Maastricht University High Potential Scholarship: Simple Step-by-Step Guide

The Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship is one of the most generous — and most competitive — Dutch university scholarships available to international students. Unlike partial-tuition awards, it is a genuinely full package: tuition, living costs, insurance, and visa expenses are all covered for outstanding Master's candidates.

This guide breaks down exactly what's included, who qualifies, the documents you'll need, and the multi-stage application timeline.

1. What Does the Scholarship Actually Cover?

The NL-High Potential Scholarship is structured as a genuinely comprehensive package, covering:

• Tuition Fee: Covered at cost, for the full duration of your programme.
• Monthly Living Stipend: Approximately €15,925 total for a 13-month, one-year Master's, or €30,625 total for a 25-month, two-year Master's.
• Health & Liability Insurance: Around €700, covered as part of the package.
• Visa Application Costs: Covered at cost.
• Pre-Academic Training: A mandatory two-week orientation programme, also covered.

2. Who Can Apply?

To be considered, you generally need to meet all of the following:

1. Nationality: You hold a nationality outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Suriname, and have no dual EU/EEA/Swiss nationality.
2. Age Limit: You are 35 years old or younger on 1 September of your intake year.
3. Academic Excellence: Your most recent transcript shows a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 (or roughly 75%) or higher.
4. No Prior Dutch Degree: You have never previously participated in a degree-seeking higher education programme in the Netherlands (short exchange programmes are fine). Preference goes to candidates who haven't yet obtained a Master's degree.
5. Programme Admission: You've applied for and been admitted to a participating full-time Master's programme at UM for the relevant academic year.
6. Visa Eligibility: You meet the requirements for an entry visa and residence permit for the Netherlands.

3. Which Master's Programmes Participate?

Not every UM Master's is eligible — only programmes on the official participating list for that specific intake year qualify, and the list is updated annually. Before preparing any documents, confirm your target programme appears on the current year's participating list on Maastricht University's official scholarship page, since applying to a non-participating programme means you cannot be considered at all.

4. Documents You Need to Prepare

• Academic Transcripts & Diploma: Certified copies, translated into English, showing a GPA of 7.5/10 or higher.
• GPA Conversion Letter: Some applicants need an official letter from their home institution converting their grading scale — request this early, while your registrar's office is active.
• Motivation Letter: Explaining your academic excellence, career goals, and fit with your chosen programme.
• Updated CV: Academic history, research, work experience, and relevant achievements.
• Proof of English Proficiency: IELTS, TOEFL, or another test accepted by your programme.
• Valid Passport Copy: Identity and photo page, plus visa-related documentation as requested.

5. Step-by-Step Application Process

1 Register on Studielink & Apply for Admission

Register through Studielink and submit your application to a participating Master's programme. The admission deadline for the scholarship track is typically in early December — well ahead of the general application deadline.

2 Receive Your Student ID

Once your programme application is submitted, you'll receive a UM student ID number, which you need before you can access the scholarship application form.

3 Complete the Scholarship Application Form

Log in with your UM account, fill in the scholarship form, upload all required documents, and submit before the 1 February deadline. By this date you must have met all admission requirements except legal residence, tuition payment, and a hard copy of your diploma.

4 Attend an Interview

Shortlisted candidates are typically invited to an interview as part of the selection process before final decisions are made.

5 Receive Your Decision

Candidates are informed of their status — selected, waitlisted, or rejected — in April, with waitlisted applicants updated by early May at the latest.

6 Complete Pre-Academic Training

Scholarship recipients must complete a mandatory two-week Pre-Academic Training programme, starting in the first week of August, before the academic year begins.

6. Staying in the Netherlands After Graduation (Zoekjaar)

After completing your Maastricht University Master's, you become eligible for the Orientation Year permit (Zoekjaar), giving you 12 months to live and work in the Netherlands without needing employer sponsorship. Securing a job meeting the minimum salary threshold then lets you move onto a Highly Skilled Migrant residence permit.

Frequently Asked Questions