Science@Leuven Scholarship 2027 at KU Leuven: Eligibility, Programmes and Deadline

The Science@Leuven Scholarship is a KU Leuven Faculty of Science award for international students starting one of ten science master’s programmes in Leuven, Belgium. It is worth up to €12,000 for one academic year, enough to cover a year’s tuition and insurance with the remainder paid as a living allowance. On a two-year master’s, it continues into year two only if your first-year results are outstanding.

The 2026 round closed on 15 February 2026. For the 2027-2028 intake the deadline is 15 February 2027, and by then you must have submitted your master’s application to KU Leuven and registered on the scholarship website. The award is funded by the Faculty of Science and Science@Leuven, its alumni association, and the bar is high: excellent grades, strong English and two references from internationally known professors.

Science@Leuven Scholarship 2027-2028 at a glance

(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)

Listings describe the payment as an installation allowance at the start of the academic year, followed by monthly payments. The faculty does not publish how many scholarships it gives each year, so treat it as a small, competitive award.

Programmes eligible for the Science@Leuven Scholarship

The programme list can change between years, so check the faculty’s “programmes for which a Science@Leuven Scholarship is possible” page before you apply. Engineering, bioscience engineering and medicine sit in other faculties and are not covered.

Science@Leuven Scholarship eligibility

You must meet every condition and be able to prove it. The faculty asks applicants who fall short on any of them not to apply.

1. No past link to KU Leuven: you have never studied or worked at KU Leuven.
2. Foreign bachelor’s: a bachelor’s degree from a university outside Belgium that gives access to your chosen master’s.
3. No higher degree yet: you do not already hold a master’s or a PhD.
4. Excellent results: outstanding marks in your previous studies. Listings add that you should be on track for a distinction at KU Leuven.
5. Very good English: the TOEFL or IELTS scores in the table below.
6. Motivation: a clear reason to study in the Faculty of Science at KU Leuven.
7. References: two letters from internationally renowned professors.
8. Ambassador role: you agree to act as an ambassador for your programme.

English scores for the Science@Leuven Scholarship

These section minimums are stricter than many admission rules. An IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in reading fails, and so does a TOEFL 100 with 20 in writing. Book your test early enough to retake it before February if a section comes in low.

Eligibility edge cases

• An exchange semester or a research internship at KU Leuven counts as having studied or worked there, so read the rule strictly and ask the faculty if you are unsure.
• A bachelor’s from another Belgian university (Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels or a Walloon university) rules you out, because the degree must come from outside Belgium.
• If you already finished a master’s at home, even a one-year one, you cannot apply.
• For the Geology master’s, the specialisation you choose decides your eligibility, so pick a KU Leuven-run track.

How to apply for the Science@Leuven Scholarship

There are two separate submissions: the master’s application to KU Leuven, then a registration on the scholarship website. Both must be done before 15 February 2027.

1. Check the programme: confirm that your master’s is on the current eligible list and that your bachelor’s meets its admission rules.
2. Take the English test: aim for the section minimums above, not only the overall score.
3. Ask two professors early: give them at least a month, your CV and a short note on the programme you are applying for.
4. Apply for admission: submit your master’s application through KU Leuven’s online application tool with transcripts, diploma, CV, test scores and any programme-specific documents.
5. Screenshot the confirmation: once the admission application is submitted, take a screenshot showing it went through.
6. Register for the scholarship: create your registration on the Science@Leuven scholarship website and upload that screenshot along with the documents it asks for.
7. Confirm both are in: the admission application must be submitted and registered with the International Office, and the scholarship registration completed, before 15 February 2027.

Documents to prepare

The faculty’s scholarship page gives the exact upload list each year. If a professor has not written an international reference before, our recommendation letter samples show what the letter should cover.

Writing a strong motivation statement

The selectors are scientists reading files from strong students all over the world. They look for a precise interest, evidence that you can do research-level work, and a reason you need this particular faculty. Keep it to about a page and build it like this:

1. Your scientific question: the topic you want to work on, stated narrowly.
2. What you have already done: your thesis, a lab project, a competition or a paper, with a result.
3. Why KU Leuven: name a research group, course or specialisation in your programme.
4. Your plan after the master’s: a PhD, research job or industry role, and how the degree gets you there.
5. The ambassador part: one or two lines on how you will share your experience with students at home.

A short example opening for a physics applicant: “My undergraduate thesis measured how thin magnetic films lose order as they warm, and my samples kept failing at the same thickness. I want to understand why, and a research thesis in Leuven’s physics master’s is where I can test it properly.” It is specific, shows real work and points to the programme. Replace the last clause with a group or course you have actually found on the programme page.

Common mistakes

• Registering for the scholarship but leaving the master’s application unfinished, or the reverse.
• Missing one section minimum on TOEFL or IELTS.
• Choosing a programme outside the ten listed, such as an engineering master’s.
• Using references from lecturers with no research profile when the rule asks for internationally renowned professors.
• Applying after an earlier stay at KU Leuven, or with a master’s already completed.
• Leaving everything to the week of 15 February, when the application system and your referees are under pressure.

What happens after you apply

Admission and the scholarship are decided separately. KU Leuven checks whether you are admissible to the master’s, and the faculty chooses its scholarship holders from candidates who meet every condition. The faculty does not publish a fixed results date, so watch your email in spring. If you win and take a two-year programme, keep your marks high from the first exam period, since the second-year renewal depends on outstanding results.

Once admitted, you use your KU Leuven admission letter and proof of funds to apply for a Belgian student visa. Ask the Belgian embassy or visa centre in your country what proof of means it accepts and whether the scholarship letter counts.

Costs the scholarship does not cover

• Living costs above what is left of the €12,000 after tuition and insurance.
• Your flight to Belgium and visa fees.
• The second year of a two-year master’s if the award is not renewed.
• A rent deposit and setup costs before the first allowance arrives.

KU Leuven’s scholarship database also lists a Faculty of Science Fee Waiver and the Flemish government’s Master Mind Scholarship, which pays up to €10,225 a year. Check each award’s rules on combining before you accept more than one.

Science@Leuven compared with other Belgian scholarships

One point for students from the Global South: the Master of Statistics and Data Science and the Master of Sustainable Development are no longer on the VLIR-UOS scholarship list for 2027-2028, so Science@Leuven is one of the few dedicated awards left for those two programmes. Our guide to scholarships in Europe lists more options.

Who should apply, and who should not

Apply if you are finishing or have finished a strong science bachelor’s outside Belgium, want one of the ten listed master’s, can hit every English section minimum and have two professors with real research standing who will vouch for you.

Do not apply if you already hold a master’s, have studied or worked at KU Leuven, earned your bachelor’s in Belgium, or want engineering or medicine. And if you need full funding for two years, I would treat this as one piece of your plan and apply to Master Mind or VLIR-UOS too.

Science@Leuven Scholarship FAQs

Is the Science@Leuven Scholarship fully funded?

No. It is worth up to €12,000 for one year, which covers tuition and insurance with some left for living costs, so most students need extra money for the rest of the year.

What is the Science@Leuven Scholarship deadline for 2027?

15 February 2027. Your KU Leuven master’s application and your scholarship registration must both be complete by then.

What IELTS score do I need for the Science@Leuven Scholarship?

An overall 7.0 with at least 6.5 in reading and 6.0 in listening, speaking and writing. The TOEFL iBT alternative is 94 overall with 19, 18, 19 and 21 in reading, listening, speaking and writing.

Does the Science@Leuven Scholarship cover two years?

Only if your first-year results are outstanding. The award is for one year and is extended to the second year of a two-year master’s on merit.

Sources and updates

The award’s purpose, funders and programme list come from the KU Leuven Faculty of Science Science@Leuven Scholarships page and its programmes and amount pages. The 15 February 2026 deadline, the value, the eligibility rules, the English section scores and the two-step application come from the Scholars4Dev and WeMakeScholars summaries of that page, which agree with each other; KU Leuven’s pages could not be opened in full when I checked, so confirm each point on the faculty site. The 2027 deadline is the 2026 date moved forward one year. VLIR-UOS programme changes come from the VLIR-UOS study scholarships page. Information checked on 25 October 2026; I will update this post when the 2027-2028 round is published.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.