Amsterdam Merit Scholarship

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)

You will receive a one-off scholarship for a one-year Master’s programme at University of Amsterdam, which will be paid out monthly over 12 months. The amount depends on the faculty to which you are admitted: approximately 24,875 EUR in the natural sciences, 25,900 EUR in law and 37,500 EUR in the humanities (where it is known as the ‘Letje Lips Amsterdam Merit Scholarship’). In the field of economics, the scholarship covers your tuition fees and provides an additional 5,000 EUR. For two-year Master’s programmes in the natural sciences, you can extend the scholarship to the second year if you earn at least 40 ECTS credits in the first year. The University of Amsterdam funds this to attract top international students from outside Europe. This is not a tuition fee waiver: you will continue to pay your fees as usual, and the scholarship is awarded as an additional grant.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are starting your first Master’s degree at the University of Amsterdam.
• Nationality: You hold a passport issued by a country outside the EU/EEA and are not eligible for Dutch state student finance.
• Field of study: That depends on the faculty in question. The Faculty of Law only funds certain LLM programmes (International and European Law, Transnational and European Private Law, Law and Finance, International Criminal Law); other faculties fund their own Master’s programmes.
• Grades: You are among the best 10% in your year group. The faculties set minimum entry requirements, such as a grade point average of 4.0 (USA), a degree with ‘First-Class Honours’ (UK) or 8.0 on the Dutch 10-point scale.
• English: You meet the language requirements, for example IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL iBT 100.
• No double funding: You are not receiving any other scholarship for the same period.
• Full-time: You are enrolling as a full-time student and meet the Dutch visa requirements.

How to apply

You apply for the scholarship at the same time as your Master’s application via the faculty-specific form or portal. The application deadline for most faculties is 15 January; for the Department of Psychology, it is 1 March. Selection is based on the documents you submit, such as academic transcripts, your CV and your personal statement. Depending on the faculty, you will be notified of the result between the end of March and mid-May.

How realistic are your chances?

Each faculty awards only a handful of these scholarships (four in the humanities, one in the natural sciences, two in psychology), and academic achievement is the primary criterion in the selection process. Competition amongst the strong applicants is fierce. If you are clearly among the best 10% in your year group, meet the minimum requirements for your grade point average and English language proficiency, and write a compelling personal statement, you have a genuine chance. As places are so limited, it is not just good, but truly outstanding performance that is decisive.