University Scholarship 2027/28: Quick Overview
| Scholarship Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scholarship name | Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship |
| Host university | Maastricht University |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Study level | Master’s |
| Academic year | 2027–2028 |
| Number of scholarships | 18 |
| Funding | Full scholarship |
| Monthly stipend | €1,550 |
| Tuition fees | Covered |
| Health & liability insurance | Covered |
| Visa costs | Covered |
| Eligible applicants | Mainly non-EU/EEA international students |
| Maximum age | 35 years |
| Minimum GPA | Equivalent to 7.5/10 |
| Applications open | October 1, 2026 |
| Master’s application deadline | December 10, 2026 |
| Scholarship deadline | February 1, 2027, 23:59 |
| Study start | 2027 academic year |
| Scholarship duration | 13 or 25 months |
Maastricht University describes the programme as offering 18 full scholarships per academic year.
What Is the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship?
The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship combines two sources of funding:
- the High Potential Scholarship, funded through the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund; and
- the NL Scholarship, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with Dutch higher-education institutions.
It is designed for highly talented international students from outside the EU/EEA who want to complete an eligible full-time Master’s degree at Maastricht University.
The scholarship is especially attractive because it does not simply provide a small tuition reduction. It covers tuition costs and provides substantial living support during the study period.
Maastricht University Scholarship 2027 Financial Benefits
The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship provides several forms of financial assistance.
Scholarship amount
| Scholarship Benefit | 2027/28 Coverage |
|---|---|
| Living expenses – 13 months | €20,150 |
| Living expenses – 25 months | €38,750 |
| Monthly living allowance | €1,550 per month |
| Health & liability insurance | €700 |
| Tuition fees | Covered at cost |
| Visa application costs | Covered at cost |
| Pre-Academic Training | Covered |
| International Student Ambassador Programme | First block covered |
For students enrolled in a one-year Master’s programme, the living allowance totals €20,150 over 13 months.
Students enrolled in an eligible two-year programme can receive €38,750 over 25 months.
€1,550 Monthly Living Allowance
Maastricht University currently calculates the living allowance at:
€1,550 per month
The university provides an indicative breakdown of the monthly amount:
| Expense | Approximate Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| Housing | €960 |
| Groceries and personal hygiene | €160 |
| Telephone | €60 |
| Travel | €100 |
| Books and study materials | €90 |
| Clothing, hobbies and social activities | €125 |
| Miscellaneous | €55 |
| Total | €1,550 |
This monthly support is one of the main reasons the NL-High Potential Scholarship is among Maastricht University’s most valuable awards for international Master’s students.
Is the Maastricht University Scholarship Fully Funded?
The university itself describes the awards as full scholarships because they include a tuition-fee waiver, monthly stipend, insurance, visa-related costs and other support.
However, applicants should be aware of expenses that are not included.
Not covered
International airfare is not covered. Scholarship recipients must purchase their own flight tickets.
There is also an approximately €75 Maastricht Housing cleaning fee, which must be paid separately by the student.
Therefore, applicants should budget for their flight to the Netherlands and a small amount of initial personal expenses.
Scholarship Duration
The duration depends on the Master’s programme:
- 13 months for a one-year Master’s degree
- 25 months for a two-year Master’s degree
Students should check the normal duration of their selected Maastricht University programme before applying.
Maastricht University Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must satisfy all relevant scholarship and Master’s admission requirements.
For the 2027/28 NL-High Potential Scholarship, applicants generally must meet the following conditions.
1. Nationality requirement
Applicants must hold nationality from a country outside:
- European Union
- European Economic Area
- Switzerland
- Surinam
Applicants must also meet the requirements for obtaining the necessary Dutch entry visa and residence permit.
2. No EU/EEA dual nationality
Candidates who also possess nationality from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland are not eligible under this requirement.
3. Apply to an eligible Master’s programme
Applicants must apply to one of the participating full-time Maastricht University Master’s programmes for the 2027–2028 academic year.
The complete programme application must be submitted and must satisfy the stated admission requirements by:
December 10, 2026.
4. Meet Master’s admission requirements
Applying for the scholarship does not replace normal university admission requirements.
Applicants must meet the academic, educational and language requirements of their chosen Master’s programme.
5. Previous study in the Netherlands
Applicants must not previously have participated in a degree-seeking higher-education programme in the Netherlands.
Students who previously completed an exchange programme in the Netherlands may still apply.
6. Age requirement
Applicants must be:
35 years old or younger on September 1, 2027.
7. Strong academic performance
Applicants need excellent academic results.
Maastricht currently requires a minimum equivalent GPA of:
7.5 out of 10
The university indicates this can correspond to approximately:
- 75/100, or
- 3.0/4.0
depending on the applicant’s grading system.
8. Previous Master’s degree
Applicants who already possess a Master’s degree are not automatically stated to be ineligible, but Maastricht University says preference will be given to candidates who have not yet obtained a Master’s degree.
9. Ambassador requirement
Successful recipients must be willing to act as an active Maastricht University NL-High Potential and UM ambassador and share their experiences with prospective students or other stakeholders.
Maastricht University Scholarship GPA Requirement
One of the most important eligibility requirements is academic performance.
Applicants need at least the equivalent of:
7.5/10
Maastricht University asks applicants to submit:
- their university transcript or another official document showing their most recent GPA; and
- a document explaining their university’s grading system.
The university indicates that at least 75% of the maximum grade is required. A 3.0/4.0 GPA, for example, may correspond to Maastricht’s 7.5/10 threshold depending on the grading system.
Can I apply with a GPA below 7.5/10?
Applicants below the required equivalent are unlikely to satisfy the scholarship’s academic-excellence criterion. Maastricht explicitly states that it only accepts scholarship applications meeting the required GPA threshold.
Eligible Master’s Programmes for 2027/28
A particularly important point is that not every Maastricht University Master’s programme qualifies.
The university published an updated official 2027/28 list dated August 31, 2026. The current document contains 36 programme/specialisation entries across several academic faculties.
Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
- MA Arts and Culture – Arts and Heritage
- MA Arts and Culture – Modern Political Culture
- MA Arts and Culture – Contemporary Literature and Arts
- MA European Studies
Faculty of Law
- LLM European Law School – European Business Law
- LLM European Law School – European Public Law
- LLM European Law School – General Programme
- LLM European Law School – Law for a Sustainable Europe
- LLM European Law School – Law & AI
- LLM Forensics, Criminology and Law
- LLM Globalisation and Law – Corporate and Commercial Law
- LLM Globalisation and Law – General Programme
- LLM Globalisation and Law – Human Rights
- LLM Globalisation and Law – International Trade and Investment Law
- LLM International and European Tax Law – International and European Tax Law
- LLM International and European Tax Law – Customs and International Supply Chain Taxation
- LLM International and European Tax Law – Tax and Technology
- LLM Advanced Master in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management
- MSc Advanced Master in Intellectual Property Law and Knowledge Management
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
- MSc Epidemiology
- MSc Global Health
- MSc Governance and Leadership in European Public Health
- MSc Health and Digital Transformation
- MSc Health Food Innovation Management
- MSc Health Promotion
- MSc Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Management
- MSc Human Movement Sciences – Health and Rehabilitation
- MSc Human Movement Sciences – Sports and Nutrition
Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience
- MSc Forensic Psychology
- MSc Psychology – Developmental Psychology
- Research Master Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience – Fundamental Neuroscience
School of Business and Economics
- MSc Financial Economics
- MSc International Business – Accounting and Financial Analysis
- MSc International Business – Organisation: Management, Change and Consultancy
- MSc International Business – Strategy and Innovation
- MSc Learning and Development in Organisations
Applicants should verify their exact Master’s programme against the university’s official participating-programme document before beginning a scholarship application.
Is IELTS Required for Maastricht University Scholarship 2027?
There is no single universal IELTS score imposed by the NL-High Potential Scholarship itself.
Instead, applicants must satisfy the admission and English-language requirements of the specific Maastricht University Master’s programme they select.
This means IELTS requirements can vary between programmes.
Some applicants may be able to demonstrate English proficiency through previous education or another accepted qualification, while others may need IELTS, TOEFL or another approved English-language certificate depending on their programme.
Therefore, it would be inaccurate to advertise the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship as a universal “No IELTS Scholarship.”
Applicants should check the admission requirements of their chosen Master’s programme individually.
Documents Required for Maastricht University Scholarship 2027
Applicants should prepare the scholarship documents carefully because Maastricht University states that the scholarship application can only be submitted once.
Documents cannot simply be replaced after submission.
The required scholarship documents include:
Curriculum Vitae
Applicants need an up-to-date CV containing relevant:
- educational history
- work experience
- achievements
- awards
- prizes
The CV should not exceed two A4 pages.
Motivation Letter
Applicants must complete the official Maastricht University scholarship motivation-letter template.
The motivation should focus specifically on why the applicant deserves the scholarship rather than merely repeating the Master’s admission statement.
Proof of Academic Excellence
Applicants must provide:
- university transcript or official GPA document; and
- explanation of the university’s grading scale.
The academic record must satisfy the minimum 7.5/10 equivalent requirement.
Personal Statement of Financial Need
Applicants must explain why scholarship funding is necessary.
Maastricht asks candidates to describe relevant personal or financial circumstances demonstrating why receiving financial support would benefit them.
Reference Letter
Applicants must provide one reference letter.
The referee may be a current or former:
- professor
- lecturer
- employer
Family members cannot serve as referees.
For the current 2027/28 scholarship webpage, Maastricht states that recommendation letters should be dated no earlier than February 2026.
Applicants upload the reference letter themselves.
Referee Contact Details
The application also requires the referee’s:
- relationship to the applicant
- work telephone number
- institutional/work email address
Maastricht warns that letters providing only a personal email address may be rejected.
How to Apply for Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027
The application has two separate stages.
Applicants should not start with the scholarship form.
Step 1: Choose an eligible Master’s programme
First, find one of the participating Master’s programmes included in the 2027/28 scholarship list.
Only listed programmes qualify.
Step 2: Apply through Studielink
Submit an application for the Master’s programme through Studielink, the Dutch higher-education application system.
After submitting the university application, Maastricht University provides a UM student ID number.
You need this student number to submit the scholarship application.
Step 3: Complete your admission application by December 10
For this scholarship, the eligible Master’s application and required admission file must be completed by:
December 10, 2026
Do not confuse this with the February scholarship deadline.
This is one of the most important dates for applicants.
Step 4: Log in to the scholarship portal
After receiving your Maastricht University account/student ID, access the separate NL-High Potential scholarship application form.
The form requires a UM login.
Step 5: Upload all scholarship documents
Prepare and upload:
- CV
- motivation letter
- academic transcript/GPA proof
- explanation of grading system
- personal financial-needs statement
- reference letter
- referee contact details
Step 6: Review everything before submission
Maastricht University says the scholarship application can only be submitted once.
Documents cannot subsequently be added or replaced, so carefully check the application before pressing submit.
Step 7: Submit before February 1, 2027
The final scholarship deadline is:
February 1, 2027 at 23:59
Important Application Portal Closure in October 2026
Applicants planning to apply immediately after applications open should note one temporary interruption.
Maastricht University currently states that, due to an upgrade, the scholarship portal will be unavailable from:
October 22–26, 2026
Applicants should therefore not panic if they cannot access the portal during that scheduled period.
Important Maastricht Scholarship Deadlines
There are three dates applicants should remember.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Scholarship applications open | October 1, 2026 |
| Eligible Master’s application/file deadline | December 10, 2026 |
| Scholarship application deadline | February 1, 2027 at 23:59 |
Why December 10 matters
A common mistake would be to assume that applicants can wait until February 1 to apply for both admission and the scholarship.
That is incorrect.
For the NL-High Potential Scholarship, candidates must complete the required eligible Master’s admission application by December 10, 2026.
Maastricht Scholarship Selection Process
This scholarship is highly competitive and has several stages.
February 2027
After the February 1 deadline, Maastricht University’s International Services Desk checks applications for completeness.
Complete applications are forwarded to the relevant faculties.
March 2027
Each participating faculty selects and ranks its top five scholarship applicants.
The nominations are sent back to the International Services Desk for final checks.
End of March 2027
Selected candidates are invited to an online interview.
April–May 2027
Applicants are informed whether they have been:
- selected
- waitlisted
- rejected
Maastricht states that candidates should receive their status by the beginning of May 2027 at the latest, while waitlisted applications are expected to be resolved during May.
How Competitive Is the Maastricht University Scholarship?
The NL-High Potential Scholarship is extremely competitive.
Maastricht University explicitly states that approximately:
2% of applicants receive the scholarship.
Only 18 full scholarships are offered each academic year.
Applicants should therefore treat meeting the basic eligibility criteria as only the starting point.
Strong candidates will generally need an excellent academic record, convincing scholarship motivation, strong reference, clear evidence of potential, and a persuasive explanation of how their Maastricht education supports their future goals.
Mandatory Pre-Academic Training
Selected scholarship recipients must participate in Maastricht University’s Pre-Academic Training programme.
For 2027 scholarship recipients, the mandatory programme is scheduled to start in the first week of August 2027 and lasts approximately two weeks.
The scholarship covers the Pre-Academic Training costs.
Accommodation for Scholarship Recipients
The accommodation condition is particularly important.
Maastricht University states that accepting the scholarship includes accepting an allocated room.
For the current scholarship cycle, the room is allocated until:
July 16, 2028
Students receiving a two-year scholarship must arrange their own accommodation for the second year.
The university also states clearly:
Refusing the allocated accommodation results in cancellation of the scholarship.
The accommodation provided under the scholarship is not designed for:
- spouses or partners
- children
- pets
Applicants intending to travel with family members should take this rule into account before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maastricht University Scholarship 2027 fully funded?
Maastricht University describes the NL-High Potential awards as full scholarships. They cover tuition fees and provide €1,550 per month for living expenses as well as insurance, visa costs and other support. Airfare is not included.
How much is the Maastricht University Scholarship?
Students receive living support of €20,150 for 13 months or €38,750 for 25 months, equivalent to approximately €1,550 per month, in addition to tuition and other covered costs.
How many Maastricht High Potential Scholarships are available?
Maastricht University currently states that 18 full scholarships are offered each academic year.
When does the Maastricht University Scholarship 2027 open?
Applications open on:
October 1, 2026.
What is the Maastricht Scholarship deadline?
The scholarship application closes on:
February 1, 2027 at 23:59.
Applicants must nevertheless complete their eligible Master’s application file by December 10, 2026.
What GPA is required?
Applicants need an academic record equivalent to at least 7.5/10, which Maastricht currently describes as approximately 75/100 or 3/4, depending on the grading system.
Is IELTS required?
The scholarship itself does not specify one universal IELTS score. Applicants must meet the English-language requirements of their chosen Master’s programme.
What is the Maastricht University Scholarship acceptance rate?
Maastricht University says only around 2% of scholarship applicants receive an award.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. Applicants must be 35 years old or younger on September 1, 2027.
Can EU students apply?
The NL-High Potential Scholarship primarily targets students with nationality from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Surinam. Applicants must also not hold dual EU/EEA or Swiss nationality.
Can I apply if I already have a Master’s degree?
The eligibility page does not state an absolute prohibition, but Maastricht says preference will be given to applicants who have not yet obtained a Master’s degree.
Does the scholarship cover flight tickets?
No. Air tickets must be paid by the scholarship recipient.
Is accommodation provided?
Yes, accommodation is part of the scholarship arrangement, but it comes with specific conditions. Recipients are required to accept the allocated room, and two-year scholarship students must arrange their own housing for the second year.
Do I apply directly for the scholarship first?
No. First apply to an eligible Maastricht University Master’s programme through Studielink. Once Maastricht issues your UM student number, you can submit the separate scholarship application.
Can I submit more than one Maastricht scholarship application?
Maastricht states that applicants can submit their application once and for one scholarship only, so candidates should check all documents carefully before submitting.
Official Application Links
For accuracy and safety, applicants should use Maastricht University’s official sources rather than relying only on scholarship listing websites.
Official Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027/28 page
Official 2027/28 Eligible Master’s Programmes PDF
Official Maastricht Scholarship Application Portal
The scholarship portal requires the applicant’s UM account, which is obtained after applying to Maastricht University.
Final Thoughts
The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027/28 is one of the strongest Master’s funding opportunities in the Netherlands for talented students from outside Europe.
Its package is particularly attractive because the university offers only 18 awards, but those awards include tuition coverage together with €1,550 per month in living support, insurance, visa costs and additional programme support.
The most important point for prospective applicants is not to wait until February. Although the scholarship deadline is February 1, 2027, applicants must complete the required application for an eligible Master’s programme by December 10, 2026.
Because Maastricht reports an award rate of only around 2%, applicants should prepare their academic documents, reference letter, motivation statement and financial-needs statement well before the deadline.