The Tilburg Research Master Scholarship is a tuition-fee waiver for outstanding students admitted to eligible Research Master’s programmes at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. For the current international master’s scholarship cycle, Tilburg lists the Research Master Scholarship among its 2027–2028 funding opportunities. Depending on the programme, up to three waivers are available for first-year students. The waiver runs for the normal two-year Research Master period when the recipient continues to meet the required study-progress conditions.
The official scholarship page explains that the award reduces the higher non-EEA institutional tuition fee to the statutory tuition level rather than paying a living stipend. The currently published comparison uses the preliminary 2027–2028 statutory fee of €2,771 instead of the €20,500 non-EEA institutional fee, and those figures remain subject to confirmation or change. The scholarship therefore offers substantial tuition relief but is not a fully funded award. For the relevant Research Master routes, the application deadline is 1 April, with the 2027–2028 cycle corresponding to 1 April 2027.
Tilburg Research Master Scholarship Details
Tilburg University offers the waiver to encourage strong students to enter research-intensive master’s programmes that can lead to PhD study or other research careers. The exact eligibility route depends on the Research Master programme and school.
For Social and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, eligible non-EEA students paying the institutional fee can be considered automatically after applying through Studielink. The Communication, Cognition and Digital Culture Research Master also has a limited number of scholarships for exceptional students under its published categories.
University | Tilburg University |
|---|---|
Study level | Research Master’s |
Location | Netherlands |
Waivers | Up to 3 per programme/cohort |
Duration | Up to 2 years |
Published fee comparison | €2,771 statutory fee vs €20,500 non-EEA institutional fee for 2027–2028, preliminary |
Application route | Programme application / Studielink |
Deadline | 1 April for the listed Research Master scholarship routes |
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Scholarship Benefits
The Tilburg Research Master Scholarship is a partial tuition-fee waiver. Successful non-EEA recipients pay the lower statutory fee instead of the higher institutional tuition fee for the scholarship period, based on the rate applicable to their academic year.
The waiver can continue through the second year when the recipient meets the programme’s study-progress requirements. It does not provide a published living allowance, travel grant, or full cost-of-study package, so Scholar Gem does not place it in the Fully Funded Scholarships category. Also Check: applicants looking for another Dutch master’s opportunity can review the published Maastricht NL-High Potential Scholarship.
Related opportunity: Applicants comparing another current scholarship can review Commonwealth Master's Scholarships and compare its eligibility, funding and application timeline with this opportunity.
Tilburg Research Master Scholarship Eligibility
For the Social and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology Research Master routes, the official page identifies non-EEA students who pay the institutional fee as eligible, including students who earned their bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands. Applicants must first be conditionally or definitively admitted by the relevant Admissions Board.
For Communication, Cognition and Digital Culture, the published categories include outstanding non-EEA students pursuing their first master’s degree in the Netherlands and exceptional students with a previous Dutch master’s degree, including Dutch, EEA, and non-EEA citizens. Only students starting that programme in September are eligible for its waiver.
Also explore: For another published Scholar Gem option in a related area, see King's Chevening Scholarship and compare its eligibility, funding and application timeline with this opportunity.
Requirements and Required Documents
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the selected Research Master, including the programme’s prior-education and English-language requirements. The scholarship page evaluates candidates using academic quality, previous education, research experience, study progress, programme fit, and motivation depending on the route.
The exact admissions document list is programme-specific, so this post does not invent a universal checklist. Applicants should complete the Tilburg programme application with every document required by the relevant Admissions Board and allow enough time for the university to process admission before the scholarship deadline.
How to Apply for the Tilburg Research Master Scholarship
Applicants should begin with the official Tilburg Research Master Scholarship page and then follow the admission route for their chosen programme. For several Research Master programmes, applying through Studielink also registers the student automatically for the waiver selection process.
The Communication, Cognition and Digital Culture route requires a complete programme application before 1 April at 23:59 CET. Tilburg advises candidates to account for the time needed to receive a conditional or final admission decision.
Application Deadline
The official scholarship page lists an April 1 application deadline for the Research Master waiver routes described above. For the current 2027–2028 scholarship cycle, applicants should plan for 1 April 2027 unless their programme publishes an earlier admission deadline.
The Communication, Cognition and Digital Culture scholarship instructions specify 23:59 CET on April 1 for a complete programme application. Candidates should not wait until the final day because the university notes that admission processing can take several weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most important points are that the award is a tuition waiver, availability is limited, and eligibility differs slightly across Research Master programmes. The current official page provides separate school-level rules.
Applicants should therefore match their application to the exact Research Master rather than assume every Tilburg master’s programme uses the same scholarship conditions. Programme admission and waiver eligibility can differ between schools and tracks.
How many waivers are available?
The official page states that participating programmes generally offer up to three tuition-fee waivers for first-year students or per cohort. If more eligible candidates remain than available waivers, the published selection process may use a draw or ranking procedure depending on the programme.
Is the scholarship fully funded?
No. It is a tuition-fee waiver that reduces the applicable tuition charge. The official page does not list living, travel, or accommodation funding as part of this scholarship.
How long does the waiver last?
The waiver normally covers the standard two-year Research Master duration, subject to the study-progress conditions stated for the programme. The waiver does not continue beyond the standard period when a student has study delay, except where the official programme rules allow an exception.
What is the application deadline?
The listed scholarship deadline is 1 April. For the 2027–2028 cycle, that means applicants should work toward 1 April 2027 and verify their programme’s admission timetable.
Final Thoughts
The Tilburg Research Master Scholarship can significantly reduce tuition costs for strong students entering selected research-intensive master’s programmes. Its main value is the two-year tuition waiver rather than a living-cost package.
Applicants should identify the correct Research Master, confirm their programme-specific eligibility, complete admission through Studielink and Tilburg University, and submit all required materials before the April deadline. Because published fee figures can change by academic year, candidates should rely on the current official fee notice when calculating the final value of the waiver.
