Overview
What is the exchange grant?
An exchange grant covers the costs of your international exchange and doesn't have to be repaid. Both general conditions and specific conditions apply.
If you don't qualify for an exchange grant, contact Financial Support to check if you might be considered for a different form of financial support.
Conditions
Do I qualify for support?
There are certain conditions to qualify for the financial support provided by VUB. There are general conditions and specific conditions for each individual type of support.
Conditions
Specific conditions
- An exchange grant is only applicable for an international exchange in which you complete part of your study curriculum abroad through an "exchange coordinator". Summer schools, winter schools or voluntary internships abroad are not eligible, neither are short stays abroad as a result of an excursion in the context of a university course.
- The exchange grant is calculated on the basis of the number of months that you will stay abroad as part of your international exchange. If you have received an exchange grant for the entire duration of your stay abroad, but you terminate your international exchange prematurely, you will have to repay part of the received exchange grant (in proportion to the number of months that you have not been abroad).
- If the student's personal or family income includes cadastral income from property owned but not lived in by them, the indexed cadastral income may not exceed € 1.250 nor may it be too high in proportion to the other income. Regarding cadastral income, the same rules are applied as the Flemish government uses when allocating a scholarship.
- Students who are entitled to a rent allowance for a stay in a student room in Brussels cannot combine this rent allowance with an exchange grant. If the student stays abroad during part of the academic year, we assume that the rent of the student room in Brussels will not continue.
Conditions
General conditions
The general condition to receive financial support from VUB are:
- The student meets one of the nationality requirements established by the Department of Scholarships of the Flemish Community
- the student is enrolled under a diploma contract (students with a credit or exam contract are not eligible) (*)
- the student is enrolled at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (**)
- the student is enrolled in an initial study programme: a bachelor, a first master, a bridging or preparatory programme (***)
- the student proves a financial need, related to the study costs
(*) Students with a credit contract can be eligible for reduced tuition fee. Starting academic year 2023-2024, students with a credit contract are also eligible for an interest-free loan to pay their tuition fees.
(**) Students in the first year of their studies should have an enrollment of at least 54 credits in order to apply for a social allowance, rent allowance and external grants.
(***) Students following a teacher training or a second academic degree of the same level or students who have already obtained a Master's degree can only qualify for reduced tuition fee and an interest-free student loan. This interest-free student loan is also available for students who are following an advanced Master's degree.
Conditions
Don't agree?
We evaluate your request and make a decision based on these conditions. If you do not agree with a decision made by our Financial Support team regarding your request for financial support, you can lodge an appeal.
How much is the exchange grant?
The exchange grant will be deposited into your bank account, taking into consideration the duration of your stay abroad. The exchange grant will be calculated according to the above-mentioned criteria based on the number of months your stay abroad will last.
Find out which category you belong in:
Option 1
You are not entitled to an allowance for an international exchange (= students who are not entitled to an Erasmus+ or a VLIR-UOS bursary etc.) but you were eligible for a scholarship from the Flemish government in the previous academic year.
The exchange grant amounts to € 270 per month.
Option 2
You are not entitled to an allowance for an international exchange (= students who are not entitled to an Erasmus+ or a VLIR-UOS bursary etc.) and you were not eligible for a scholarship from the Flemish government in the previous academic year.
The exchange grant will be calculated according to your or your family's income and if that income is not too high, will amount to a minimum of € 70 and a maximum of € 170 monthly.
Option 3
You are entitled to an allowance for an international exchange (= students who are entitled to an Erasmus+ or a VLIR-UOS bursary etc.) and you were eligible for a scholarship from the Flemish government in the previous academic year.
The exchange grant amounts to € 170 per month.
Option 4
You are entitled to an allowance for an international exchange (= students who are entitled to an Erasmus+ or a VLIR-UOS bursary etc.) but you were not eligible for a scholarship from the Flemish government in the previous academic year.
You are not eligible to receive an exchange grant.
Request an exchange grant
You should apply for an exchange grant before the start of your international exchange or at the latest on the day you depart. Make sure to use the application form for the correct academic year.
If we need any extra documents, we will contact you via e-mail.
If you apply for an exchange grant after your departure abroad, the exchange grant will be allocated, starting from the month in which the application form was submitted.
An exchange grant is valid for one academic year and can be applied for again, if necessary, for a new international exchange (in a subsequent academic year).
For a specific scholarship for international exchange, please refer to the International Office.