Study in Belgium Scholarship Listings: WBI Master's Grants, Eligibility and How to Apply

Study in Belgium is a directory, not one scholarship. The portal is run by Wallonie-Bruxelles Campus and Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), and it gathers grants, fellowships and financial aid for international students and researchers who want to study in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the French-speaking part of Belgium. Some listings fund a Master's degree, some fund doctoral or postdoctoral research, and some are offered by individual universities. You can read the full scholarship details on our listing before you go through this guide.

The programme most Pakistani graduates will look at first is MASTER IN - WBI Grants, which funds a Master's at a recognised higher education institution in French-speaking Belgium. Most of this article focuses on it, because the source information is most detailed there. Researchers will find notes on the ULYSSE grant and the other research schemes further down.

My honest view: this portal suits a student who is already serious about Belgium, is comfortable with a French-speaking study environment, and is willing to sort out university admission first. It is a poor fit for someone hoping to send one form and get a full ride.

The listing in brief

The funding schemes you will find on the portal

Because this is a directory, what you get depends entirely on which programme you apply to. The listings fall into four groups.

• MASTER IN - WBI Grants, which give financial support for Master's study.
• The ULYSSE Incentive Grant for Mobility in Scientific Research (MISU), run by the Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS), for research mobility.
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions under Horizon Europe, for doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships.
• Tuition support and research funding through F.R.S.-FNRS programmes, plus the Wallonia-Brussels International Excellence Grants Programme and funding offered directly by universities.

The portal describes funding as "full / partial". It does not publish one fixed stipend figure for the WBI Master's grant, so do not assume your fees and living costs will all be paid. Read the terms of the specific call before you make plans around it.

Running the numbers on fees and living costs

Registration fees in French-speaking Belgium depend on nationality. EU and EEA nationals pay 835 euros. Students from outside the European Union pay somewhere between 835 and 4,175 euros, so a Pakistani student should expect to land in that band and should check the exact figure with the chosen institution.

Living costs typically run between 700 and 1,000 euros per month, depending on your needs and which city you live in. If your grant turns out to be partial, this is the gap you will need to cover yourself, and it is also the gap a visa officer will want to see covered. Our guide to bank statements and proof of funds explains how to show this properly.

Is a Pakistani student eligible for the WBI Master's grant?

The WBI programme gives priority to candidates who have studied in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Japan, Lebanon, Morocco, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia and the USA. Pakistan is not on that list. The information available does not say that candidates from other countries are barred, but it does not confirm Pakistanis are eligible either. Before you put time into an application, check eligibility for your nationality and study background on the official portal. If you completed a degree in one of the priority countries (a UK Master's, for example), read the rules closely, because the priority wording refers to where candidates studied.

The core conditions for MASTER IN - WBI Grants are:

• You hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree from a recognised foreign institution.
• Your last Bachelor's or Master's degree was awarded no more than five years before the programme you are requesting starts.
• You are admitted to the target Master's programme, and you enrol, to actually receive the funding.
• You are not already studying in higher education in Belgium. The grant is for new mobility.
• You have not already received a development cooperation scholarship from ARES.

The five-year rule catches people. If you graduated some years ago and have been working since, count carefully from your degree award date to the start of the Belgian programme, not to the date you apply.

ULYSSE MISU is a different kind of grant. It targets highly qualified Belgian or foreign researchers pursuing a scientific career abroad, so it is not meant for fresh graduates. Treat it as an option for established researchers.

Why admission comes before the grant

This is the part applicants get wrong most often. The WBI grant is not a separate track that runs alongside admission. You apply for admission to a higher education institution in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation first, and the university gives you an admission file reference number. That number goes on your grant application.

The grant application itself is also sent to the university, not to WBI. The form and documents go directly to the targeted higher education institution. Selection is then done by the WBI jury or the organising body.

The sequence looks like this:

1. Use the search tools on the official portal to find a programme or fellowship that matches your profile and nationality.
2. Apply for admission to your chosen institution and get your admission file reference number.
3. Check the eligibility criteria of the specific grant, such as MASTER IN - WBI Grants.
4. Send the grant application form and documents directly to that institution before the deadline.
5. Wait for the WBI jury or the organising body to finish selection.

Paperwork for the WBI application

The listed requirements are short:

• The grant application form.
• The admission file reference number from the university, if applicable.
• Your academic degrees and transcripts, recognised by the competent authorities in your country of origin.

For a Pakistani applicant, "recognised by competent authorities" usually means getting your degrees and transcripts properly verified and attested at home before you send them. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide walks through that process. Confirm with your university exactly which form of recognition it accepts, because the requirements can differ by institution.

Working back from March 31

The WBI Master's deadline is March 31, 2026, at midnight, Brussels time. The opening date is listed as to be confirmed, with announcements published on the Study in Belgium portal. The academic year in French-speaking Belgium starts in September.

The deadline you actually need to beat may be earlier than March 31. Since you need an admission file reference number before you submit the grant application, your university's admission deadline effectively becomes your first cut-off. Institutional admission deadlines can differ from scholarship deadlines, so check them for each programme you are considering.

If you need an acknowledgement of equivalence for a foreign secondary diploma, the window for that is between November 15 and July 15. Check whether your programme requires it.

Advice before you apply

Start with the university, not the scholarship. Pick programmes you would genuinely take, check their admission rules and dates, and only then plan the WBI application around them.

Do not read "all fields" as "any programme". Individual calls and host institutions can restrict fields, so check each call you apply to.

Budget for the partial case. If the grant does not cover everything, you still need the registration fee and 700 to 1,000 euros a month for living costs. A plan that only works with full funding is fragile.

Ask the social services department of your chosen Belgian institution about other financial aid. Universities in the region also run their own funding, and this is where you find out about it.

If you are already enrolled at a Belgian university, skip the WBI Master's grant. It excludes current students in Belgium. The same goes for anyone who has had an ARES development cooperation scholarship before.

For general preparation, our all Belgium scholarships hub lists the other options in the country.

Frequently asked questions

Is Study in Belgium a single scholarship?

No. It is a portal that lists several grants and fellowships, including MASTER IN - WBI Grants, the ULYSSE MISU grant, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and F.R.S.-FNRS programmes, along with institutional funding.

Can I apply for the WBI Master's grant if I am already studying in Belgium?

No. Candidates already in higher education in Belgium are excluded, because the programme supports new mobility.

Where do I send my WBI grant application?

Directly to the higher education institution in French-speaking Belgium that you are targeting, along with the required documents.

Does the grant cover everything?

Funding is described as full or partial, and no fixed amount is published for the WBI Master's grant. Check the terms of the specific call, and plan for registration fees and living costs in case your award is partial.

Is Pakistan a priority country?

Pakistan is not among the listed WBI priority countries. Check eligibility for your nationality and study background on the official portal before applying.

How do I find a programme that fits my profile?

Use the search engines on the Study in Belgium website to find programmes and see which grants apply based on your nationality and field.

Confirm the current cycle, deadlines and eligibility on the Study in Belgium scholarships portal, and see the full Study in Belgium scholarship page for a summary of the listing.