University of Antwerp Scholarships for International Students
The University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen) is a public higher education institution in Antwerp, Belgium. Established in 2003, the university quickly rose in prestige, becoming the third-largest university in northern Belgium and 22nd on 2019’s Times Higher Education Ranking for Young Universities.
The University of Antwerp has a reputation for being pluralistic—it welcomes people of all religions and cultures. Philosophical, ethical, and spiritual discourse is highly encouraged among its students to promote diversity and inclusion.
With that said, international students are more than welcome at the University of Antwerp. It is a great way to experience life in Belgium while taking advantage of the world-class education the university is known for. The University of Antwerp has great scholarships that international students can apply for should they choose to enroll, and below is a list of just some of the grants they have to offer.
Take note that these scholarships are only available for master’s students.
University of Antwerp Scholarships
Postgraduate Scholarships at University of Antwerp
1. Master Mind
- Scholarship Amount
- €8200 for living expenses and full tuition
- Eligibility Criteria
- intends to take a master’s degree in the University of Antwerp
- has exceptional academic performance with a GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0
- possesses great skill in the English language as proven by IELTS, TOEFL, or any other official English language test
- Scholarship Link
Master Mind is a scholarship available at the University of Antwerp offered to outstanding international students taking up master’s degrees in Belgium. Awarded by the Flemish Ministry of Education, this grant is paid by installment and covers the entire tuition fee. It also comes with an additional allowance for accommodation, insurances, and day-to-day expenses to ensure the student can primarily focus on their studies at the University of Antwerp.
There is no direct application for Master Mind. The University of Antwerp does most of the processing and submits its list of candidates to the Flemish government for approval. All that student must do on their end is submit the required documents for enrolment and indicate their desire to apply for the scholarship. To know more about applying for a master’s degree at the University of Antwerp and a list of required documents, please click here.
In the application, the prospective student must upload proof of their English language skills and specify their GPA. They must also write down a short essay stating their reasons for needing the scholarship. Awardees will be granted the scholarship based on their academic performance, employment history, financial capabilities, and overall attitude. It is recommended that the student take time and effort writing their motivation as only a select few get chosen.
Please note that only certain master’s programs are covered by Master Mind. For a complete list of degrees covered, please click here.
2. VLIR-UOS
- Scholarship Amount
- €1150 monthly allowance with a full waived tuition fee, round-trip airplane ticket between Belgium and country of origin, and insurance fees
- Eligibility Criteria
- intends to take a development-related master’s degree at the University of Antwerp
- must be under 35 years of age and is a national or permanent resident of one of the 31 eligible countries partnered with VLIR-UOS
- must have not enrolled in a Flemish university before application and must not have received a scholarship from the Belgian government to enroll in a master’s program
- Scholarship Link
VLIR-UOS is an organization dedicated to creating sustainable development. It has partnerships with developing countries all over Africa, Asia, and Latin America that are faced with challenges relating to poverty, governance, conservation, and the like. The organization aims to produce the next generation of innovative scholars that will bring about change to the status quo.
In line with their vision, VLIR-UOS is primarily focused on master’s degrees related to development and funding students that are motivated by development. For a complete list of eligible degrees covered by VLIR-UOS at the University of Antwerp, please click here.
The candidate must come from one of the listed developing countries and must have an eye and a heart for bringing about change in their society. Priority is given to those with relevant work experience and educational background, although those with neither can still apply for this scholarship available at University of Antwerp as long as they have the motivation. Furthermore, those that come from the most vulnerable sectors of their society and have not received any prior financial assistance will be given preference by VLIR-UOS.
Like Master Mind, application for VLIR-UOS is done at the same time as applying for a master’s at the University of Antwerp. During the application, the student must specify that they are applying for the VLIR-UOS scholarship and state their reasons for doing so. They must also submit evidence of their English language skills.
VLIR-UOS will contact shortlisted candidates via email as soon as they have been selected for the scholarship, by end of June at the latest.
3. Erasmus Mundus
- Scholarship Amount
- €1000 monthly allowance for the full duration of the study, full tuition fee and health insurance, and contributions to travel costs
- Eligibility Criteria
- intends to take up a Master of Leading International Vaccinology Education at the University of Antwerp
- must come from a partner country as indicated by the scholarship’s official website, and should not have carried out any activity (e.g., study or work) for more than 12 months in any part of Europe or its program countries in the past five years
- must already have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a university at any of the partner countries before the application
- Scholarship Link
Erasmus Mundus is a master’s degree scholarship offered to students worldwide. It is funded by the European Union and aims to promote collaboration between Europe and the rest of the global society, as well as improve the standards of Europe’s higher education system. This scholarship at the University of Antwerp covers most, if not all, the expenses needed for a master’s student to study comfortably.
The first step to the application process is to ensure the degree you’re interested in falls under Erasmus Mundus. At this time, the University of Antwerp only offers the Master of Leading International Vaccinology Education. The application for both the degree and the scholarship will be done on their official website.
The applicant must first register online. Registration is open from November to January each year. Once registered, the applicant must answer a short survey detailing how they found out about the program.
Next, there is a detailed application form that needs to be filled out. There are multiple stages in this process, and candidates are free to save and come back to complete the form as many times as necessary as long as they’re within the deadline. The different sections are personal information; relevant educational background and work experience, including true copies of diplomas and transcript records; proof of English language skills from an accredited language organization (e.g., IELTS or TOEFL); a short personal essay to demonstrate writing skills; mandatory testing in cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, and physiology to confirm the applicant’s knowledge in these fields; professional reference letters, and other documents to support their application.
The applicants will have until February to submit their application and until July to obtain supporting documents like their diploma and English proficiency scores.
I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Europe Scholarships Page.