VLIR-UOS - ICP Connect Scholarships

Benefit

You get a full scholarship of 1,400 EUR per month to study one of around 20 English-taught programmes at a Flemish university or university of applied sciences in Belgium. The grant runs for 12, 24 or 36 months, depending on your programme. On top of the monthly amount it covers your living costs, housing and meals, health insurance, settling-in costs in Belgium and your tuition fees. You also get an economy-class return flight from your home country to Belgium, plus a second return flight for the three-year bachelor programmes. The scholarships are run by VLIRUOS (the Flemish Interuniversity Council) and funded by the Belgian government. The grant cannot be extended or split into part-funding.

Supported programmes include two professional bachelors (Hotel Management, Applied Computer Science), several two-year masters (such as Rural Development, Aquaculture, Food Technology, Water Resources Engineering and Sustainable Development) and one-year advanced masters (such as Governance and Development or Human Settlements).

Eligibility

• Nationality and residence: You hold the nationality of one of 28 eligible countries in Africa, Asia or Latin America (for example Kenya, Vietnam, Peru, Morocco or Bolivia). You also live in one of these countries when you apply, though not necessarily your home country.
• Programme: You apply for one of the listed ICP Connect study programmes. No other programmes are covered.
• Age: For a bachelor or first master, you are no older than 35 on 1 January of the start year. For an advanced master, no older than 45. For a bachelor, you are at least 19.
• English: You have strong English. All programmes are taught in English and no Dutch is needed.
• No earlier Belgian funding: You have never held a Belgian government scholarship for studies in Belgium, and you were not enrolled at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the start year.
• One scholarship only: You apply for just one ICP Connect scholarship per year and hold no other scholarship at the same time.
• Work experience (preferred, not required): You are more likely to be chosen if you work or want to work in higher education, government or civil society. Recent graduates and private-sector applicants with strong motivation are also considered.

How to apply

You apply for both the programme and the scholarship directly through the institution that runs it, not through VLIRUOS. State your interest in the scholarship on the programme application. Each programme sets its own deadline. The institution pre-selects and ranks candidates, then VLIRUOS makes the final choice and emails selected applicants by mid-May. The call for the 2027-2028 year is expected to open in late October 2026, with studies starting in September.

If you are weighing your study options in Belgium, our guide Scholarships in Belgium brings together further scholarships and funding available there.