Entrepreneurial Spirit Scholarship

This scholarship was founded by two IBA-alumni from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) and funded together with other alumni to support students who might otherwise not fully participate in the Bachelor programme in International Business Administration (IBA). It is motivated by the invaluable experience gained by the donors throughout and upon completion of the IBA programme – both academically, and with regards to the expansive international network they derived from it.

General Overview

During three years of studies, the scholarship will cover the annual statutory tuition fee (€ 2,601 in 2025-2026) as well as yearly book fees to a maximum of € 700 per year, conditional upon annual re-evaluation. In addition, students will receive academic, professional and personal mentoring from their donors, and get access to their international network

For whom?

Application for the scholarship is open for prospective students of the IBA programme starting their studies in the academic year 2025-2026. The candidate has a nationality belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA), entitled to pay the statutory tuition fee.

In order to be considered for the Entrepreneurial Spirit Scholarship, applicants need to meet all BSc admissions requirements.

Selection criteria​

• Excellent students with a truly entrepreneurial spirit who would demonstrably benefit from financial support;
• Students who are coachable and willing to expand their network and opportunities
• Upon acceptance the student becomes an outstanding ambassador of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Scholarship and the Rotterdam School of Management, which includes supporting marketing initiatives;
• Upon acceptance the student commits to stay involved after graduation as a mentor for the new incoming students accepted into the scholarship programme;
• At the end of the first year of studies, the student accepted into the programme will be re-evaluated, to ensure the student stays on track with his/her academic studies, remains entrepreneurial in spirit and acts as a good ambassador for the scholarship programme and the school. Being accepted to continue with the scholarship for the second year of studies is contingent upon the re-evaluation by the selection committee based upon criteria set together at the start of the academic year.

Application procedure

First step is to register for the Bachelor International Business Administration programme in Studielink. Once you have registered yourself, you will receive a link to our Online Application Form (OLAF). In OLAF you indicate that you want to apply for a scholarship. RSM will take your scholarship application into consideration as long as you meet the minimum requirements and meet the deadlines. 

Required documents in OLAF:

1. A concise entrepreneurial dimension essay of maximum 850 words that answers the following questions:

• What does entrepreneurship mean to you? Please also describe what experiences shaped your view on entrepreneurship (200 words)
• How do your past and current activities demonstrate your entrepreneurial spirit? (200 words)
• What are your plans for the future and why? (200 words)
• What is your motivation to apply for the scholarship and why would the mentorship and financial support will be best invested in you? (250 words)

2. A budget plan using this template, explaining how you are going to finance year 1, 2 and 3 of the IBA programme

Deadline

Students can apply from 1 October 2024 until 31 January 2025.

What's next?

The RSM Scholarship Committee will determine award recipient(s) on 15 May 2025.

Practical information

Any questions? The RSM Scholarship Committee can be contacted via scholarships@rsm.nl