Top-level sports
Do you compete in a sport at an elite level and do you hold a recognized elite athlete status? Do you want to pursue a degree at Maastricht University (UM)? If so, you may be eligible for support during your studies.
Tailored support during your studies
UM aims to support you as an athlete and as a student during your studies as effectively as possible. This support is tailored to your needs as an elite athlete, but also depends on the available possibilities within your study program as this might differ per faculty. We recommend you to consult a study advisor of your faculty timely to discuss how you can best combine your study with your sports career.
How to get support
- Step 1: Secure your top-level athlete status through Limburg Sport. Please register before 1 October of the academic year you require support. Non-Dutch speakers can download the English translation of the Limburg Sport application form. If you have questions, please contact the UM top sports coordinator at umtopsports@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
- Step 2: Already hold top-level sports status and enrolled in a study programme at UM? Register with the university as a top athlete using our online registration form.
- Step 3: Once you’re registered with us, we will discuss your eligibility and options regarding support in your studies, sports facility access and accommodation. The types of support you are eligible for depend on your top-level sports status.
Comprehensive support services
To help you succeed in both the arena and the classroom, UM provides the following resources:
- Academic flexibility: We understand the demands of balancing top-level sports and academics. Your faculty's study adviser is happy to help you explore the possibility of flexible study arrangements.
- Sports facility access: Depending on your top-level sports status, you may qualify for benefits like a free UM SPORTS membership or discounted access to specific training facilities:
Free All-in-one membership: AS, SelecS, IT, NT, Bel, BS
- Discount of 50% off Sports or Gym membership: RS or Q
- Extra access to training facilities at the University Sports Centre (on request): AS, SelecS, IT, NT, Bel, BS, RS and Q
To request this service, contact the UM top sports coordinator at umtopsports@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
- Dual career recognition: Eligible athletes can receive a certificate (status AS, SelecS, IT, NT, Bel, BS) or acknowledgement letter (status RS and Q) upon graduation, highlighting their dual career achievement. To be considered for this, contact the top sports coordinator at least one month before graduation.
- Financial support for a study delay: If you are an athlete with the status AS, SelecS, IT, NT, Bel, BS, RS or Q, you may qualify for financial support from the Profileringsfonds if you experience a study delay. An application must be submitted no later than six months after the end of the academic year in which you suffered study delay, and in any case at least two months before you deregister from UM.
Student athletes' stories
Studying on the plane
Maastricht University alum and orthopaedic surgeon Yuhan Tan studied medicine while competing in badminton at the highest level. Juggling student life and competitive sport was challenging, but doable. He received support from the university in the form of acquired skills, accessible lecturers and...
Top sport alongside study - triathlete Hidde Mollee
They go places, our UM top athletes. When I approached Hidde Mollee (19) at the beginning of this year for an interview, he very kindly asked if that was possible after February. He was in Namibia that whole month for an altitude internship. How do you do that alongside your bachelor's degree in...
Top sport alongside study - cyclist Jordan Habets
Shortly before our interview, Jordan Habets returned from Llorett de Mar in Spain. Not to party wildly there, as you would normally expect from a 21-year-old man, but to train heavily. Jordan has been a promising cyclist for years, working very hard alongside his education to pursue a career in...
Top athlete #2: swimmer Judith Houtvast
In our series on students who are top sport athletes, Judith Houtvast is next to speak. Judith (19) already swam several National Championships and is also studying in the second year of the bachelor's programme in Biomedical Sciences. Also? How does she do it and where does she put her priorities?
Top sport alongside study
They study at UM, do their utmost to get their degree, but also have another big ambition: they want to reach the top in their sport. Young people who set everything aside to train hard alongside their studies and participate in high-level competitions. Real go-getters, in other words. What does it...
