ARES Scholarship in Belgium 2027/2028 (Fully Funded)

The ARES Scholarship in Belgium 2027/2028 is fully funded. It covers your tuition, your international flights, a monthly living allowance, your visa costs, and health insurance for a one-year specialized degree in Belgium. It is run by ARES, the higher education body for the French-speaking part of Belgium, and it is built for people from developing countries who already work in their field.

It is for people who already hold a university degree and have at least two years of work experience, not for someone finishing secondary school or a first bachelor’s. If you are earlier in your studies, we post fully funded bachelor’s and master’s scholarships for younger students every week on this site.

What is the ARES Scholarship?

ARES manages universities and colleges in the French-speaking community of Belgium. Each year it opens a set of scholarships so professionals from developing countries can come to Belgium, study a focused program for a year, and take the skills home.

The idea behind it shapes how you apply. This is not a general “come study anything” scholarship. The programs are practical and tied to development work: public health, food security, transport, microfinance, environment, and similar fields. So they want people who are already working and want to get better at what they do, then bring it back.

What you get

If you win an ARES scholarship for a degree program, it covers:

• Your full tuition
• A monthly living allowance to cover your day-to-day costs
• Your international round-trip travel to and from Belgium
• Your visa application costs
• Health and insurance cover for your stay

Continuing education courses are also covered: travel, a subsistence allowance, insurance, and support for course-related costs. The exact monthly figures are not published the same way for every program, so check your specific course page for the number. What is clear is that the core costs of studying and living in Belgium are paid for.

What can you study?

The list changes a little each year, but it usually includes one specialized bachelor’s, several master’s programs, and a set of shorter continuing education courses. Degree programs run up to 12 months. The short courses run up to about six months.

The subjects sit around development themes, so you will see programs in areas like public health, agriculture and food, environment and risk management, transport, and development economics. Pick the one that fits the work you already do. That is the version of your application the reviewers believe.

Who can apply

To be eligible you need to:

• Be a citizen and resident of one of the 32 ARES partner countries
• Hold a graduate (university) degree, earned no more than 20 years ago
• Have at least two years of relevant work experience, gained in an eligible country after your degree
• Have a good command of the language your chosen program is taught in

The partner countries in Africa are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, DR Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Outside Africa the list adds Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Palestine.

Nigeria and Ghana are not on the ARES list. If that is your country, we cover plenty of fully funded scholarships that are open to you, and you will find those in our Scholarships section.

Is there an age limit?

ARES does not set a fixed age limit for these scholarships. What it looks at instead is your degree and your work. Your degree has to be from within the last 20 years, and you need those two years of experience. So if you are 40 and still inside that window, you can apply. Read the rule as “recent enough and working”, not a birthday.

Do I need IELTS or TOEFL?

There is no blanket IELTS or TOEFL rule here. What matters is that you can follow your program in the language it is taught in. Many ARES programs are taught in French, so check the language of your exact course. If it is in French, you will usually need to show you can study and write in French. The course page for each program spells out what proof it wants.

Can I apply with a low CGPA?

This is the part that surprises people, in a good way. ARES cares more about your work than your old grades. You are judged as a working professional who wants training that helps your job, not as a fresh graduate with a perfect transcript. So a modest CGPA does not shut the door. What matters is a clear reason for wanting the course, so spend your energy on showing why this exact program fits the work you already do.

How many programs can I apply to?

Apply to the one program that fits you best. One strong, specific application beats three general ones. So choose the course that matches your job and your plan, and put your whole effort there.

Documents you will need

• A copy of your graduate degree and transcripts
• Proof of your work experience (letters from your employer help)
• Your CV
• A motivation letter explaining why this course and how you will use it back home
• Proof you can work in the program’s language
• Your passport or national ID

Get the employer letters early. They are the ones you cannot write yourself, so they take the longest.

How to write your motivation letter

Keep it simple and true. Say what you do now. Say the problem you hit at work that this course would help you solve. Then say what you will do differently when you get home. Reviewers read hundreds of these, and the ones that stand out are specific: a real job, a real gap, a real plan. Write about your work, not about how well-known Belgium is.

How to apply, step by step

1. Open the official ARES scholarships page (the link is at the bottom of this post).
2. Read the 2027-2028 list and pick the single program that fits your job.
3. Check that your country is on the eligible list and that you meet the degree and experience rules.
4. Gather your documents, especially the proof of work experience, which takes time.
5. Fill in the application for your chosen program and attach everything asked for.
6. Submit before 18 September 2026, 12:00 noon Belgian time.

What happens after you apply

ARES and the schools review the applications, check that you meet the rules, and look at how well your background and plan fit the program. Strong, focused applications from working professionals move forward. You will hear the outcome through the process, so keep an eye on the email you applied with.

Deadline

18 September 2026, 12:00 noon Belgian time (UTC+1).

The deadline is close, only a few days away, and the employer letters take the longest to get. So if you are eligible, start today: pick your program this evening, and ask your employer for the letter first thing tomorrow. ARES runs this every year, so keep following us for the next round and for other scholarships open right now.

Have a question?

Drop it in the comments. If you are unsure whether your degree or your years of experience count, tell us and we will help you read the rule.

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Apply on the Official ARES Website