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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026
When people search “Government of Belgium Scholarships,” the best-known fully funded option for international master’s students is the Master Mind Scholarship, awarded by the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training for master’s study in Flanders and Brussels. Around 30 scholarships are awarded each year across Flemish universities and arts schools (KU Leuven, Ghent, Antwerp, VUB, Hasselt and others).
What the Master Mind Scholarship covers
- A grant of €10,225 per academic year toward living costs
- A tuition-fee waiver (you pay only a reduced enrolment rate — e.g. ~€136.50 for 2026/27)
- Duration: one year for a 60-ECTS master’s, two years for a 120-ECTS master’s
Who is eligible?
- Open to all nationalities (recent calls excluded Russian citizens — check the current call).
- Applying for an eligible master’s programme at a participating Flemish institution (preparatory, bridging and distance-learning programmes are excluded).
- A strong academic record — guideline GPA of 3.5/4.0 or equivalent.
- Good English: typically IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT ~94 (or an exemption letter).
- Your previous degree must be from an institution outside Flanders; students already enrolled at a Flemish institution generally can’t apply.
Documents you’ll need
- A CV (including GPA out of 4.0, plus any publications/awards/scholarships)
- Transcript of records (certified English translation if not in Dutch/French/German/English)
- English test results or exemption letter
- Two signed letters of recommendation (from professors or a recent employer), in English
- Any extra documents your host institution requests for nomination
How to apply: step by step
- Check eligibility and participation. Confirm your chosen Flemish institution takes part in Master Mind.
- Apply for admission to your master’s programme at that host institution, and indicate your interest in the Master Mind Scholarship per its instructions — before the institution’s internal deadline (these vary, roughly February–April).
- Preselection & nomination. The host institution preselects candidates and creates your file in the Mobility-Online tool (each institution can nominate a limited number, up to ~20).
- Complete your application in Mobility-Online after you’re notified you’ve been preselected, uploading all documents before the deadline.
- Selection: the Flemish selection committee ranks nominees and awards the scholarships.
How competitive is it?
Competitive — only around 30 awards a year across all participating institutions, and you must first be admitted and nominated by your host university. The GPA 3.5/4.0 and IELTS 7 thresholds set a high bar; a small number of places are reserved for priority countries (recently Japan, Mexico, Palestine and the USA). Because nomination is the gate, contacting your host institution’s international office early matters.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the Master Mind Scholarship directly to the government?
No. You apply for admission to a participating Flemish university and express interest; the university preselects and nominates you, then completes the scholarship application via the Mobility-Online tool.
Does Master Mind fund bachelor’s or PhD study?
No. It funds master’s programmes in Flanders and Brussels only.
What grades do I need?
A strong record — guideline GPA 3.5/4.0 — plus English at around IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 94.
Apply / verify on the official site: Master Mind Scholarship (studyinflanders.be). Institution deadlines and the eligible-country list change each call — always confirm officially.
Free tools for this
- Scholarship Odds Estimator — real award-to-applicant ratios where funders publish them
- Scholarship Eligibility Checker — which of our tracked scholarships you can actually apply for
- Scholarship Deadlines Calendar — never shows a deadline that already passed
- How to Verify a Scholarship Is Real — the red flags that separate real funders from scams
Explore more on our Scholarships hub.
Olami is the founder and lead writer at AbroadPilot. He started the site after going through the visa process himself — a German student visa in 2019 and a Canadian work permit in 2023 — and learning first-hand how confusing official immigration language can be, how often rules change, and how easy it is to lose money to bad advice. He spent three years as an international education and travel consultant, helping people source and verify the information that landed their visas and planned their trips. Every guide on AbroadPilot is built from official sources — embassy pages, government immigration portals, and .gov fee schedules — and reviewed as requirements change. AbroadPilot does not sell visas or applications; it is a free resource to help readers apply with confidence.
