Belgium

Basic Information about Belgium

Belgium is situated in Western Europe. It is bound by France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the North Sea. The country’s topography is that of a large fertile low-lying plain. The capital of the country is Brussels. The population of the country is 10.4 million. There are two main language communities in Belgium: the Dutch-speaking Flemings in the north, and the French-speaking Walloons in the south. Brussels is officially bilingual.

Often called the Essence of Europe, Belgium is both multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its medieval art cities, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, countless castles, and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai. The city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan capitals, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

The Higher Education System

In Belgium, the communities are responsible for making decisions on services for individuals, such as education. The Flemish Community is therefore responsible for education in the Dutch-speaking part of the country, whilst the French Community is the governing authority for the French-speaking part of Belgium.

The colleges of higher education and universities have introduced the bachelor-master structure. Higher education organised according to the bachelor-master structure is still divided into two types of education: higher professional education and academic education. Higher professional education is restricted to bachelor courses and is only provided at colleges of higher education. Academic education consists of bachelor courses and master courses. Academic education is provided at universities and at colleges of higher education.

Tuition fees and living costs

Depending on the programme, the estimated tuition fees are 2000 SGD $ , while the living cost (accommodation, food, transport, utilities) estimation is between 1200 to 2000 SGD $

Scholarships

The implementation of various cooperation programmes (including the distribution of grants for foreign students) is entrusted to the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGDC), which forms part of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. The Belgian Development Cooperation website lists all the official bodies which offer grants in Belgium: www.dgdc.be/en/dgdc/grants/index.html

Scholarships are also offered by two Belgian communities – the French Community and the Flemish Community.

Scholarships of the Flemish Community

Flemish Department of Education and Training, Scholarships-Grants Division: www.ond.vlaanderen.be/english

University cooperation for development of the Flemish universities: study and training grants for students from developing countries, Flemish Interuniversity Council – Secretariat for Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS): www.vliruos.be

Scholarships of the French Community

University cooperation for development of the French speaking universities of Belgium: www.cud.be

Useful information on how to submit an application for a student grant or student loan: www.cfwb.be/allocations-etudes