Justus & Louise Van Effen Scholarships - TU Delft Excellence Scholarships - Justus & Louise Van Effen scholarships

Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship

You will receive a full scholarship scholarship for a two-year Master’s programme (MSc) at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands. It covers the full tuition fees for the entire duration of the programme, as well as a monthly living allowance. The exact monthly amount will be determined on an individual basis and will be specified in your award letter. The funding runs for 24 months and cannot be extended. The funds come from the estate of Justus and Louise van Effen. TU Delft awards approximately 16 scholarships each year, 2 per faculty.

Who can apply

• Degree: You are applying for one of TU Delft’s standard two-year Master’s programmes. Joint international programmes are not eligible.
• Field of study: Almost all Master’s programmes are approved. Five are excluded: ‘Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering’, ‘Applied Geophysics’, ‘The Berlage Post-Master’, ‘Industrial Ecology’ and ‘Geographic Information Management and Applications’.
• Nationality: You are an international student. If you hold both EU and non-EU citizenship and are applying as an EU citizen, you are not eligible to apply.
• Where you study now: You have not yet started your degree programme at TU Delft. You are also not eligible to apply if you are a Bachelor’s student at TU Delft or, as an international student, hold a Dutch Bachelor’s degree.
• Grades: You achieved excellent results in a previous degree programme relevant to your chosen Master’s programme, placing you among the top 10% in your year group. You do not need to provide proof of your ranking.
• Age: On 1 September of your first year of study, you will be no more than 35 years old.
• Other scholarships: You may not receive another part-time or full-time scholarship at the same time.

How to apply

Submit a complete application for the Master’s programme to TU Delft. Upload the scholarship application form, a letter of recommendation and your English language certificate before the scholarship deadline. The deadline is on 1 December each year (currently 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET). You do not need to have received a letter of admission by then. Once you have been provisionally admitted, the faculties’ selection committees will make the final decision, and you will be notified by email.

How realistic are your chances?

Delft University of Technology receives far more applications than it can fund. As there are only around 16 scholarships across all faculties, competition is fierce. Selection is based on both outstanding academic results and a compelling personal statement, ensuring that only the strongest candidates are chosen. If you are clearly among the best in your year group and submit a concise, well-structured application, you stand a real chance. Nevertheless, regard this as an ambitious goal and plan how you would fund the two years without this scholarship.