Maastricht University (UM) proudly announces the UM Social Justice Scholarship, supporting the university’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law. This prestigious scholarship offers one full award of €34,000 for a highly talented student from outside the EU/EEA who is admitted to the Master’s in Globalisation and Law.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be nationals of a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, or Surinam and meet the Dutch visa requirements. They must have applied for the master’s in Globalisation and Law at Maastricht University for the 2026–2027 academic year, be under 35 years old, and demonstrate a proven commitment to human rights or the rule of law.

Application Deadline: 1 February 2026

Brief Description

• University or Organization: Maastricht University (UM)
• Department: Faculty of Law
• Course Level: Master’s degree
• Award: Full scholarship worth €34,000 (includes tuition fee waiver and monthly stipend)
• Access Mode: Online application
• Number of Awards: 1
• Nationality: Non-EU/EEA, non-Swiss, and non-Surinamese students
• The award can be taken in: The Netherlands

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: Applicants must hold nationality in a country outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and Surinam.
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The scholarship will be awarded for the Master’s programme in Globalisation and Law at Maastricht University.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, applicants must:

• Hold a nationality from a non-EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or Surinam and meet visa/residence requirements for the Netherlands.

• Not possess dual EU/EEA or Swiss nationality.

• Have applied for admission to the full-time Master’s in Globalisation and Law for the 2026–2027 academic year.

• Have a proven record of promoting human rights and/or the rule of law through initiatives or projects.

• Meet all academic and admission requirements of the chosen programme.

• Be under 35 years of age on 1 September 2026.

• Have achieved excellent academic results (minimum GPA of 7.5/10 or equivalent 75%).

• Not already hold a Master’s degree (preference given to first-time Master’s students).

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply for the master programme Globalisation and Law
For further details on how to apply for the master programme at UM, please see your programme’s webpage. Once you have submitted your application via Studielink, you will receive a student ID number for UM. You will need a student number in order to complete and submit the Scholarship Application Form (see Step 2 below).

• Please note: only the master programmes Globalisation and Law is eligible for the UM Social Justice Scholarship.
• Please note: you first have to apply for the master programme at UM to receive your student ID, as soon as you have your student ID you can apply for the scholarship. Please be aware that the admission deadline when applying for this  Scholarship is 8 December 2025.
• Please note; by the Scholarship deadline of 01 February 2026  you must have met all admission requirements, (except legal residence, tuition payment & hard copy of a diploma)
• Please note: if your study programme requires the payment of a handling fee as part of your programme’s admissions procedure, the UM International Services Desk does not cover handling fees. You are responsible for paying any handling fee your programme may require by 8 December 2025.
• Please note: you must provide an official document from your home university showing your most recent GPA and a document explaining your grade system. We only accept applications a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 75% or higher of the scale maximum in the bachelor’s degree.

Step 2: Please fill in the application form, you need to log in with your UM account
Please fill out the application form here.  We can only accept applications via the application form.

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 and referee contact details 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 than two A4 pages. If you have received any awards or prizes, please do not forget to mention these on your CV.
• Letter of motivation 
  Please use the template for the motivation letter. This template will focus on your motivation for the scholarship. Please emphasize in this letter on what you already did to improve Human Rights.
• Proof of academic excellence
  Please upload:
  1. Your university transcript or an official document from your home university showing your most recent GPA of 7.5 or higher. We only accept applications a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 75% or higher of the scale maximum in the bachelor’s degree.
  2. A document explaining your grade system.
• Personal statement of financial needs.
  Please explain why you would benefit from being awarded a scholarship and describe your personal circumstances such as financial difficulty, sole parent/caretaking responsibilities, medical condition, disability, refugee status etc.
• A reference letter. We have prepared scholarship reference letter guidelines; please forward them to your referee, as they will help your referee to write a good reference letter on your behalf. Please note that referees must be (former) professors, lecturers, or employers, and not family members. Recommendation letters should be dated and written no earlier than February 2025. Letters that do not adhere to the guidelines are not taken into account, which means your application is incomplete. You must upload the reference letter yourself, this cannot be done by your referee.
• The contact details of one referee
  Please note that we may check the authenticity of your reference by contacting your referee. Therefore, ensure that you take the following steps when choosing a referee and submitting their details:
  • Relationship to applicant; indicate your referee’s connection to you. Is this your professor, thesis supervisor, employer? Please remember that family members may not function as referees.
  • Work telephone number of your referee; be sure to include the applicable country calling code.
  • Work or institutional email address of your referee. Letters referencing only a personal email address will be rejected.

Benefits

The UM Social Justice Scholarship provides:

• Living expenses: €15,925 (13 months @ €1,225/month)

• Health and liability insurance: €700

• Visa application costs: At cost

• Tuition fees: Fully covered

• Pre-Academic Training and ISAP costs: At cost for first block only

• Accommodation: Mandatory room provided by UM (included in scholarship package).

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