Two Types of VLIR-UOS Scholarships
These are different programmes. Getting them confused is the most common mistake on this scholarship.
Degree Scholarship
ICP Connect Scholarship
What most students are looking for when they search "VLIR-UOS scholarship." This is a full degree programme — bachelor's or master's — at a Belgian university.
Professional Training
ITP Scholarship
Short training courses for working professionals. This is NOT a degree programme. Duration is weeks to three months, not years.
Why this distinction matters
A large share of questions about VLIR-UOS come from students in countries like Nigeria, India, and Ghana who find the scholarship through search results and start the application process — only to discover they are not on the ICP Connect eligible country list. Those countries ARE on the ITP list. ICP Connect is the degree scholarship. ITP is the short professional training. They are different programmes with different eligibility rules, different durations, different benefits, and different application processes.
The Rules That Catch People Out
Read these before you do anything else. Each one disqualifies a meaningful number of applicants every cycle.
One Application Per Year
If you submit more than one ICP Connect scholarship application in the same year, all of your applications are automatically rejected. Every single one. Choose one programme. Apply to one programme.
Must Be Resident in an Eligible Country
You cannot apply from abroad. If you are currently studying or working outside an eligible country, you are not eligible at the time of application — even if you are a citizen of an eligible country.
No Prior Belgian Study
If you have studied at a Belgian higher education institution before January 1 of the intake year, you are ineligible. This includes exchange programmes, not just full degrees.
No Concurrent Scholarships
You cannot hold another scholarship or financial aid grant at the same time as the VLIR-UOS scholarship. If you are currently funded by another programme, you are not eligible.
Is This the Right Scholarship for You?
Four common profiles — and an honest answer for each one.
The Development Professional Targeting a Master's
You work in government, an NGO, a university, or a research institution in one of the 29 eligible countries. You want a specific master's degree whose content directly addresses a development challenge you face at work. You are under 35 (or under 45 for an advanced master's). This scholarship was designed for your profile.
The Recent Graduate From an Eligible Country
You have a bachelor's degree, you are currently in your home country, you have relevant academic preparation, and you want to move into a development-related field. You can make a compelling case for how the programme you choose will serve your home country. You are eligible.
The Professional From Nigeria / India / Ghana / Bangladesh
Your country is NOT on the ICP Connect list. You can apply for ITP training scholarships (short professional development courses, not degrees). For degree funding, look at other Belgian scholarship routes or entirely different scholarship programmes.
The Student Currently Abroad
If you are currently studying outside an eligible country, you cannot apply right now. Wait until you return home. Residency in an eligible country at the time of application is required. Citizenship alone is not enough.
What's in These 10 Pages
The complete guide, section by section.
The Scholarship
Overview
What VLIR-UOS is, the two scholarship types, the rules that disqualify people, and who this is for.
The Scholarship
Eligible Countries
All 29 ICP Connect countries and all 54 ITP countries — and why being on one list doesn't mean you're on both.
The Scholarship
All Programmes
All 20 ICP Connect programmes with host universities, durations, who they're for, and the TROPIMUNDO deadline exception.
The Scholarship
Eligibility Rules
Age limits, nationality and residency requirements, prior study rules, language requirements — all of them.
Apply
Funding & Coverage
Exact amounts: monthly allowance, installation grant, flight coverage, tuition, insurance, and what you need to cover yourself.
Apply
How to Apply
The full application process: choosing a programme, creating an account, uploading documents, and the one-application-per-year rule.
Apply
Motivation Letter
What selection committees read for, how to write the development impact section, and what disqualifies a letter immediately.
Apply
How Selection Works
Two-stage review: the university screen and the VLIR-UOS screen. What each stage looks for and when results arrive.
In Belgium
Life in Belgium
Housing, cost of living, visa process, registration, healthcare, and what to expect in your first weeks.
In Belgium
FAQ
Answers to the most common questions: family members, renewal, language, programme changes, and more.
Quick Facts
The essential numbers and rules at a glance.
| Funder | VLIR-UOS (Flemish government funded) |
| Main scholarship type | ICP Connect (degree scholarship) |
| Annual deadline | Approximately 28 February (TROPIMUNDO: 30 November) |
| Results announced | Mid-May to mid-June |
| Programme start | September |
| Number of programmes | 20 |
| Scholarships per year | ~180–200 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa target | 50% of awards |
| Eligible home countries | 29 (ICP Connect) |
| Prior Belgian study | Not permitted |
| Multiple applications | Not permitted (one per year) |
| Concurrent scholarships | Not permitted |
| Language of instruction | English (no Dutch required) |
| Age limit (initial master's) | 35 years as of January 1 of intake year |
| Age limit (advanced master's) | 45 years as of January 1 of intake year |