European Scholarship Scheme for Young Belarusians (ESSYB)

What ESSYB offered

The scholarship paid your full tuition fees for a Master's programme. It added a monthly living allowance of 1,000 EUR for the whole study period, for up to 24 months. You also got a yearly travel allowance of 800 EUR and a yearly insurance contribution of 100 EUR. If you needed it, the programme paid for a language preparation course in Belarus. The scheme was funded by the European Union and run by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Its aim was to give young Belarusians an internationally recognised, politically independent education in Europe. It did not cover books, university application fees, visa costs, compulsory insurance or language-test fees such as IELTS or TOEFL.

Who could apply

• Nationality: You held Belarusian citizenship.
• Age: You were between 18 and 30 when you applied.
• Degree level: You applied for a full-time Master's programme. Bachelor's and PhD studies were not funded.
• Prior degree: You already held a Bachelor's diploma or an equivalent higher-education qualification.
• Where you study: You picked three programmes at accredited universities in EU or EEA countries, from at least two different countries. The European Humanities University in Vilnius did not count.
• Field of study: Any field could apply. Law, economics and social sciences, business, natural sciences, health sciences (not medicine) and engineering were preferred.
• Language: You could study in English or the language of your chosen programme. This was tested at a later stage.
• First time: You had not already received an OESS or ESSYB scholarship.

How you applied

You applied online and in English only, by the round's deadline. Selection ran in stages: first an eligibility check, then a content review, and finally a language test for successful candidates. Motivation mattered more than pure academic marks, especially a genuine interest in Belarus's democratic development.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is no longer available. The last call for applications was in 2016 and the programme ended in November 2018. Across all rounds, 216 young Belarusians received an ESSYB scholarship.