Make your next scholarship move.
Get new scholarship guides and application updates in one daily email. Confirm your choice and unsubscribe whenever you like.
Continuing creates or signs in to your free reader account. Newsletter emails are optional. Terms · Privacy policy
KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa 2027–2028
The KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa 2027–2028 is open for eligible African applicants seeking a master’s or advanced master’s in Belgium. It offers a tuition waiver and a €4,000 total allowance, supporting study across a broad range of subjects.
The useful distinction is that this is tuition support with a limited cash contribution. You also need both an eligible nationality and residence in an eligible country. Understanding those conditions first makes the rest of the application much easier to plan.
Do you meet the nationality and residence rules?
You need both an eligible nationality and residence in a listed country when applying. Living elsewhere with an eligible passport does not satisfy the residence rule. KU Leuven’s published list is:
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Republic, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Previous degrees must be from outside Flanders; exchange study there is allowed. Current Flemish enrolment normally excludes applicants, except the specified preparatory route for international students starting a master’s in September 2027.
Back to your application guide ↑
How far does the Africa scholarship stretch?
The award removes tuition but leaves a living-cost gap. Its cash allowance is for the whole programme, not each year. My recommendation is to price accommodation, food and travel before accepting a study plan.
The common process also considers eligible applicants for Inspiring the Outstanding and Master Mind. These are alternative funding possibilities: the Africa award cannot be combined with any other scholarship from KU Leuven, Belgian national or regional governments, or the European Commission.
Back to your application guide ↑
What should you prepare for KU Leuven?
Start with an eligible degree matching your previous studies. Choices span humanities, social sciences, science, engineering and biomedical fields, including Economics, International Politics, Statistics and Data Science, Mechanical Engineering and Bioethics. Bridging and distance-learning programmes are excluded.
KU Leuven considers academic performance, motivation, awards, relevant experience, leadership and commitment. I would connect one project or responsibility with the academic skills you want to develop. Prepare the evidence below so that connection is easy to assess.
| Evidence | How to prepare it |
|---|---|
| Academic records | Degree certificates and transcripts, or official interim results. Translate documents outside English, Dutch, French or German; the Spanish-language programme has an exception. |
| Identity | Passport identity page, or both sides of your national ID if you do not have a passport. |
| Motivation and CV | Explain programme fit in a motivation letter, preferably one A4 page. A targeted CV should reinforce your evidence; Europass is optional. |
| Additional requirements | Prepare accepted language evidence and any programme-specific recommendations, grading explanation or GMAT/GRE results. |
General English minima are IELTS Academic 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79; programmes may require higher scores or subscores. Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency and ITACE C1/C2 are alternatives; ITACE is offered in Belgium. Duolingo is not accepted. Take any required test before the scholarship deadline; its result may follow.
Back to your application guide ↑
Which submission mistakes should you avoid?
Admission alone does not complete your scholarship candidacy. Keep the additional upload and registration on your checklist:
Admission file: upload the scholarship candidacy form as “Annexe” before submitting.
Scholarship registration: enter all 12 digits of your application number, including leading zeros. An invalid number makes the candidacy ineligible.
Back to your application guide ↑
How to apply for KU Leuven’s Africa scholarship
Work through these stages in order, keeping the submission confirmations together.
- Read the official Africa scholarship conditions and choose from the eligible master’s programmes.
- Prepare the required documents and accepted English evidence for your degree.
- Follow KU Leuven’s admission procedure. Pay the €120 non-refundable application fee unless officially exempt; scholarship candidacy itself does not remove the fee.
- Complete the 2027–2028 scholarship candidacy annexe, attach it under “Annexe”, then submit the admission file.
- Complete the separate scholarship candidacy registration using the admission application number. Monitor your email; only nominees are asked for a one-minute motivational video.
Back to your application guide ↑
Questions before you submit
Can I apply before graduating?
Yes. KU Leuven accepts official interim transcripts while your degree is unfinished. You must present the original final qualification before enrolment.
Will an English-taught degree in Africa waive the test?
Not under the general exemption. It covers English-taught qualifications completed at campuses in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA; programme-specific variations may apply.
Must my nationality and residence be in the same listed country?
The published rule does not require them to match. Both must fall within the eligible list, and you must satisfy the remaining academic and admission conditions.
Back to your application guide ↑
KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa deadline
The last date to apply for the KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa 2027–2028 is 15 January 2027 at 23:59 CET.
Applications opened on 15 October 2026. Nominees hear by 10 March 2027 and provide their video by 16 March 2027; results are expected at the end of March.
Establish eligibility, arrange your slowest document and allow time for both submissions. A manageable preparation schedule will help you give each part proper attention.
Your next opportunity, in your inbox.
Get new scholarship guides and application updates in one daily email. Confirm your choice and unsubscribe whenever you like.
Continuing creates or signs in to your free reader account. Newsletter emails are optional. Terms · Privacy policy
