University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Merit Scholarships

What the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship gives you

You will receive a merit-based scholarship (awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement) for a Master’s programme at University of Amsterdam (UvA) in the Netherlands. The amount varies depending on the faculty and is reviewed each year, so there is no fixed sum. Some examples: The Faculty of Humanities offers 4 scholarships of 37,500 EUR each for 2026–2027. The Faculty of Economics covers your full tuition fees as well as an additional 5,000 EUR for the one-year programme. The Faculty of Natural Sciences has advertised a scholarship worth 26,125 EUR. The Faculty of Psychology and several other faculties award partial scholarships and determine the exact amount each year. The money is usually paid out in monthly instalments, not in the form of a fee waiver. This means you pay your tuition fees up front and are then reimbursed. The funding covers the entire duration of your studies, up to 3 years. It will only continue if you earn approximately 80% of your credit points each year. Several faculties do not cover your full tuition and living costs, so you will need additional sources of funding.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You hold a passport issued by a country outside the EU/EEA and are not eligible for Dutch student grants or loans (Studiefinanciering).
• Where you study: You have been admitted to a full-time Master’s programme at the University of Amsterdam, or you are applying for a place on this programme.
• First Master's: This is your first Master’s programme at the UvA. You cannot use it towards a second Master’s programme there.
• Field of study: The range of courses covers numerous academic disciplines, including the humanities, economics, law, natural sciences, psychology, social sciences, communication studies and medicine. In the Faculty of Law, the range of courses is limited to four LLM programmes.
• Grades: You have achieved excellent results, which correspond roughly to a grade point average of 3.7–4.0 (US scale) or 8.0+ on the Dutch 10-point scale.
• English: Some faculties require a very good command of English, for example IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 100, and the test result must not be more than 2 years old.
• Other funding: You are not currently receiving a full scholarship from any other source for the same period.
• Visa: You are able to meet the Dutch visa requirements.

How to apply

There is no separate application process. You apply for the scholarship at the same time as you apply for your Master’s degree via the faculty or graduate school where you will be studying. For most faculties (Economics, Law, Natural Sciences, Humanities), the application deadline is 15 January at 23:59 CET. The application deadline for Psychology is 1 March. Selection is based on academic merit, with the exception of Law, where a draw is held amongst applicants who meet all the requirements. The results are usually announced between the end of March and mid-May.

How realistic are your chances?

Places are limited: several faculties award only 1 scholarships each year, whilst the humanities award 4, meaning competition is fierce, even though only students from countries outside the EU/EEA are eligible to apply. If you clearly meet the high academic standards and English language requirements, your prospects will depend on the specific admissions procedure. The Faculty of Law selects candidates by lottery from among all qualified applicants, whilst merit-based faculties reward the best academic performance. The application window opens in early October – so apply at that time and submit your documents in good time before the deadline.