What Is Covered — Complete Breakdown
Eight components. All of them are covered for the standard programme duration.
Full Tuition Fees
Covered entirely for the normal programme duration. No partial coverage, no gap. If your programme costs €4,000 per year, VLIR-UOS pays €4,000 per year.
Monthly Living Allowance
Approximately €1,150 to €1,400 per month. KU Leuven specifies €1,400 per month including accommodation contribution. This is intended to cover accommodation, food, transport, and daily living expenses. The exact amount varies by institution and funding cycle — confirm with your specific programme upon award.
Round-Trip Economy Airfare
Economy class flight from your home country to Belgium at the start of studies, and back at the end. If you need to travel via a connecting city, the full round trip from your nearest major airport is covered.
Installation Allowance
A one-time payment to cover first-arrival costs — household setup, initial supplies, phone SIM, and similar items. Not a large amount, but it helps cover the first-month setup costs that can otherwise catch new arrivals off guard.
Return Allowance
A one-time payment at the end of studies to help cover return travel costs and repatriation expenses.
Health and Liability Insurance
Full health insurance coverage for the entire duration of the programme. Liability insurance is also included.
Visa Costs and Related Administrative Expenses
Belgian student visa fees are reimbursed. Additional costs covered include document legalisation, travel to the Belgian embassy for the visa appointment, and the medical certificate required for the visa.
DGD Certificate
The host university submits a financial solvency certificate (DGD certificate) to support your visa application, confirming the scholarship as proof of economic means.
What Is Not Covered
Read before you plan your finances
The scholarship is comprehensive, but it has firm boundaries. The items below are your responsibility.
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Family members. The scholarship covers the scholar only. Spouses, children, and dependents are not funded by VLIR-UOS. If you bring family, their accommodation and living costs are entirely your responsibility.
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Extensions beyond normal duration. If you need extra time to complete your programme, the scholarship does not extend. It covers standard programme duration only.
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Additional personal travel. Only the designated round-trip flight is covered. Personal trips, conference travel, and side excursions are at your own cost.
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Working capital for personal research projects. Personal fieldwork or project costs beyond standard programme activities are not reimbursed.
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ITP participants: family support, extended stays. Family support is not provided for ITP training participants, and stays beyond the training period are not covered.
ITP Scholarship Coverage
For ITP training participants — this is different from the ICP Connect degree scholarship.
Belgian Living Costs — What €1,150–1,400 Actually Gets You
City matters. The same allowance goes much further in Geel or Hasselt than it does in Brussels.
| City / University | Room/month | Food est. | Transport | Total est. | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geel (Thomas More) | €350–500 | €200–250 | €40 | €590–790 | Comfortably covered |
| Hasselt (UHasselt) | €350–500 | €220–280 | €45 | €615–825 | Comfortably covered |
| Bruges (VIVES) | €400–550 | €220–280 | €45 | €665–875 | Comfortably covered |
| Ghent (UGent) | €400–600 | €250–300 | €45 | €695–945 | Covered, some flexibility |
| Leuven (KU Leuven) | €400–600 | €250–300 | €45 | €695–945 | Covered, some flexibility |
| Antwerp (UAntwerp) | €500–700 | €250–320 | €49 | €799–1,069 | Tight but workable |
| Brussels (VUB co-host) | €500–800 | €280–360 | €50 | €830–1,210 | Very tight |
Practical Money Tips
Cycling saves real money
University cities like Ghent, Leuven, and Bruges are highly cycle-friendly. A secondhand bicycle (€50–150) dramatically reduces monthly transport costs.
Choose your supermarket carefully
Lidl and Aldi are budget-friendly. Colruyt is mid-range. Delhaize and Carrefour cost more. Shopping at Lidl or Aldi consistently reduces food costs by 30–40% compared to premium stores.
University cafeterias
Most Belgian universities offer subsidised meals for students at €4–7 per meal. Using the cafeteria regularly is cheaper than cooking from scratch every day.
Budget extra for your first month
Plan an extra €1,000–1,500 for setup costs — deposit, household items, bedding, cooking equipment. The installation allowance only partially covers these first-arrival expenses.
Can You Work While on the Scholarship?
Yes, limited part-time work is legally permitted. Belgian student employment law allows students to work approximately 475 hours per year under favourable tax conditions — roughly 9 hours per week.
The scholarship has no explicit ban on working, but there are practical limits.
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You cannot hold another scholarship concurrently — but casual employment is not a scholarship.
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Work during class or study-required hours is not permitted.
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English-language casual work in Belgium is limited. Most retail, hospitality, and service jobs require Dutch or French. University-related work (research assistant, tutoring) may be possible but is not guaranteed.
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The scholarship is designed to be self-sufficient for living expenses. Working full-time alongside study is neither necessary nor realistic for most scholars.