What Belgian Scholarships Actually Cover
ARES, VLIR-UOS and Master Mind pay very different amounts and cover different costs. Here is every package side by side, plus what it really costs to live in Belgium's university cities.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
7 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
“Fully funded” — but not equally
The phrase “fully funded” gets thrown around a lot on scholarship blogs, and for Belgian scholarships it's mostly true — but with important differences depending on which programme you're in. ARES, VLIR-UOS and Master Mind each cover different things at different levels. The gap between what one programme pays and another can be several hundred euros per month, which matters enormously when you're budgeting for a year abroad.
Understanding exactly what's included (and what isn't) saves you from financial surprises after you've already committed. Too many students accept an offer, book a flight, and then discover that their stipend doesn't cover the deposit on a room in Brussels, or that insurance isn't included, or that the first payment doesn't arrive until six weeks after classes start.
This page breaks down every programme side by side, with the actual euro amounts, and then shows you what it really costs to live in Belgium's main university cities. No vague promises, just numbers.
ARES — what you get
ARES guide →Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur — Wallonia-Brussels Federation scholarships for professionals from partner countries.
Specialised bachelor's and master's (12 months)
- Inter-institutional travel: up to EUR 250, based on justified actual costs
- Insurance paid directly by ARES
- Visa costs: up to EUR 200 is included in the allowance; anything above that is reimbursed on receipts
Continuing training (up to 6 months)
ARES also pays the continuing training scholar’s insurance directly. Unlike the degree courses, it does not cover tuition or the visa allowance.
The 2027–2028 ARES call confirms what is covered (travel, subsistence allowance, tuition, visa costs, insurance) but does not print the monthly amounts. The ~EUR 1,150 and the EUR 700 come from earlier cycles — check your award letter.
VLIR-UOS — what you get
VLIR-UOS guide →VLIR-UOS — Flemish ICP Connect scholarships for nationals of partner countries.
According to the VLIR-UOS Scholarship Framework (revised December 2025), the EUR 1,400 a month is an all-in study allowance. It covers living expenses, board and lodging, health insurance, installation costs, indirect travel costs and the tuition fee. Depending on the university, you pay tuition, insurance and sometimes housing yourself from the allowance, or the university pays them directly and deducts them. Scholars on a three-year bachelor's also get one extra round-trip ticket during the programme.
Smaller pre-departure costs — the medical certificate, legalising documents, the visa fee and getting to the embassy — are also expected to come out of the allowance. They are only reimbursed on top if you must travel to another country to reach the Belgian embassy or need an overnight stay to get there.
Duration by programme type
VLIR-UOS does not offer partial scholarships. You either get the full package or nothing. Extensions beyond the stated duration are not possible.
Master Mind — what you get
Flemish government scholarship for outstanding international students pursuing a master's in Flanders or Brussels.
The grant is paid in instalments. In 2026–2027 that meant EUR 4,600 after you arrive and upload your registration certificate (or EUR 2,000 before departure and EUR 2,600 after arrival), EUR 4,100 in February after the first semester, and a final EUR 1,525 once you complete the year. In a two-year programme you need at least 54 ECTS in year one to keep the second-year grant. If you don't obtain your degree, the final instalment is not paid. Study in Flanders warns that the scholarship is under review for 2027–2028, so the amount and payment schedule may change.
What Master Mind does NOT include
- Airfare — you pay your own flights
- Housing — find and pay for your own accommodation
- Insurance — arrange your own health coverage
- Living costs beyond the grant — the EUR 10,225 is it, not a stipend on top of other support
Be clear about this: the EUR 10,225 annual grant is your living expenses budget. It's not a stipend layered on top of free housing and meals. You receive the money and use it to pay for rent, food, transport and everything else. That works out to roughly EUR 852 per month, which is tight in any Belgian city.
What it actually costs to live here
The range is EUR 800–1,400 per month depending on the city and your lifestyle. That's a wide spread, and which end you land on depends mostly on where you live and how much you cook at home. Here's the city-by-city picture.
| City | Rent | Total monthly | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels (capital region) | EUR 400–650 (shared flat) | EUR 1,100–1,400 | Expensive for rent, but the under-24 STIB annual pass costs just EUR 12 a year — a fortune saved on getting around. |
| Leuven (Flemish Brabant) | EUR 375–640 (kot) | EUR 1,050–1,300 | A student-focused city. “Kots” (student rooms) are the standard and most things are bikeable. KU Leuven's housing service helps, but start early — rooms fill fast. |
| Ghent (East Flanders) | EUR 400–600 (shared/studio) | EUR 1,000–1,200 | Good value: vibrant student life, excellent cycling infrastructure, slightly lower grocery costs than Brussels. |
| Antwerp (Antwerp province) | EUR 350–650 (shared/studio) | EUR 1,200–1,400 | Walkable, bikeable centre. The compact layout means you can often skip public transport entirely, saving EUR 30–50 a month. |
Common monthly expenses
| Groceries (cooking at home) | EUR 150–300 |
| Eating out / restaurants | EUR 60–100 |
| Public transport (student discounts) | EUR 20–30 |
| Phone / internet | EUR 15–20 |
| Leisure / social | EUR 50–190 |
Budget EUR 1,500–2,000 for your first month. This is the part that catches people off guard. Before your stipend kicks in (and sometimes before your first payment arrives), you need cash for a rental deposit (typically 1–3 months' rent upfront), household items such as bedding, kitchenware and cleaning supplies, a Belgian SIM card or phone plan, a transport pass or bicycle, and your first grocery haul and meals before you find your routine.
Is it actually enough?
Here's the honest breakdown. These are not scare tactics — just realistic assessments based on what students actually spend.
Tight in Brussels, manageable in smaller cities like Liège or Namur. In Brussels a shared room plus groceries and transport can easily eat through EUR 1,000 before you've bought anything else. Outside Brussels, this stipend covers the basics with a small margin for unexpected expenses.
More comfortable, but not lavish — and remember tuition and insurance come out of it too. It covers a room in a student house, groceries, transport and a phone plan, with a little left for the occasional dinner out. You won't be saving money. Leuven and Ghent are the most affordable destinations on this stipend.
EUR 10,225 a year is below the typical cost of living in every major Belgian city. You'll almost certainly need personal savings or part-time work income to make this work comfortably. It's doable if you're frugal, but expect trade-offs: the cheapest room, cooking every meal and limited social spending.
Part-time work as a scholarship student
International students in Belgium can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and unlimited hours during official holiday periods. Minimum wage is around EUR 12–13 an hour. Common jobs include university research assistantships, restaurant and bar work, retail and tutoring. If you're on an ARES or VLIR-UOS scholarship, check your specific contract — some programmes require you to dedicate your full time to studies.
What's not covered
Even the most generous Belgian scholarships have gaps. These are expenses that nobody mentions in the promotional material but that will definitely show up in your first few months.
- Diploma equivalence: EUR 65–200 for an equivalence in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, depending on the type; Flanders runs its own procedure.
- Additional hospitalisation insurance: some programmes cover basic health insurance but not supplementary hospitalisation cover.
- Personal travel within Europe: weekend trips to Amsterdam or Paris come out of your own pocket.
- Phone and internet: EUR 15–20 a month for a Belgian SIM, plus home internet if it's not included in rent.
- Winter clothing: Belgium gets cold, wet and grey from November to March. If you're coming from a warm country, budget EUR 150–300 for a proper coat, layers and waterproof shoes.
- The initial deposit gap: your stipend may not start until weeks after arrival. You need cash to bridge the gap between landing and your first payment.
Now that you know what each programme covers financially, learn about ARES in detail — eligibility, the application process and which courses are offered.