Maastricht University offers 18 full scholarships every academic year to students from outside the European Union, and the 2027-28 round is open now. The UM NL-High Potential Scholarship combines two funding streams – the university’s own High Potential Scholarship and the Dutch government’s NL Scholarship – so a single award covers tuition, a monthly living stipend and insurance for the whole degree.
Indian students are eligible because India is outside the EU and EEA. Applications opened on 1 October 2026 and close on 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET, but there is an earlier internal deadline that decides whether you can apply at all: your master’s application at Maastricht must be complete by 10 December 2026. Only about 2% of applicants win the award, so the file has to be right the first time.
Maastricht NL-High Potential Scholarship 2027 at a glance
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Maastricht University Scholarship Fund together with the NL Scholarship of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science |
| Last date to apply | 1 February 2027, 23:59 CET (master’s application file must be complete by 10 December 2026) |
| Official website | maastrichtuniversity.nl – UM NL-High Potential Scholarship |
What the scholarship pays
Eighteen full scholarships are awarded each academic year. The award is not a fixed cash amount – the living-cost part is paid to you by the UM International Services Desk while the rest is arranged and paid directly by the university:
- Living expenses: EUR 20,150 for a 13-month award or EUR 38,750 for a 25-month award, which is EUR 1,550 per month
- Health and liability insurance: EUR 700, arranged and paid by the UM International Services Desk
- Tuition fees: paid at cost by the university
- Visa application costs: paid at cost by the university
- Pre-Academic Training: paid at cost – this two-week programme is a mandatory part of the scholarship
- International Student Ambassador Programme: covered for the first block only
The monthly EUR 1,550 is budgeted by Maastricht as housing EUR 960, groceries and personal hygiene EUR 160, telephone EUR 60, travel EUR 100, books and study materials EUR 90, clothing and recreation EUR 125 and miscellaneous EUR 55. Two costs are explicitly outside the award: international air tickets and a cleaning fee of about EUR 75 that is paid to Maastricht Housing in advance.
Duration and the compulsory room
- 13 months for a one-year master’s programme
- 25 months for a two-year master’s programme
- A room is allocated as part of the scholarship until 16 July 2028, and accepting the scholarship means accepting that room – refusing the room cancels the scholarship
- Two-year scholars have to arrange their own housing for the second year
- The scholarship accommodation is not suitable for partners, spouses, children or pets
- Religious or other preferences for the room are taken into account where possible
Who is eligible
- You hold a nationality outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland or Suriname and can meet the entry visa and residence permit requirements for the Netherlands
- You do not have dual nationality from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland
- You have applied for a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht for 2027-28 and your application file is complete, meeting every admission requirement, before 10 December 2026
- You have never followed a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands – exchange students are welcome to apply
- You are not older than 35 on 1 September 2027
- Your latest grade transcript shows a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher, which Maastricht treats as at least 75% of the maximum grade or 3 out of 4 depending on the grading system
- You agree to act as an active UM NL High Potential ambassador and to share your experience in at least one information session during or after your studies
- Preference goes to candidates who do not already hold a master’s degree
- You can submit one application only, for one scholarship only
If you already hold a residence permit for another Schengen country, you can only apply when that permit stays valid until at least 2 September 2027. Otherwise you apply from your home country through an MVV visa.
Documents you need to upload
- Curriculum vitae, up to two A4 pages, including any awards or prizes
- Letter of motivation written on the scholarship template
- Proof of academic excellence – your transcript or an official letter from your university showing a GPA of 7.5/10 or higher
- A document explaining your university’s grading system, so the 7.5/10 equivalent can be verified
- Personal statement of financial needs covering your circumstances, such as financial difficulty, caretaking responsibilities, a medical condition, disability or refugee status
- One reference letter, dated no earlier than February 2026, from a professor, lecturer or employer – not a family member – written to the scholarship’s reference guidelines and uploaded by you
- Contact details of one referee: relationship to you, work telephone number with country code and a work or institutional email address (personal email addresses are rejected)
Documents are accepted only in .doc, .docx or PDF format, and the university does not allow documents to be added or replaced after submission.
How to apply, step by step
- Apply for one of the participating master’s programmes through Studielink and submit the complete application file before 10 December 2026 – only the programmes on Maastricht’s participating list qualify
- Note the student ID number Maastricht issues after your Studielink application, because the scholarship form needs it
- Pay any handling fee your programme charges by 10 December 2026 – the UM International Services Desk does not cover handling fees
- Log in to the scholarship application form with your UM account and upload the CV, motivation letter, grade proof, grading-system explanation, financial-needs statement, reference letter and referee details
- Submit before 1 February 2027, 23:59 CET, with every registration requirement met except legal residence, tuition payment and the hard copy of your diploma
Maastricht has flagged a portal upgrade that makes the application portal unavailable between 22 and 26 October, so plan the upload outside that window.
Selection timeline for 2027
- After 1 February 2027 the UM International Services Desk checks which applications are complete
- Complete applications go to the individual UM faculties in February 2027
- Each faculty ranks its top five applicants and sends them back to the International Services Desk in March 2027
- The desk confirms the selections by the end of March 2027 and invites shortlisted candidates to an online interview
- Every candidate is told the outcome in April 2027, with a final status of selected, waitlisted or rejected by the beginning of May 2027 at the latest
- Award letters must be signed and returned to accept the scholarship, and the mandatory two-week Pre-Academic Training starts in the first week of August 2027
Frequently asked questions
Students from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland and Suriname who have applied to a participating full-time master’s programme at Maastricht for 2027-28, are 35 or younger on 1 September 2027, have never followed a degree-seeking programme in the Netherlands and hold a GPA of at least 7.5 out of 10.
It covers tuition fees at cost, health and liability insurance of EUR 700, visa costs at cost and living expenses of EUR 20,150 over 13 months or EUR 38,750 over 25 months, which works out to EUR 1,550 per month. Air tickets and a cleaning fee of about EUR 75 are not covered.
The scholarship form closes on 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. Your master’s application through Studielink must be complete with all admission requirements met by 10 December 2026, so the real working deadline is earlier than the scholarship date.
Yes. You must not be older than 35 years of age on 1 September 2027.
No. The UM NL-High Potential Scholarship already bundles the university’s High Potential Scholarship with the NL Scholarship funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and you may hold only one scholarship.
Maastricht states that only about 2% of applicants are awarded the scholarship, and 18 full scholarships are available each academic year.
Official links
- UM NL-High Potential Scholarship – eligibility, amounts and application form
- All Maastricht University scholarships with 2027-28 deadlines
Indian students can also compare this award with the study abroad scholarships hub, the international scholarships section and the post graduation scholarships list, which carry the other Netherlands and EU awards with open windows.
Related scholarship posts:
- NL Scholarship 2027-28 for Indian Students
- University of Twente Scholarship (UTS) 2027
- Radboud Scholarship Programme 2027-28