The KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa offers outstanding African students an opportunity to pursue a Master's degree in Belgium with financial support. For the 2027–2028 academic year, the scholarship provides a full tuition fee waiver and a €4,000 allowance to selected students.
The scholarship is intended to support talented African students who demonstrate strong academic performance and have the potential to make a positive contribution to society.
About the Opportunity
The KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa is provided by KU Leuven, a university in Belgium. The scholarship is financed through the KU Leuven International Scholarship Fund, supported by donations from the university's global community.
The programme aims to make higher education more accessible to talented students from Africa, regardless of their financial circumstances.
For the 2027–2028 academic year, one scholarship is available under this specific programme.
What Does the Opportunity Offer?
Successful applicants receive:
A full tuition fee waiver for the eligible Master's programme.
A scholarship allowance of €4,000 for the full duration of the programme.
Tuition fee coverage for one academic year for a 60-ECTS Master's programme or two academic years for a 120-ECTS programme.
Recipients are required to pay an annual administration fee of €140.
Important: The scholarship does not state that all living and personal expenses are covered. Applicants should plan for additional costs.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Be a national of one of the eligible African countries.
Reside in an eligible African country at the time of application.
Apply for an eligible Master's programme at KU Leuven.
Demonstrate excellent academic performance and potential.
Have obtained previous degrees from a higher education institution outside Flanders.
Demonstrate good English language proficiency where required.
Eligible nationalities include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa and other listed African countries.
Applicants from the DRC living in Uganda should pay attention to the nationality and residence conditions: both the DRC and Uganda are included in the eligible-country list.
Students applying for bridging or distance-learning programmes are not eligible. Students already enrolled at a Flemish higher education institution are also generally excluded, subject to the exception stated by KU Leuven.
How to Apply
Visit the official KU Leuven scholarship page and review the list of eligible Master's programmes.
Select an eligible Master's programme and prepare your application documents.
Complete the Master's programme application before the scholarship deadline.
Include the KU Leuven Scholarships and Master Mind Candidacy Form as an annex in your application.
Register your scholarship candidacy through the separate online registration tool.
Submit both parts of the application before the deadline.
Applicants nominated for the next selection stage will be informed by 10 March 2027 at the latest. They will then be asked to submit a one-minute motivational video by 16 March 2027.
Important Information
Application period: 15 October 2026 to 15 January 2027.
Deadline: 15 January 2027 at 23:59 Central European Time.
Academic year: 2027–2028.
Available awards: One KU Leuven Scholarship for Africa.
Selection: Highly competitive and based on academic performance, awards, motivation, relevant experience and leadership potential.
Applicants who qualify for this scholarship are also considered for the Inspiring the Outstanding Scholarship and Master Mind Scholarship through the same application process.
Applicants cannot combine this scholarship with certain other scholarships offered by KU Leuven, Belgian governments or the European Commission.