If you are looking for a Master’s scholarship in the Netherlands, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) offers several scholarship opportunities for talented international students starting a Master’s programme in September 2027.
The current WUR scholarship page lists three major invitation-based opportunities for the 2027–2028 academic year: the Excellence Programme, Africa Scholarship Programme (ASP), and Anne van den Ban Fund (ABF).
For applicants from Africa, the Africa Scholarship Programme is particularly important because it provides much broader financial support, including tuition, living allowance, travel, visa costs and health insurance for the duration of the programme.
Important: These scholarships are not all the same. The Excellence Programme mainly provides a tuition-fee waiver, while ASP and ABF provide substantially broader financial support.
🎓 About Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is a research-focused university in the Netherlands with a strong international reputation in areas connected to food, agriculture, environmental sciences, sustainability, health and natural resources.
The university offers Master’s programmes for international students, and its scholarship programmes are designed to attract outstanding students from outside Europe and from developing countries.
The scholarships discussed in this article are for prospective students, meaning students who are applying to start a Master’s programme at WUR. They are not scholarships for students who are already enrolled at Wageningen University.
🌍 WUR Master’s Scholarships 2027–2028
For students planning to begin their Master’s in September 2027, the main opportunities currently listed by WUR are:
1. 🏆 Excellence Programme
The Excellence Programme is aimed at outstanding international students from outside the EU and EFTA.
Scholarship benefit:
- Tuition fee waiver for the full 24-month Master’s programme
Applicants need to have strong academic results, including a GPA of at least 80% and a First Class honours Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
2. 🌍 Africa Scholarship Programme (ASP)
The Africa Scholarship Programme is particularly relevant to students from Nigeria and other African countries.
The scholarship covers:
- ✈️ Travel to and from the Netherlands
- 💰 Living allowance for 24 months
- 🎓 Tuition fees for 24 months
- 🛂 Visa costs
- 🏥 Health insurance
Applicants must be citizens of an African country and must meet WUR’s academic and admission requirements.
3. 🎓 Anne van den Ban Fund (ABF)
The Anne van den Ban Fund supports talented students from developing countries who want to study at Wageningen University.
For the September 2027 intake, the scholarship can cover:
- ✈️ Travel to and from the Netherlands
- 💰 Living allowance for 24 months
- 🎓 Tuition fees for 24 months
- 🛂 Visa costs
- 🏥 Health insurance
The scholarship is awarded through an invitation-based selection process, meaning students cannot submit a separate direct application for ABF.
🇳🇬 Can Nigerian Students Apply?
Yes.
Nigerian students can be considered for the Africa Scholarship Programme because Nigeria is an African country.
However, nationality alone does not guarantee an invitation.
For ASP, applicants must also:
- Apply for an eligible WUR Master’s programme
- Submit a complete Master’s application before the scholarship deadline
- Receive unconditional admission
- Have a First Class honours Bachelor’s degree
- Have a GPA of 80% or higher
- Meet the required English-language conditions
- Have completed their Bachelor’s degree before the scholarship deadline
WUR also says preference is given to applicants who have not already obtained a Master’s degree.
📚 Who Is the Scholarship For?
The WUR scholarship programmes are designed for prospective international Master’s students.
For the 2027–2028 scholarship cycle, the university’s main invitation-based programmes are for students starting an MSc programme in September 2027.
This means you should first identify a suitable Master’s programme at WUR and make sure your academic background meets its admission requirements.
⭐ Academic Requirements
The scholarships are highly competitive, so academic performance is very important.
For the Excellence Programme and Africa Scholarship Programme, WUR requires:
GPA: 80% or higher
Applicants must also have a First Class honours Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
This means the opportunity is primarily aimed at academically excellent students.
If your academic result is below the stated threshold, you should not assume that submitting an application will make you eligible for these particular scholarships.
🗣️ English Language Requirement
Applicants must satisfy WUR’s English-language requirements as part of their Master’s application.
For the 2027 scholarship cycle, WUR specifically states that applicants must have their required official English test results available before 1 December 2026 so they can be included in the complete Master’s application.
This is important because obtaining an English test result can take time.
Our advice:
Don’t wait until November to start thinking about your English test.
If you need an English-language test, plan for it early enough to have your official result ready before the scholarship application deadline.
📅 Important Deadline
For the WUR scholarship programmes for students starting in September 2027, the Master’s application must be complete and submitted:
Before 1 December 2026
WUR states that only Master’s applications submitted before this deadline will be assessed by the relevant scholarship selection committees.
The deadline is particularly important because these scholarships are connected to the Master’s application process.
A student who waits until the normal Master’s admission deadline may miss consideration for a scholarship.
💰 Is the WUR Scholarship Fully Funded?
It depends on the scholarship.
Excellence Programme
The Excellence Programme provides a tuition-fee waiver for 24 months.
It does not mean that all living and other expenses are automatically covered. WUR states that students receiving this scholarship will still have other costs, including living expenses, insurance and residence permit costs.
Africa Scholarship Programme
ASP provides much broader funding:
Tuition + living allowance + travel + visa + health insurance.
Anne van den Ban Fund
ABF also provides:
Tuition + living allowance + travel + visa + health insurance.
So, when sharing this opportunity, it is better to avoid calling all WUR scholarships “fully funded.” The funding package depends on the specific scholarship.
🎯 Why This Opportunity Is Worth Considering
For a strong student from Nigeria or another African country, the Africa Scholarship Programme can be particularly attractive because the financial support goes far beyond tuition.
A successful ASP scholar can receive support covering:
- University tuition
- Living expenses
- International travel
- Visa expenses
- Health insurance
for the Master’s programme period.
This can significantly reduce the financial burden of studying abroad.
⚠️ Important: You Don’t Simply Apply for Every Scholarship Separately
One of the most important things applicants should understand is that these scholarships are largely invitation-based.
For example, WUR explains that applicants who meet the requirements may become eligible for an invitation to the relevant scholarship selection process.
The Anne van den Ban Fund cannot be applied for directly. WUR selects eligible candidates through its process and invites them for consideration.
Therefore, your first priority should be to prepare a strong and complete Master’s application.
📝 What Makes a Complete Application Important?
WUR specifically points out that a complete Master’s application should contain all required supporting documents.
For scholarship consideration, this includes having your:
- 🎓 Bachelor’s diploma
- 🗣️ Required English-language test result
- 📄 Other required Master’s application documents
ready before the scholarship deadline.
The university states that applicants for the 2027 scholarship cycle must have completed their Bachelor’s degree and uploaded the diploma before 1 December 2026.
📌 WUR Scholarships 2027–2028 at a Glance
| Scholarship | Main Target | Major Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Excellence Programme | Outstanding non-EU/non-EFTA students | Tuition fee waiver for 24 months |
| 🌍 Africa Scholarship Programme | Talented African students | Tuition, living allowance, travel, visa & health insurance |
| 🎓 Anne van den Ban Fund | Students from developing countries | Tuition, living allowance, travel, visa & health insurance |
All three are connected to September 2027 Master’s entry, and WUR states that the relevant complete Master’s application must be submitted before 1 December 2026 for scholarship consideration.
🎯 Who Should Consider This Opportunity?
The WUR scholarships may be worth considering if you are:
- 🌍 An international student
- 🎓 Planning to study a Master’s degree
- 🇳🇬 From Nigeria or another African country
- 📚 An academically excellent student
- 🏆 A First Class Bachelor’s graduate
- 📈 Able to demonstrate an 80% or higher GPA
- 🗣️ Able to meet WUR’s English-language requirements
- 🌱 Interested in fields related to agriculture, food, environment, sustainability, natural resources or other WUR Master’s areas
The Africa Scholarship Programme is especially relevant to strong African applicants who need substantial financial support to study in the Netherlands.
🔗 Official WUR Scholarship Information
For the complete scholarship details and the latest requirements, applicants should consult the official Wageningen University & Research scholarship page.
Wageningen University & Research — Master’s Scholarships
💡 Our Advice
If you are targeting the September 2027 intake, start early.
The scholarship deadline is much earlier than the standard application deadline for some international Master’s applicants. Preparing your academic documents, English test and Master’s application early can give you enough time to submit a complete application before the scholarship consideration deadline.
And if you’re from Nigeria, don’t focus only on the phrase “fully funded.” Look carefully at the individual scholarship package. The Africa Scholarship Programme is the WUR option that offers the broadest financial coverage for African students.
📝 Step 1: Choose a Suitable WUR Master’s Programme
Before thinking about the scholarship, you need to identify an MSc programme that matches your academic background and career goals.
WUR’s scholarship programmes are for prospective international MSc students starting in September 2027. They are not available to students who are already enrolled at Wageningen University.
Your first task should therefore be:
Find an appropriate MSc programme → check its admission requirements → prepare your application.
Choosing a programme simply because it has a scholarship can be a mistake. Your previous Bachelor’s degree should provide a suitable academic foundation for the Master’s programme you select.
📄 Documents You Should Prepare
A complete Master’s application is essential because WUR uses the application to determine which candidates can be considered for its scholarship selection processes.
Depending on your programme, you should be prepared to provide documents such as:
🎓 Bachelor’s Degree Certificate
For the 2027 scholarship cycle, WUR states that applicants must have completed their Bachelor’s degree before 1 December 2026 and have uploaded the Bachelor’s diploma as part of the complete application.
📊 Academic Records
Your academic performance is particularly important because the Excellence Programme and Africa Scholarship Programme require a GPA of at least 80% and a First Class honours Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
🗣️ English-Language Test Result
Applicants must satisfy WUR’s English-language requirements before the scholarship consideration deadline.
WUR specifically warns that obtaining official English test results can take several weeks, so applicants should arrange their test early.
📑 Other Supporting Documents
Your Master’s application may require additional documents depending on the programme you choose.
Always check the admission requirements for your specific MSc programme rather than assuming that every programme requires exactly the same documents.
🇳🇬 Advice for Nigerian Applicants
For Nigerian students interested in the Africa Scholarship Programme, academic preparation is particularly important.
The current WUR requirements state that ASP applicants must:
- Be a citizen of an African country
- Have applied for an MSc programme at WUR
- Be unconditionally admitted
- Have a First Class honours Bachelor’s degree
- Have a GPA of at least 80%
- Meet the English-language requirements
- Have completed the Bachelor’s degree before the scholarship deadline
- Upload the required documents before the deadline
WUR also says preference is given to students who have not already obtained a Master’s degree.
So, if you’re applying from Nigeria, don’t focus only on the funding. First make sure you genuinely meet the academic requirements.
🌍 How the Africa Scholarship Programme Selection Works
The Africa Scholarship Programme is not simply a first-come, first-served scholarship.
WUR explains that only applicants who meet all the stated requirements can be eligible for an invitation to the ASP selection procedure.
The university’s Scholarship Selection Committee coordinates the selection.
For the 2027–2028 cycle, WUR states that:
- Eligible applicants submit their complete MSc applications.
- WUR assesses applicants for scholarship consideration.
- A number of applicants are informed around March–April 2027 that they have reached the final stage.
- A lottery is used among the selected final-stage candidates to determine scholarship recipients.
- The scholarship is offered on 7 April 2027 to the selected recipients.
Remaining candidates are placed on a waiting list.
This means that even an excellent applicant should not assume that meeting the minimum requirements guarantees the scholarship.
🏆 How the Excellence Scholarship Selection Works
The Excellence Programme has a similar invitation-based approach but a different funding package.
WUR says that around March–April 2027, selected applicants will be contacted by email for the final stage of the scholarship selection process.
A lottery is then used to determine the scholarship recipients, with the scholarship offered on 7 April 2027.
The Excellence Scholarship covers the tuition fee for the 24-month programme.
However, it is important to understand what it doesn’t cover.
⚠️ Excellence Scholarship Is Not Fully Funded
This is one of the most important details applicants should understand.
The Excellence Programme provides a tuition-fee waiver, but students still have other expenses.
WUR states that scholarship recipients remain responsible for costs such as:
- Living expenses
- Health and liability insurance
- Residence permit fees
- Other applicable costs
WUR’s current information indicates that the revised first-year invoice for an Excellence Scholarship recipient could be approximately €16,500, based on the current fee structure.
Therefore, applicants should not describe the Excellence Programme as a fully funded scholarship.
The Africa Scholarship Programme and Anne van den Ban Fund provide much broader financial coverage.
🎓 How the Anne van den Ban Fund Works
The Anne van den Ban Fund (ABF) supports talented students from developing countries who want to study at Wageningen University.
For September 2027, the scholarship provides:
- Tuition fees for 24 months
- Living allowance for 24 months
- Travel to and from the Netherlands
- Visa costs
- Health insurance
However, there is an important difference:
You cannot apply directly for the ABF scholarship.
WUR explicitly states that the scholarship is invitation-based and that direct applications are not possible.
Therefore, students should concentrate on submitting a strong and complete Master’s application.
📅 What Happens After Applying?
The scholarship timeline is different from simply receiving admission to WUR.
For the current 2027–2028 cycle, WUR indicates:
March–April 2027
Some Excellence and ASP applicants are contacted about the final stage of selection.
7 April 2027
The Excellence and ASP scholarships are scheduled to be offered to selected recipients.
May 2027
ABF scholarship results are expected to be communicated to selected candidates.
Applicants should therefore monitor the email address used in their application.
💡 How to Make Your Application Stronger
Meeting the minimum requirements is important, but you should also make your overall Master’s application convincing.
1. Choose a programme that fits your background
Your Bachelor’s degree, academic experience and proposed Master’s programme should make sense together.
2. Prepare your English test early
Don’t leave your English test until the last few weeks.
WUR specifically recommends planning the test well in advance because official results can take several weeks.
3. Make sure your documents are complete
A missing document can prevent an application from being considered complete.
4. Pay attention to your academic record
For ASP and Excellence, the stated academic benchmark is high: 80% GPA and First Class honours or equivalent.
5. Research your Master’s programme
Know what you want to study and why the programme fits your academic and career plans.
6. Don’t wait for the final day
Even though the scholarship deadline is months away, preparing documents, English testing and academic applications takes time.
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Assuming every WUR scholarship is fully funded
They are not.
The Excellence Programme is primarily a tuition-fee waiver, while ASP and ABF provide broader financial support.
Mistake 2: Applying directly for ABF
WUR says direct applications for ABF are not possible.
Mistake 3: Waiting for scholarship selection before applying for admission
The scholarship consideration is connected to your Master’s application.
Mistake 4: Ignoring the 80% requirement
For Excellence and ASP, WUR specifically states a GPA of 80% or higher and First Class honours or equivalent.
Mistake 5: Taking the English test too late
Your official result must be available in time to form part of your complete Master’s application.
Mistake 6: Assuming eligibility guarantees funding
Even eligible candidates still go through the scholarship selection process.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for the WUR scholarship if I already study at Wageningen University?
No. The scholarship programmes listed by WUR are for prospective MSc students, not students already enrolled at WUR.
Can Nigerian students be considered for the Africa Scholarship Programme?
Yes. The programme is for citizens of African countries who meet the stated academic and admission requirements.
Is the Africa Scholarship Programme fully funded?
It provides a comprehensive package covering tuition, living allowance, travel, visa costs and health insurance for the 24-month Master’s programme.
Is the Excellence Programme fully funded?
No. It provides a tuition-fee waiver, but other expenses remain the student’s responsibility.
Can I directly apply for the Anne van den Ban Fund?
No. WUR states that ABF is invitation-based and cannot be applied for directly.
Do I need an English-language test?
You must meet WUR’s English-language requirements, and the official results must be available in time for your complete Master’s application.
Can I apply if I already have a Master’s degree?
For ASP, WUR says preference is given to students who have not yet obtained a Master’s degree.
What happens if I meet the requirements?
Meeting the requirements can make you eligible for scholarship consideration, but it does not automatically guarantee a scholarship. Selection is competitive and invitation-based.
🎯 Final Advice for Applicants
The biggest lesson from the WUR scholarship process is that the scholarship starts with a strong Master’s application.
If you are targeting the Africa Scholarship Programme or another WUR scholarship, don’t wait until the last moment to prepare your academic documents and English-language requirements.
Check your chosen Master’s programme carefully, make sure you satisfy the academic requirements and submit a complete application.
For African applicants, particularly those from Nigeria, the Africa Scholarship Programme is one of the most attractive WUR options because of its broad financial coverage.
Most importantly, understand the difference between the scholarships before making financial plans. The Excellence Programme covers tuition, while ASP and ABF offer much broader support.