--- title: "Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027" description: "18 full scholarships a year, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, insurance and visa costs, for a master's at Maastricht University. For non-EU/EEA applicants; only 2% of applicants are awarded. The 2027-2028 window runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027." url: "https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/maastricht-university-nl-high-potential-scholarship/" type: "website" --- [All scholarships](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/) Maastricht University Scholarship Fund and the NL Scholarship (Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science) # Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship 18 full scholarships a year, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, insurance and visa costs, for a master's at Maastricht University. For non-EU/EEA applicants; only 2% of applicants are awarded. The 2027-2028 window runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Checked 14 Sept 2026 [Apply on the official site](https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/studeren/toelating-inschrijving/financing-your-studies/scholarships/maastricht-university-nl-high) - **Deadline:** Closes 1 Feb 2027 - **Study in:** Netherlands - **Level:** Master's - **Covers:** Tuition fees, Living costs, Health insurance +2 more [Add this deadline to your calendar](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/deadlines.ics) What you get Living expenses of EUR 20,150 over 13 months (one-year master's) or EUR 38,750 over 25 months (two-year master's), paid directly to the student, equivalent to EUR 1,550 a month. Health and liability insurance (EUR 700), visa application costs, tuition fees, and Pre-Academic Training costs, all arranged and paid directly by the UM International Services Desk. The International Student Ambassador Programme is covered for its first block only. Air tickets and a roughly EUR 75 cleaning fee are not included. A university-allocated room is a mandatory part of the scholarship; refusing it cancels the award, and it is not suitable for a partner, children or pets. Two-year students must arrange their own housing for the second year. Covers - Tuition fees - Living costs - Health insurance - Visa fees - Other costs ## Who can apply - National of a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Surinam, without dual EU/EEA or Swiss nationality, and able to meet Dutch entry visa and residence permit requirements - Applied for a participating full-time master's programme for 2027-2028 and submitted a complete application file, meeting all admission requirements, before 10 December 2026 - Never previously undertaken a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands; exchange study in the Netherlands is allowed - Preference given to applicants who have not yet obtained a Master's degree - No older than 35 on 1 September 2027 - Most recent transcript shows a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher (or equivalent, such as 75% or 3.0 out of 4.0), with a document explaining the home institution's grading scale - Agrees to act as a UM NL High Potential ambassador, including speaking at a minimum of one information session for students or other stakeholders during or after the degree - One application only, for one scholarship only; documents cannot be added or replaced after submission ### Only 2% of applicants get this, so read the fine print before you apply Maastricht’s own page states plainly that only 2% of applicants are awarded this scholarship, so it is worth reading every eligibility line closely rather than assuming a strong application alone is enough. Eighteen full scholarships go out each year, combining the university’s own High Potential Scholarship with the nationally funded [NL Scholarship](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/scholarships/nl-scholarship-formerly-holland-scholarship/), and the two-stage timeline, apply for the master’s first, then the scholarship, means missing the earlier of the two deadlines ends your chances regardless of how strong the rest of your file is. ### Two deadlines, not one, and the earlier one is the real cutoff The scholarship deadline of 1 February 2027 is not the date that actually controls your eligibility. You need a UM student number to even submit the scholarship form, and getting one means applying for a participating master’s programme through Studielink and submitting a complete application file, meeting every admission requirement, by 10 December 2026, almost two months earlier. If your programme also charges a handling fee as part of its own admissions process, that fee is not covered by the scholarship and is your own responsibility to pay by that same 10 December date. ### The living-cost figure is broken down to the euro Maastricht’s own page itemises exactly where the EUR 1,550 monthly living allowance is expected to go: EUR 960 for housing, EUR 160 for groceries and personal hygiene, EUR 60 for telephone, EUR 100 for travel, EUR 90 for books and study materials, EUR 125 for clothing and going out, and EUR 55 for miscellaneous costs. Air tickets to and from the Netherlands are explicitly not included and are the candidate’s own expense, as is a roughly EUR 75 cleaning fee paid directly to Maastricht Housing. ### The allocated room is not optional, and it is not built for families A university-allocated room is a mandatory part of this scholarship, not a convenience you can decline while keeping the money. Maastricht’s own page is direct: refusing the room cancels the scholarship entirely, and the accommodation itself is explicitly not suitable for a partner, children or pets. Two-year master’s students only get that allocated room for the first year and have to find their own housing for the second, so budget for that transition well ahead of time. ### Your referee’s email address can sink an otherwise strong application One detail trips up more applicants than the academic requirements themselves: the reference letter’s referee must be a current or former professor, lecturer or employer, never a family member, and must be reachable by a work or institutional email address. A letter citing only a personal email address is rejected outright, and Maastricht’s own guidance notes it may contact the referee directly to check authenticity, so a referee who is hard to verify is a real risk to the whole application, not just a formality. Where this comes from Every fact above was read on **maastrichtuniversity.nl**, the awarding body's own website, and last confirmed on **14 September 2026**. Nothing here is taken from another directory. Funding bodies change deadlines and eligibility rules without notice, and we are not affiliated with Maastricht University Scholarship Fund and the NL Scholarship (Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science). Always confirm on the official site before you apply. Reviewed by the [Worldwide Scholarships editorial team](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/about/) [Apply on the official site](https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/studeren/toelating-inschrijving/financing-your-studies/scholarships/maastricht-university-nl-high) ## Related guides - [Study abroad](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/topics/study-abroad/) ### [Funding a Master's in Europe: How the Money Works](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/fully-funded-dreams-top-scholarships-for-international-students-in-europe-2026/) Scholarships to study in Europe work differently: low tuition, high living costs. Erasmus Mundus, national schemes, and 12 university awards with deadlines. 5 Mar 2026 · 7 min read · 3 sources - [Study abroad](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/topics/study-abroad/) ### [How to Study Abroad for Free: The Routes That Actually Exist](https://worldwide-scholarships.com/study-abroad-for-free-2026/) Free tuition is not free study. Real tuition and proof-of-funds figures for Germany, Austria, France and the Nordics, plus the scholarships that cover the rest. 28 Feb 2026 · 6 min read · 3 sources ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MonetaryGrant","name":"Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship","description":"18 full scholarships a year, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, insurance and visa costs, for a master's at Maastricht University. For non-EU/EEA applicants; only 2% of applicants are awarded. 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