Prof. Jo Ritzen Scholarships for French students
This scholarship programme is open to Belgium, Luxembourgian and French students who are applying for the LLB in European Law School at the Faculty of Law (LAW). Maastricht University (UM) is a medium-sized university of outstanding quality. It is unique in its international ambitions: 54% of our 17,000 students come from abroad, from dozens of different countries on all five continents. The same holds for our academic staff. The UM trademark has long been our Problem-Based Learning system, characterised by its small-scale nature and independent study groups. These characteristics, paired with the fact that almost all programmes are taught in English, makes UM an attractive university in a beautiful old city of Roman origins, located at the crossroads of three countries and languages.
More than any other city in the Netherlands, Maastricht enjoys a strong historical connection to the French language and culture. It is only natural for Maastricht – so close to its sister city Liège, the northernmost city in Francophone Europe – to reach out to its French neighbours and embrace their culture. There are currently more than 100 students and dozens of academic staff of French origin working or studying at UM’s various faculties.
UM is seeking to increase the number of Belgium Luxembourgian and French students in its international classrooms by offering scholarships to students of Belgium Luxembourgian and French origin. In addition, UM aims to enhance inclusivity and diversity within its student population. Therefore, this scholarship is offered to French first generation students.
Professor Jo Ritzen, former UM president and former Minister of Education and Science, made a significant contribution to this fund by providing the first starter gift.
Who is eligible?
The scholarship will be awarded to a talented bachelor's student who has been admitted to the unique bachelor’s programme in European Law School (ELS) at LAW starting in September 2025.
Candidates must have met the admission requirements (see below) and must have participated in the decentralised selection procedure.
- Applicants must hold a Belgium, Luxembourgian or French passport and meet the requirements for obtaining a Dutch visa (MVV residence permit).
- Applicants must be first generation students. We define first generation students as students from non-academic backgrounds. First generation students are the first in their families to follow higher education (university or university of applied sciences); their parents did not follow higher education.
Read more about the LLB in European Law School
Application deadline
The deadline is up to and including 1 May 2025 23:59 CET.
Duration of the UFL Prof. Jo Ritzen scholarship
Amount of the UFL Prof. Jo Ritzen scholarship
The UFL Prof. Jo Ritzen scholarship covers the tuition fee for the ELS programme for a maximum of 3 years.
UFL Prof. Jo Ritzen scholarship 2024/25, 2025/26.
| Tuition fee refund 2025/26 | € 2,601* | Paid by the UM International Service Desk |
*These amounts are subject to change for each academic year
Application procedure
Step 1: Apply for admissions to the bachelor's programme in European Law School at Maastricht University. Once you have submitted your application via Studielink, you will receive a student ID number.
Step 2: Use your student ID number to complete the scholarship application form.
Please note that you will only be able to submit your application once, so please ensure that all of your documents are up-to-date.
Upload the following documents in .doc, .docx, or PDF format in English, and submit your application. Please note that you will only be able to submit your application once, so please ensure that all of your documents are up-to-date.
- Curriculum Vitae. Your CV should be up-to-date, contain relevant information about your education and (job) experience, and should not be longer 2 A4 pages.
- Letter of motivation. Your letter of motivation should be up-to-date and specifically tailored to this scholarship programme. Generic letters of admission that do not directly address your motivation for the scholarship selection will be rejected. Your letter of motivation should be no longer than 1 A4 page. Be sure to argue why this scholarship is important to you, why you should be selected.
- A letter of reference from the dean of your high school
| Step 1 | Register for the bachelor programme European Law School on Studielink |
| Step 2 | Fill out the application form |
Selection procedure
Your applications for the bachelor’s programme and for the scholarship will be assessed by the LAW faculty.
Step 1: The faculty will first assess your bachelor’s application. Once you have been accepted to the bachelor’s programme, the faculty will assess your scholarship application.
Step 2: The faculty will send a list with eligible candidates to the Maastricht University selection committee and the University Fund Limburg. These committees will make a definitive selection from the nominated candidates.
Step 3: If you have been awarded a scholarship, you will receive an official acceptance letter in July 2025.
Step 4: You must sign and return this letter to the UM International Services Desk to accept the scholarship.
All aspects of your application count towards the assessment of the application. The Scholarship Committee also looks at: academic excellence, your motivation, status of the institute you studied at in your home country, the match of the chosen bachelor's programme with your previous qualification(s), level of this previous qualification or these previous qualifications, your career planning, and your references.