Study or Research in the US via BAEF
The prestigious scholarship of the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF) helps finance studies/research at top universities in the United States. The scholarships are open to all disciplines and are awarded on the basis of competitive selection between candidates from Belgian universities.
Through co-financing by Ghent University, five additional scholarships are granted to candidates from Ghent University who score sufficiently high in the BAEF selection. Partly because of this, the chances of winning a scholarship are quite high.
BAEF offer
- Scholarships for a two-year master’s programme; for holders of a bachelor’s degree (or to be obtained) who have not yet obtained their master’s degree.
- Scholarships for an additional master’s programme (Graduate Study – 9 months).
- Scholarships for a study in music (9 months).
- Scholarships for PhD research (12 years; no longer than one year after obtaining your MA degree and if you are not yet a PhD student).
- Scholarships for PhD students (max. 2 years in progress).
- Scholarships for post-doc research.
You can find a detailed overview of the current scholarship amounts, the intended residency periods and additional funding channels on the BAEF website.
Requirements
-> Possessing the Belgian nationality
-> Very good command of the English language (TOEFL iBT 100/120 or IELTS 7.5/9)
-> A Belgian bachelor’s or master’s or doctorate degree to be obtained in the academic year of application or already obtained
-> Being able to demonstrate excellent study results (great or multiple distinction)
Application
The deadline for submission of the complete application file is 31 October. Pre-application is available from mid-July.
The application file should contain:
-> Your CV
-> Experience and possible achievements in research or other fields
-> An autobiographical essay (max. 1 page)
-> Study or research plan
-> Institutions in the US where you wish to study or conduct research and where you have applied
-> Your motivation (including the importance of your stay in the US for your study/research, the larger framework of your plans)
-> Reference letters
All the necessary information related to the scholarship application is available on the BAEF website. In addition to the scholarship application with BAEF, you also have to apply to American universities (at least 3) and take a number of tests (language and/or knowledge tests).
Selection procedure
After an assessment of the application file, candidates are invited to the individual selection interview at the end of January (in English) in Brussels.
The selection jury consists of about 12 professors and scholars. The chairman is prof. E. Boulpaep (Yale University).
Ghent University support
Candidates who meet the conditions and are considering applying for this scholarship can count on support from Ghent University. If you wish to be kept informed about the support initiatives organised in the course of the academic year, please contact BuitenlandNaStudies@UGent.be
More information
Before effectively applying, always check the scholarship authority's website for current scholarship amounts, deadlines, conditions, application procedure and what is expected of candidates.
Applying to a foreign university can take several months. So it is best not to postpone your information search and application for admission at the foreign university(s) and take deadlines into account.
Contact
Belgian American Educational Foundation
Egmontstraat 11
1000 Brussel
T +32 (0)2 513 59 55
F +32 (0)2 672 53 81
International Relations Office
Patricia Burssens
Korte Meer 9
9000 Ghent
T +32 (0)9 264 70 13