Stichting Mia Keulaerds Scholarship
When it comes to studying, certain groups of young people face disproportionate social and financial barriers. The Parkstad Limburg region is no exception, this region used to be very flourishing decades ago, due to the revenues from the Dutch coalmines. However, after closing the last mine in 1974, the region became very poor and deprived. Some 3rd or 4th generations after are still recovering today from the financial catch-up of the last five decades.
Stichting Mia Keulaerds Scholarship Programme focuses on underprivileged children in the Parkstad region.
The scholarship programme is funded by Stichting Mia Keulaerds Fonds and several other donations. In addition, Stichting VOOR Parkstad played a pivotal role in the establishment of this programme. They provide general support to the selected scholarship students during their studies. After the studies, there will possibly be more perspective for a job in Parkstad among the participants of Stichting VOOR Parkstad.
Getting a degree not only vastly improves someone’s job opportunities, but can also affect their socio-economic status and their health- and housing situation. Through this grant, we want to offer young people from this vulnerable region equal opportunities to follow a university study at UM.
About Mia Keulaerds
Despite her small posture, she was a fearless and striking teacher, who was used to standing her ground. She enjoyed nature, culture, architecture and people around her. When Mia could share her experiences, she was in her element, especially when she talked about ‘her’ school children. She dedicated her whole life passionately to education, even after her retirement, until she passed away on 94 in 2011.
Who is eligible?
All candidates must meet the following requirements
You must have submitted a complete application by 1 May 2024 to:
- a bachelor's programme at Maastricht University for the 2024-2025 academic year. You meet the specific admission requirements of the UM bachelor's programme to which you have applied;
- you are born and live in the Parkstad Region (Heerlen, Kerkrade, Landgraaf, Brunssum, Simpelveld, Voerendaal, Beekdaelen);
- you are registered with ‘Stichting Leergeld Parkstad’.
The programme provides scholarships to students enrolled in a bachelor's programme at UM at the following faculties:
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
- School of Business and Economics
This scholarship provides an opportunity to experience the Problem-Based Learning educational model at Maastricht University, but also gives the scholarship recipient the opportunity to learn from other cultures by becoming a part of Maastricht University’s international academic community.
Are you interested in a bachelor's degree from Maastricht University? Are you a student with financial need, living in the Parkstad Region? In that case, you can apply for the Stichting Mia Keulaerds Scholarship!
Application deadline
The application deadline is closed
Duration of the scholarship
Amount of the scholarship
The scholarship covers the tuition fee at cost, for the minimum duration of the bachelor's programme, as stated in the scholarship award letter. The period of the scholarship starts and ends at the dates mentioned in the awarding letter.
The Stichting Mia Keulaerds Scholarship 2024-2025
Tuition fee* (per year) | € 2,530 | Arranged and paid for by the Scholarship Office |
*These amounts are subject to change for each academic year
Application procedure
Step 1: Apply for admissions to the bachelor's programme at Maastricht University via Studielink.
Candidates must have submitted a complete application for the relevant study programme via Studielink and My UM for September 2024 by 1 May 2024.
Step 2: Application to the scholarship:
- Please fill out the application form (applications are closed) and including the necessary documents.
Upload the following documents in .doc, .docx, or PDF format, and submit your application. Please note that you will only be able to submit your application once, so please ensure that all of your documents are up-to-date.
- Curriculum Vitae. Your CV should be up-to-date, contain relevant information about your education and (job) experience, and should not be longer 2 A4 pages.
- Letter of motivation. Your letter of motivation should be up-to-date and specifically tailored to this scholarship programme. Generic letters of admission that do not directly address your motivation for the scholarship selection will be rejected. Your letter of motivation should be no longer than 1 A4 page. Be sure to argue why this scholarship is important to you and why you should be selected.
- A letter of reference from the dean/teacher of your high school.
- Proof that you are registered with the ‘Stichting Leergeld Parkstad’.
Selection procedure
Step 1: The faculty will review and rank the application requests.
Step 2: Stichting Mia Keulaerds will make the final selection.
Step 3: Applicants will be informed about the selection outcome in July 2024.
Step 4: The candidates who are awarded the scholarship will receive an award letter; they must sign and return this letter to the UM International Services Desk to accept the scholarship.
For the scholarship assessment, the Scholarship Committee takes all elements of the application into account, including motivation and the reference.