REGULATIONS for the allocation of Scholarships to non-EEA Students at KASK & Conservatory of the University College Ghent (Hogent) CONTEXT These regulations apply to the academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028. The amendment of the existing regulations is prompted by the decision of the Flemish Government to implement changes in the financing method for non-EEA students. Given that this change requires additional financial efforts from both the school and current and future non-EEA students, an adjustment of the scholarship system is necessary alongside an increase in tuition fees. Most non-EEA students currently studying at our school will benefit from necessary transitional measures over the next two years. These transitional measures also require a financial effort from the school. Once these transitional measures have expired (from 2028-2029 onwards), a further evaluation and/or revision of the scholarship system will be required. KASK & Conservatory provides a maximum of six scholarships annually for students from non-EEA countries enrolling in Master's programs, bridging programs, or preparatory programs related to the Master’s. With these scholarships, KASK & Conservatory Ghent aims to provide additional financial support to international students and facilitate the influx of students from non-EEA countries. In doing so, KASK & Conservatory specifically aims to strengthen diversity and interculturality within its school community. These scholarships target non-EEA students specifically because, in accordance with the Higher Education Code (Art. II.15) and the decision to increase tuition fees for non-EEA students at KASK & Conservatory Ghent, they are required to pay higher tuition fees than EEA students.   1. Number, Scope, and Duration of the Scholarships Number: A maximum of six scholarships are made available annually. The actual number of scholarships awarded depends on the number of candidates who meet the awarding criteria and receive a positive recommendation from the Scholarship Committee. Within these maximum 6 scholarships, a maximum of 10 scholarship years are allocated. The number of years a scholarship can be granted is as follows: Program TypeDuration Bridging or Preparatory Program + 2-year Master : 3 years Bridging or Preparatory Program + 1-year Master : 2 years 2-year Master :2 years 1-year Master:1 year Scope: The scope of a scholarship corresponds to the amount of the tuition fee, as determined by the University College Board, minus the fixed administrative fee that the student owes to KASK & Conservatory upon enrollment. In other words: students only need to pay the fixed administrative fee upon enrollment. (e.g., for the 2026-2027 academic year, the tuition fee for scholarship students would be €916.20 instead of €8,800.20 for an enrollment of 60 credits). Duration: The scholarship is initially granted for the duration required by the candidate student to complete the study program with optimal study progress and - excluding preparatory programs, bridging programs, and study programs with exemptions - subject to full-time enrollment with a diploma contract in the Master's (see “Program Type Duration” above). If the student follows a bridging or preparatory program, the scholarship is granted for both this program and the subsequent enrollment in the Master's program. However, the Scholarship Committee may also decide not to grant the scholarship for the full intended study period but to limit it in time. For example, it may be decided to grant a scholarship only for the first year of a 2- or 3-year study track. The Scholarship Committee will always provide a motivation for such a limitation. Students can only be a recipient of the scholarship once. However, if the Committee decides to limit the duration, the student may submit a new application after that duration has expired. In any case, the student is only eligible for a scholarship in the event of full-time enrollment. ________________________________________ 2. Preliminary Conditions for Scholarship Eligibility To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, the student must meet the following criteria: 1.The candidate is a national of a state that does not belong to the European Economic Area (EEA) and does not meet the criteria as stated in the Higher Education Code, Art. II 215 (which includes categories such as EEA nationals, residents with permanent stay, victims of human trafficking, recognized refugees, etc.). 2.The candidate meets the admission requirements to enter the Master’s or an associated bridging or preparatory program. 3.The candidate participates in the first selection round for the Master’s programs (no later than April) and has submitted a complete Master’s application file for this purpose. If the candidate is already enrolled at KASK & Conservatory for a bridging, preparatory, or Bachelor’s program (and therefore does not need to take an orientation test), the student must follow the deadlines of the first selection round for submitting the scholarship application. 4.In addition to the Master’s application file, the candidate must submit an application for the scholarship to the Student Affairs Office. 5.Annually, one scholarship is specifically reserved and can only be awarded to a currently enrolled student who obtains their Bachelor's degree and progresses to the Master's. The Scholarship Committee may award multiple scholarships to its own students based on objectively applied criteria. If no scholarship is awarded to a currently enrolled student progressing to the Master's, the number of scholarships is limited to a maximum of 5; the total number of awarded scholarship years remains a maximum of 10. ________________________________________ 3. Application for a Scholarship Candidate students for the scholarship who apply during the application process for the orientation tests of the first selection round - and additionally submit their Master’s application file fully and on time - must provide the following documents to the Student Affairs Office: 1.A letter containing the application and a detailed motivation for obtaining a scholarship; 2.Various additional certificates regarding the socio-economic capacity of the student, including translations into English, Dutch, French, or German if the original certificate is not provided in one of these languages. The application letter and documents will be handled discretely by the Student Affairs Office and will not be added to the student's digital file nor to the application file for the orientation committee. If the candidate receives a positive recommendation from the orientation committee, the Student Affairs Office administration will further prepare the scholarship application file based on the documents submitted. A candidate's application file consists of: 1.The application file for the Master’s candidacy (including digital portfolio); 2.The report from the orientation committee, including the justification for its positive recommendation; 3.The motivation letter for obtaining a scholarship; 4.The additional certifications provided by the candidate. The administration may request additional information or documentation if deemed useful. ________________________________________ 4. Decision Regarding the Awarding of a Scholarship The decision regarding the awarding of scholarships is made by a specially constituted Scholarship Committee (for composition, see point 6). The files presented to the Scholarship Committee are prepared by the Student Affairs Office. This office verifies whether applicants meet all formal conditions, namely: 1.Non-EEA nationality and not meeting Art. II 215 criteria; 2.Meeting admission requirements for the Master’s/bridging/preparatory program; 3.Participation in the first selection round; 4.Submission of a complete Master’s file; 5.Passing the orientation test; 6.Availability of a written report justifying the admission; 7.Indication of scholarship interest during the application procedure via a motivation letter and supporting documents. Only when these seven formal conditions are met will a file be submitted to the Committee. Conditions 3 to 6 do not apply to students progressing directly within KASK & Conservatory. The Scholarship Committee primarily assesses the socio-economic capacity of the applicants. If necessary, the Committee may contact the candidate directly for clarification. Based on this, the Committee creates a comparative ranking. The top six ranked files are those of students whose socio-economic situation is deemed the least favorable to successfully start and complete the program. If multiple candidates have similar socio-economic needs, the Committee considers two additional criteria in descending order of priority: •Artistic quality and specific motivation to study at KASK & Conservatory Ghent, as evidenced by the orientation report and Master’s proposal. •The pursuit of a balanced distribution of scholarships across the various programs of KASK & Conservatory Ghent. The highest-ranked candidates (up to 10 total scholarship years) are the effective scholarship students; others form the reserve list. The Committee may decide not to rank certain candidates if there is insufficient information or if the candidate’s socio-economic capacity is manifestly sufficient. ________________________________________ 5. Announcement, Reserve List, and Granting of the Scholarship Candidates will be informed of the decision by the Student Affairs Office before the summer recess. The decision must be justified and specify the number of years the scholarship is awarded for. No appeal is possible against the substantive decision of the Scholarship Committee. Candidates who believe the scholarship was not awarded because the procedures were not correctly followed may appeal to the Council of the School of Arts via registered mail within seven days of the announcement. To claim the scholarship, recipients must enroll full-time by October 1st. If a recipient is not enrolled by this date or does not meet the conditions, the scholarship automatically passes to the next person on the reserve list. Scholarships are not paid out in cash but are deducted from the tuition fee via a credit note. ________________________________________ 6. Composition and Operation of the Scholarship Committee The Committee is appointed annually by the Dean and is composed as follows: •Head of Student Affairs (Chair); •Staff member of Student Affairs (Secretary); •1 Teaching staff member (not involved in the Master’s orientation tests); •1 Student (member of the School of Arts Council or Student Council); •1 Member of the Student Services Department (Hogent); •1 Former staff member or Alumnus with expertise in artistic practice and financing. The Committee strives for diversity in gender and background. A quorum of five out of six members is required. Decisions are made by consensus where possible, or by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chair abstains. The Dean validates the decisions and may make recommendations to optimize the Committee’s operation.