What ARES Scholarships for Development Cooperation Belgium actually covers.
The ARES (Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur) Scholarships for Development Cooperation are among Belgium's most generous and comprehensive funding opportunities for students from developing countries, including across the African continent. Funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation, these scholarships are fully funded and cover tuition fees, a monthly allowance of approximately €1,150, accommodation or a housing contribution, health insurance, round-trip travel, and a settling-in allowance — making them among the most complete scholarships available to African students in Europe. Awards are available for master's degree programmes and specialised training courses at universities and higher education institutions in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which encompasses many of Belgium's leading French-speaking academic institutions. Eligible African countries and specific programmes change each cycle but typically include universities across sub-Saharan and North Africa. Students apply directly through the ARES scholarship portal, submitting academic transcripts, proof of residency, a motivation statement, and letters of recommendation. The selection process is highly competitive and prioritises candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to applying their education to the benefit of their home countries and communities. Each cohort of ARES scholarship recipients is invited to participate in dedicated orientation programmes and alumni networks that span Africa and Belgium.
Who can apply.
Open to masters applicants seeking to study in Belgium. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
Four steps to a complete application.
Scholar Africa is a discovery and tracking platform — the application itself is submitted directly through the official provider site. The steps below mirror our HowTo schema.
Check eligibility
Confirm your nationality, academic level, and field of study match the criteria above.
Eligibility checklist
Prepare documents
Transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, and a valid passport.
Document checklist
Submit the application
Submit before January 15, 2027 via the official portal.
Submission checklist
Track your application
Use your Scholar Africa dashboard to monitor status and deadline reminders.
Post-submission checklist
What we checked, when we checked it.
Every scholarship on Scholar Africa goes through six checks (link, contact, organisation, winners, third-party, manual review). ARES Scholarships for Development Cooperation Belgium currently scores 0.0/10.
Report an issue
Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.