ARES Scholarships in Belgium 2027–2028

ARES Scholarships in Belgium 2027–2028: Fully Funded Study & Training Opportunity

Explore ARES Scholarships 2027–2028 in Belgium, including benefits, eligibility, documents, application process, eligible countries and FAQs.

The ARES International Training Scholarships offer students and professionals from selected partner countries the opportunity to undertake advanced higher education or short-term professional training in Belgium.

The programme is administered by the Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur (ARES) and supports development-focused education within higher education institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The current ARES application system includes the 2027–2028 International Training Scholarships and lists eligible applicants from selected partner countries.

Unlike conventional scholarships that may be open to applicants worldwide, ARES scholarships have a specific country list and professional-experience requirements. Applicants should therefore check their eligibility before spending time preparing an application.

Important: The current 2027–2028 application forms shown by ARES are closed to new submissions. Applicants interested in a future call should monitor the official ARES website for the next opening.

Scholarship Overview

ARES scholarships are designed to strengthen the knowledge and professional capacity of people from partner countries and contribute to development in their home countries.

The programme has traditionally included specialised Bachelor’s programmes, specialised Master’s programmes and continuing education/training courses. Previous official ARES calls specified that applicants could apply for only one programme and did not need to obtain admission separately from a French-speaking Belgian higher-education institution before applying for the ARES grant.

At a Glance

Feature	Details
Scholarship Provider	ARES – Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur
Host Country	Belgium
Study Region	Wallonia-Brussels Federation
Academic Year	2027–2028
Study Types	Specialised Bachelor’s, Specialised Master’s & International Training
Target Group	Professionals and graduates from selected partner countries
Funding	Travel, living support, insurance and other eligible costs
Programme Length	Depends on the selected programme
Application	Online through the ARES system
Application Fee	Free
Selection	Competitive
Official Website	ARES

ARES explicitly states in its previous official call that applying for an ARES scholarship is free and that it does not charge applicants at any stage of the application or selection process.

University Overview

ARES is not a single university. It is the Academy for Research and Higher Education of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and its scholarship programmes support study and training at participating higher-education institutions in French-speaking Belgium.

This means applicants should focus not only on the scholarship itself but also on the specific programme and host institution attached to the ARES call.

Depending on the year, the available programmes can cover areas related to public health, development, economics, environment, agriculture, human rights, transport, logistics, data science and other development-oriented subjects.

The exact programme list should always be taken from the latest ARES call because programmes can change from one academic year to another. The official ARES 2027–2028 application system currently confirms that a new International Training scholarship call exists.

Country Overview

Belgium is a Western European country known for its internationally connected cities, multilingual environment and strong higher-education system.

The Wallonia-Brussels Federation is the French-speaking community of Belgium and includes several universities and higher-education institutions.

For international students and professionals, studying in Belgium can provide exposure to European academic networks, research institutions, international organisations and development-focused projects.

However, applicants should remember that the ARES scholarship is specifically targeted toward applicants from selected partner countries, rather than being a general scholarship for all international students.

Why Choose an ARES Scholarship?

Fully Supported International Study

ARES scholarships are designed to remove many of the major financial barriers associated with studying or training in Belgium.

Professional Development

The programme is particularly relevant to professionals who want to strengthen their expertise and apply new knowledge in their home countries.

Development Focus

ARES connects higher education with international development cooperation, making the scholarship particularly relevant to applicants working in sectors that contribute to social and economic development.

International Exposure

Selected participants gain experience in Belgium while studying alongside people from different professional and cultural backgrounds.

Practical Training

The programme is not limited to traditional academic education. ARES also supports continuing education and specialised training programmes.

Degree Levels

Specialised Bachelor’s

ARES has offered specialised Bachelor’s-level opportunities equivalent to the first cycle of Belgian higher education. Previous official calls required a qualification comparable to a Belgian first-cycle degree of 180 ECTS credits.

Specialised Master’s

Specialised Master’s programmes are intended for applicants who already possess an advanced academic qualification.

Previous ARES calls required a qualification comparable to a Belgian second-cycle degree of 300 ECTS credits for specialised Master’s and continuing education applicants.

Continuing Education & Training

ARES also supports shorter professional-development programmes. Depending on the call, these can range from several weeks to several months.

The exact duration and programme format should be checked in the current call.

Available Fields of Study

ARES programmes are generally focused on areas connected to development and professional capacity building.

Popular areas have included:

• Public Health
• International Development
• Economics & Microfinance
• Environment & Sustainable Development
• Water, Energy & Food
• Human Rights
• Transport & Logistics
• Data Science
• Digital Education
• Agriculture
• Pharmaceutical Quality
• Geographic Information Systems

The list is not permanent. ARES changes the available programmes between calls, so applicants should select from the programmes listed in the relevant year’s official call rather than relying on an old programme list.

Scholarship Benefits

ARES scholarships can provide substantial financial support.

For specialised Bachelor’s and Master’s scholarships, the previous official ARES financing framework included:

• Economy-class international travel
• Living allowance
• Arrival and return-related allowance
• Registration-related support
• Health and accident insurance
• Eligible travel expenses related to inter-university training

The 2025–2026 official ARES documentation specified economy-class travel on an IATA airline, with a maximum of one return trip per academic year, along with a monthly subsistence package and insurance paid directly by ARES.

For continuing education programmes, the financing structure differs according to the duration of the training. Previous ARES rules included international travel, a subsistence allowance, insurance and eligible travel expenses.

Important: Financial amounts can change between calls. Applicants should use the latest official ARES call for the exact 2027–2028 amounts and conditions.

Hidden Costs

Even a highly funded scholarship does not necessarily mean that applicants will have no expenses before or during their journey.

Potential Cost	What to Consider
Passport	Applicant’s responsibility
Document translation	May be required
Document certification	Depends on country/document
Local transportation	Before departure and after arrival
Initial personal expenses	Useful before first allowance
Airport travel	Home-country transportation may vary
Extra baggage	Usually not automatically covered
Personal purchases	Not normally scholarship-funded
Accommodation extras	Depends on programme arrangements
Banking/transfer costs	May apply depending on circumstances
Emergency expenses	Recommended to maintain a reserve

Applicants should therefore keep a small emergency fund even when the scholarship provides substantial financial support.

Eligibility Criteria

ARES eligibility is one of the most important parts of the application.

Previous official ARES calls required applicants to:

• Be a national of an eligible partner country.
• Live and work in one of the eligible partner countries.
• Hold the appropriate academic qualification.
• Have relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrate adequate knowledge of the programme’s language.
• Apply for only one programme.

For specialised Bachelor’s applicants, the previous official criteria required at least two years of relevant professional experience after completion of Bac+3. For specialised Master’s and continuing education applicants, at least two years of relevant professional experience after Bac+5 was required.

The previous call also stated that the relevant academic qualification generally had to have been obtained no more than 20 years before the beginning of the training, with certain adjustments for childbirth/adoption.

The 2027–2028 ARES eligibility screening currently lists countries including Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, among others.

Bangladesh is not listed among the countries shown in the current ARES 2027–2028 eligibility screening. Therefore, Bangladeshi applicants should not assume they are eligible for the current ARES International Training Scholarship.

Required Documents

The exact document list depends on the selected programme, but previous official ARES calls required documents such as:

✓	Document	Purpose
☐	Passport/Nationality Document	Proof of identity and nationality
☐	Academic Diploma	Proof of required qualification
☐	Academic Transcripts	Academic record
☐	Proof of Residence	Confirms residence in an eligible country
☐	Proof of Employment/Professional Experience	Demonstrates required work experience
☐	Academic Recommendation	Supports academic profile
☐	Professional Recommendation	Supports professional experience
☐	Motivation/Application Information	Explains suitability
☐	Pre-project	Required for certain programmes
☐	Language Evidence	Where required
☐	Other Programme Documents	According to the selected course

Previous official ARES documentation specifically listed two recommendation letters, certified diploma copies, certified transcripts, proof of occupancy for the previous five years, nationality proof and a pre-project for certain courses.

Step-by-Step Application Process

The application is competitive, so applicants should treat the process as more than simply filling out an online form.

Step	Action	Practical Guidance
Choose an eligible country	Check whether your country appears in the ARES list	This should be your first eligibility check
Choose one programme	Review available International Training programmes	You can apply for only one programme under the previous rules
Check academic eligibility	Compare your degree with the required Belgian-equivalent level	Check programme-specific requirements
Check professional experience	Confirm the required years and field	Experience should be relevant
Check language requirements	Review the programme’s teaching language	ARES requires appropriate language ability
Prepare academic documents	Collect diplomas and transcripts	Certified copies may be required
Prepare employment evidence	Gather employment certificates and related proof	Make sure dates and duties are clear
Prepare recommendation letters	Obtain academic/professional references	Choose referees who know your work
Prepare programme-specific documents	Write the required pre-project or other documents	Follow the course instructions
Create an ARES/GIRAF account	Access the official application system	Use accurate personal information
Complete the application	Fill in each section carefully	Save your work as you progress
Upload documents	Attach the required files	Check file quality and completeness
Review everything	Check dates, names and attachments	Errors can weaken or invalidate an application
Submit before the deadline	Complete the final submission	Do not wait until the final hours
Monitor your application	Follow official communications	Check email and platform notifications
Wait for selection	ARES evaluates applications	Selection is competitive
Complete post-selection procedures	Follow instructions if selected	Prepare travel and study arrangements

Previous ARES application instructions used the GIRAF platform and stated that applications had to be completed online. ARES also warned applicants that the scholarship application itself is free.

Application Timeline

The timeline changes from one call to another.

For the current 2027–2028 cycle, ARES has already published an online eligibility/application system for International Training Scholarships, but the currently indexed submission form is closed to new submissions.

Applicants preparing for a future call should generally plan as follows:

Period	Recommended Action
Several months before the call	Research eligible programmes
Before applications open	Prepare diplomas and transcripts
Before applications open	Collect employment evidence
Before applications open	Request recommendation letters
Application period	Complete online form
Before deadline	Upload and verify documents
After submission	Monitor email/platform
After selection	Complete visa and travel arrangements

Because ARES deadlines can be short, preparing documents before the application portal opens can make a major difference.

Selection Criteria

Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee selection.

ARES has previously stated that satisfying the admissibility criteria does not automatically guarantee selection or admission to the programme.

The selection process may consider factors such as:

• Academic background
• Professional experience
• Relevance of the applicant’s profile
• Motivation
• Development impact
• Quality of the application
• Programme-specific requirements
• Potential contribution to the applicant’s home country

Applicants should therefore demonstrate a clear connection between their education, professional experience, chosen programme and future development goals.

Accommodation & Living Costs

Selected scholarship recipients should receive financial support according to the applicable ARES financing framework, but applicants should still understand the Belgian cost of living.

Major expenses include:

• Accommodation
• Food
• Local transportation
• Mobile and internet services
• Study materials
• Personal expenses

The amount of the living allowance and other benefits depends on the scholarship category and current call.

Applicants should also understand that Belgium can be relatively expensive compared with many developing countries. A good financial plan is therefore important even when receiving a scholarship.

Part-time Jobs

ARES scholarship recipients should not build their financial plan around part-time employment.

The scholarship is designed to provide financial support during the academic or training period, and programme requirements can be intensive.

Before undertaking any paid work, scholarship recipients should check:

• Belgian immigration regulations
• Their residence status
• Scholarship conditions
• Programme requirements
• Applicable working-hour restrictions

The safest approach is to consider employment supplementary rather than essential funding.

Student Visa Process

Applicants selected for a programme in Belgium may need to obtain the appropriate visa and residence authorisation.

A practical sequence is:

ARES Selection → University/Programme Documentation → Visa Application → Travel → Arrival in Belgium → Registration

Depending on nationality and programme duration, applicants may need documents such as:

• Valid passport
• Scholarship/selection documentation
• Admission or programme documents
• Proof of financial support
• Health/insurance documentation
• Visa application forms
• Other documents requested by Belgian authorities

Visa requirements can change, so selected applicants should follow the instructions provided by the Belgian authorities and ARES rather than relying on old scholarship blogs.

Tips from Previous Applicants

• Check the eligible-country list before doing anything else.
• Start preparing documents several months in advance.
• Make sure your professional experience is clearly documented.
• Choose a programme closely related to your career.
• Read the programme-specific requirements carefully.
• Apply only through the official ARES system.
• Never pay anyone claiming to guarantee ARES selection.

ARES explicitly states that its scholarship application is free and warns about people or companies falsely claiming to act on its behalf and requesting payment.

Common Mistakes

• Applying when your country is not eligible
• Ignoring the professional-experience requirement
• Choosing a programme unrelated to your academic or professional background
• Applying for more than one programme
• Uploading uncertified or incomplete documents
• Submitting weak recommendation letters
• Waiting until the deadline to complete the application

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the ARES Scholarship?

ARES scholarships support international students and professionals from selected partner countries who wish to undertake eligible advanced study or training programmes in Belgium.

2. Is ARES a university?

No. ARES is the Academy for Research and Higher Education of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. It coordinates higher-education-related activities and scholarship programmes.

3. Is the ARES Scholarship fully funded?

ARES provides substantial financial support. Depending on the programme, benefits can include international travel, living support, insurance and other eligible expenses. The exact package varies by scholarship type and call.

4. Can Bangladeshi students apply?

For the current 2027–2028 International Training eligibility screening, Bangladesh is not among the listed eligible countries. Applicants should always check the latest official country list before applying.

5. What countries are eligible?

ARES uses a defined partner-country list. The current 2027–2028 system lists countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Benin, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and others.

6. What academic levels are supported?

ARES International Training Scholarships have included specialised Bachelor’s, specialised Master’s and continuing education programmes.

7. Do I need work experience?

Yes, relevant professional experience is an important eligibility condition. Previous official calls required at least two years of relevant experience after the relevant degree level.

8. Can I apply for several ARES programmes?

Previous official rules required applicants to apply for only one course.

9. Do I need admission to a Belgian university before applying?

Previous ARES rules stated that applicants did not need to obtain prior admission to a French-speaking Belgian higher-education institution before applying for the ARES grant.

10. Does ARES charge an application fee?

No. ARES states that applying for its scholarship is free and that it does not charge fees during the application or selection process.

11. Does ARES pay for airfare?

Previous official scholarship rules included economy-class international travel, generally limited to one return trip per academic year for specialised Bachelor’s and Master’s scholarships.

12. Does ARES provide a monthly allowance?

Yes, scholarship financing includes a subsistence allowance. The amount depends on the scholarship category and current call.

13. Does ARES cover insurance?

Previous official financing rules state that insurance costs are paid directly by ARES.

14. How do I apply?

Applicants should use the official ARES online application system when the relevant call is open.

15. Is selection guaranteed if I meet the requirements?

No. ARES explicitly states that satisfying the admissibility requirements does not guarantee selection.

Conclusion

The ARES International Training Scholarship is a highly competitive opportunity for graduates and professionals from selected partner countries who want to strengthen their academic and professional expertise in Belgium.

Its biggest advantage is the combination of academic training and substantial financial support, including travel, living support and insurance under the applicable scholarship framework.

However, ARES is not a general scholarship open to every international student. The eligible-country list, academic qualification, professional experience and programme requirements are critical. For the current 2027–2028 cycle, the official eligibility system lists a defined group of partner countries, and the current application form is already closed to new submissions.

If you are from an eligible country, the best strategy is to prepare well before the next application window: identify a suitable programme, document your professional experience, prepare certified academic records and develop a strong application that demonstrates how the training will contribute to your career and your home country’s development.

Always verify the latest ARES call before applying because eligible countries, programmes, benefits, deadlines and requirements may change.