Bachelor's, Master'sFully Funded Verified active

VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships

Last verified 12 May 2026 by the Scholarships for Africans editorial team

VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships offer fully funded opportunities for students from eligible developing countries to pursue Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Belgium.

Provider: VLIR-UOS Master's Scholarships (Belgium)
Host country: Belgium
Deadline: Please check individual program deadlines as they vary.

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Topics

Master's scholarships

About this scholarship

## About the award The VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships provide fully funded opportunities for individuals from 29 eligible countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to pursue various Bachelor's and Master's programs in Belgium. These scholarships are designed to foster societal change in the scholars' home countries by equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills through accredited international study programs at Flemish universities and universities of applied sciences and arts. ## What's covered The VLIR-UOS ICP Connect scholarships are comprehensive, covering tuition fees, travel expenses, insurance, and living expenses (including board and lodging). The scholarship is awarded for the entire duration of the chosen study program, whether it is 12, 24, or 36 months. Partial scholarships or extensions are not available. Please note that scholarship costs may be subject to change based on government funding decisions. ## Who can apply Eligible candidates must hold nationality from and reside in one of the 29 specified countries. Age restrictions apply: candidates for Bachelor's or initial Master's programs must be under 35 as of January 1 of the intake year, and at least 19 for Bachelor's; advanced Master's candidates must be under 45. While preference is given to those already working in higher education, government, or civil society, newly graduated individuals or those in the private sector with strong motivation are also considered. Applicants can only apply for one ICP Connect scholarship per year and must not be receiving any other scholarship or grant for this or another program simultaneously. Additionally, candidates must not have previously received a Belgian government scholarship for a study program or have been enrolled in a Belgian higher education institution before January 1 of the intake year. Selection prioritizes candidates with strong motivation and professional goals aligned with sustainable development, demonstrated potential to transfer knowledge, gender balance (encouraging female applicants), regional balance, and those from vulnerable groups (LNOB principle). ## How to apply To apply for a VLIR-UOS ICP Connect scholarship, first, verify your eligibility against all criteria. Then, explore the listed study programs and visit the website of the institution offering your program of interest. Follow the instructions provided by the institution to apply for both the academic program and the scholarship. It is crucial to indicate your scholarship application when submitting your program application. Remember, you can only apply for one ICP program per year. After applying, the program organizers will forward selection results to VLIR-UOS, who will then contact selected candidates and those on the waiting list via email, typically by mid-May. For any questions regarding your application or the selection process, direct your inquiries to the respective institution.

What's covered

The award components below were extracted from the sponsor's published description. Always cross-check the exact figures, ceiling amounts and conditions on the official site before you budget around them.

Return airfare

Eligibility criteria

Always cross-check eligibility against the sponsor's official site before applying — sponsor rules can change between intakes.

Applicants must be nationals and residents of one of the 29 eligible countries in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Candidates for Bachelor's or initial Master's programs must be under 35, while advanced Master's candidates must be under 45. Preference is given to those employed in higher education, government, or civil society, or those targeting a career in these sectors.

Required documents

A planning baseline drawn from how 90%+ of African scholarship sponsors structure their checklist. The sponsor's portal is the source of truth for any single application.

Valid international passport (bio page scan)
Most recent academic transcripts (sealed or e-verified copies)
Curriculum vitae / résumé (1–2 pages, reverse-chronological)
Personal statement or motivation letter (500–1,000 words, tailored to the sponsor)
Two to three reference letters (academic for students, professional for working applicants)
Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo) — Medium-of-Instruction letter may substitute for Anglophone-Africa graduates
Passport-sized photograph meeting ICAO biometric standards
Financial-need declaration or family-income statement (sponsor-specific template)
Country-of-origin proof (national ID or birth certificate) — required by many Africa-focused funders

How to apply

A practical, sponsor-agnostic sequence used by >95% of international scholarship applicants. Adapt to the sponsor's specific portal — the order rarely changes.

1
Confirm eligibility on the official site
Open https://www.vliruos.be/en/scholarships and verify your country, level of study and English-language status against the current call. Sponsor rules change between intakes — never rely on third-party summaries alone.
2
Secure a study place or admission offer
Apply to the host university or programme first where required, and obtain a conditional admission letter. A growing number of sponsors only fund applicants who already hold an offer.
3
Sit required tests and gather documents
Register for IELTS / TOEFL / Duolingo (or SAT / GRE where required), request official transcripts, brief two or three referees, and prepare passport and identity documents at high resolution.
4
Draft your essays and statements
Write a 500–1,000-word personal statement and any additional essays the sponsor specifies. Anchor each essay in concrete examples and tie your goals back to the sponsor's mission.
5
Complete the online application
Create an account on https://www.vliruos.be/en/scholarships, fill in every field, and upload the required documents in the formats specified (PDF, max file size, single-file vs multi-file). Save progress frequently — most portals time out after 30–60 minutes.
6
Submit at least one week before the deadline
Sponsor portals routinely slow or fail in the final 24 hours. Submit early, download the confirmation receipt, and screenshot the submission timestamp. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
7
Prepare for shortlist interviews
If shortlisted, VLIR-UOS Master's Scholarships (Belgium) will contact you within 4–12 weeks. Re-read your essays, rehearse 3–5 likely questions out loud, and confirm your time zone for any video interview.

Deadline timeline

The sponsor has not published a fixed deadline yet. Use the milestones below as a generic 12-month plan; substitute dates once the intake window opens.

12 months out
Register for tests (IELTS/TOEFL/SAT/GRE), shortlist 3–5 universities, identify referees.
6 months out
Sit your tests, draft a personal statement, request transcripts and confirm reference letters.
3 months out
Finalise essays, upload supporting documents, complete the online application portal.
1 month out
Final review, double-check uploaded files, submit a week before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
Application deadline
Submit by 23:59 in the sponsor's stated time zone — usually local to the sponsor, not your country.

Editorial verification note

Auto-curated from official source (top-tier batch v2).

Last checked 5/12/2026

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for the VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships?+

Applicants must be eligible African nationals applying at the Bachelor's, Master's level, meet the academic and English-language requirements set by VLIR-UOS Master's Scholarships (Belgium), and be able to relocate to Belgium for the duration of the programme.

Is the VLIR-UOS ICP Connect Scholarships fully funded?+

Funding model: Fully Funded. Where listed as fully funded, the award typically covers tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance and round-trip airfare. Always confirm the latest funding breakdown on the sponsor's official page.

When is the application deadline?+

The application deadline is Please check individual program deadlines as they vary.. Submit at least one week early — sponsor portals frequently slow or fail in the final 24 hours, and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.

What documents do I need to apply?+

At minimum: passport bio page, academic transcripts, CV, personal statement, two to three references, and an English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo). Research-led Masters and PhD applications also require a research proposal and a writing sample.

How can I improve my chance of winning?+

Apply early, tailor every essay to the specific sponsor (do not recycle a generic statement), secure at least one reference who knows your work in detail, and apply to two or three additional scholarships in parallel — never rely on a single application.

Guides for this scholarship

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