King Baudouin Foundation - Dieter Fund

What the Dieter Fund gives you

You will receive financial support in an amount agreed individually with you as well as a personal coach. There is no fixed amount. The fund will determine the amount in consultation with you, depending on the cost of your studies and where you are short of funds. It supplements other sources of income, such as a living wage, a government grant or income from part-time work, but does not replace them. The money goes towards specific study costs: enrolment fees, books and materials, work placement costs, study trips, travel to lectures and work placement locations, and insurance. You will also be assigned a volunteer coach, who will be your first point of contact for any questions about your studies, problems with your laptop, finding a job or work placement, looking for accommodation, or any concerns regarding your general wellbeing. The fund is a Belgian non-profit association (vzw) founded in 1998 in memory of Dieter Heremans and operated with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation. It supports between 25 and 30 students each year.

Who can apply

• Your background: You are currently in the care of youth welfare services (jeugdhulp) or living with a foster family (pleegzorg). If you are facing another difficult family situation on your own, you can also apply; however, the allocation of these places depends on the annual budget.
• Level of study: You are currently undertaking higher education following completion of secondary education. This includes Bachelor’s, Master’s and postgraduate programmes (Graduaats), as well as vocational training programmes such as Syntra. Secondary education is excluded from this.
• Field of study: All fields of study are eligible. However, if you are studying a technical or science-related degree, you should apply to the relevant ‘Fonds Tinne Boes’ instead, which offers similar support.
• Financial need: You want to study and are capable of doing so, but you lack the money, family support or network to manage it on your own.
• When you apply: You don’t necessarily have to be in your first year of university. You can also apply at a later stage, and your academic record doesn’t have to be perfect.

How to apply

Applications are made via the online form on the King Baudouin Foundation’s website, which is available from mid-May to the end of September. You will need to provide your personal details and information about your studies, write a short letter of motivation and submit a budget outlining your estimated income and expenditure. If your application is successful, you will be invited to a 30-minute interview at the Foundation’s offices in Brussels. For each subsequent year, you must submit a new application; as a rule, this does not require a further interview.

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