Government of Flanders (Belgium) - The Washington Center Program

The Washington Center Program

You will receive a one-off grant of 12,000 EUR for one semester (approx. 15 weeks) for a work placement in Washington, D.C. (USA). If you belong to an under-represented group, you will receive an additional 3,000 EUR, making a total of 15,000 EUR. This applies if you are in receipt of a Flemish scholarship, have a disability recognised by the VAPH, or are working as a student employee. During your stay, you will undertake an internship at an organisation or company for 4 days a week, attend an evening course (3 hours per week) and take part in the LEAD Colloquium, a series of political lectures, excursions and networking events. The Flemish Government (Ministry of Education and Training) funds the programme and awards 12 scholarships annually. This scholarship cannot be combined with other funding from the Flemish Government.

Who can apply

• University: You are enrolled at a Flemish university or university of applied sciences that has a cooperation agreement with the Washington Centre.
• Credits so far: At the time of your application, you will have earned at least 60 ECTS credits.
• Grades: Your average mark is at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0.
• Field of study: You study business and management, world trade, media and communications, international relations, law, social sciences, criminology or political science. Other fields are possible only if you arrange it with The Washington Center beforehand.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, provided they are studying at a Flemish university.
• When you go: The work placement takes place in the autumn semester (starting in August 2026) or in the spring semester (starting in January 2027).

How to apply

Your university will first carry out an internal shortlisting process and may nominate up to six students. It will then submit your application documents via the Mobility Online Tool by 1 April 2026, 23:59. The documents must include your CV, academic transcripts for all years of study and a letter of motivation of no more than two pages. An international panel will assess each application in terms of motivation, grades, CV and overall profile. The results will be announced in May 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

The Flemish Government awards 12 scholarships each year. At least a quarter of these go to students from under-represented groups.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Belgium.