Université Catholique de Louvain - Mercator Scholarship Programme

Benefit

You will receive a monthly lump-sum payment of around 300 EUR, as well as a one-off travel allowance, the amount of which depends on how far you travel. For example, around 410 EUR for North America and up to 550 EUR for the most distant destinations. The money helps to cover the additional costs of studying or undertaking an internship outside the European Union: travel, language preparation and the higher cost of living. Your stay must last at least 3 months. You can only receive this grant once during your entire course of study. The scholarship is administered by the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and complements Erasmus, the EU exchange programme, which covers only Europe.

Eligibility

• University: You are enrolled at UCLouvain. Some faculties restrict these study periods abroad outside Europe to Master’s students.
• Where you go: You are studying or undertaking an internship at a partner university outside the EU, for example in the USA, Canada, Asia or Latin America. The institution must have a partnership agreement with UCLouvain.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, provided they are enrolled at UCLouvain.
• No tuition abroad: There are no tuition fees at the host university.
• Your own place: You organise your stay abroad or your work placement abroad yourself.
• Grades: You have a strong academic record. The individual faculties set their own requirements, such as a minimum of 67% and 80 ECTS credits in the last three semesters.
• Language: You must have at least level B1 in the language in which lessons are taught at the host institution.

How to apply

Applications are made via your faculty’s mobility office, accompanied by a letter of motivation, a CV and copies of your academic transcripts. Deadlines vary depending on the faculty, but are often around the beginning of February. A faculty committee selects the candidates, usually following a short interview lasting around 15 minutes.

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