UM First Generation Students (FGS) Scholarship

Maastricht University is committed to nurturing an inclusive culture. In doing so, UM has developed a strategic diversity & inclusivity programme in order to be open and accessible for everyone. The university has a special focus on so called ‘First Generation Students’ who are the first in their family to follow higher education. Research has shown that this group experiences more social and financial barriers to study. The UM First Generation Students Scholarship strives to reduce the financial barriers for these young people to study at UM and enable them to acquire equal chances in society.

The programme provides scholarships to Dutch First Generation Students enrolled in a bachelor programme at UM:

  • Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences
  • Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience
  • Faculty of Science and Engineering
    (except Maastricht Science Programme and University College Maastricht)
  • Faculty of Arts and Social  Sciences

  • School of Business and Economics

The scholarship programme is initiated and funded by a UM alumnus who strives to improve the accessibility of education for young people and help UM in achieving its diversity and inclusivity ambitions.

Contact
If you have any questions about the programme please contact:

For bachelor programmes: admission-ssc[at]maastrichtuniversity[dot]nl

If you have any questions about the scholarship please contact: scholarships[at]maastrichtuniversity[dot]nl

Who is eligible?

All candidates must meet the following requirements

You must have submitted a complete application by 1 May 2023 to:

  • a participating bachelor programme at Maastricht University for the 2023-2024 academic year. You meet the specific admission requirements of the UM bachelor programme to which you have applied.
  • You hold the Dutch nationality;
  • You are a first generation student (we define first generation students as students from non-academic backgrounds. First generation students are the first in their families to follow higher education (university or university of applied sciences); their parents did not follow higher education).

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 degree from Maastricht University? Are you a first generation student with financial need and do you hold the Dutch nationality? You can apply for the UM First Generation Students Scholarship!

Application deadline
The deadline is up to and including 1 May 2023 23:59 CET.

Duration of the scholarship

36 months for the participating bachelor programmes. 

 

Amount of the scholarship

The scholarship covers the tuition fee at cost, for the minimum duration of the bachelor 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 FGS Scholarship 2023-2024

Tuition fee*

(per year)

 € 2,314 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 programme at Maastricht University via Studielink. Candidates must have submitted a complete application for the relevant study programmes via Studielink and My UM for September 2023 by 1 May 2023. 

Step 2: Application to the scholarship:

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 FGS 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, why you as first generation student should be selected.
  • A letter of reference from an educational institution or an employer
  • A statement of financial need; this can be a personal statement in which you explain why you need this scholarship, proof of the DUO aanvullende beurs or other documents/information showing that you need this scholarship.

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.

Selection procedure

Step 1: The faculty will review and rank the application requests.
Step 2: Applicants will be informed about the selection outcome at the end of June 2023.
Step 3: 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.

UM International Services Desk

Visiting address

Postal address

Maastricht University
Student Services Centre
UM International Services Desk
PO Box 616
6200 MD Maastricht
The Netherlands