Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)

Set per faculty each year. Example: the Faculty of Science awards one AMS of EUR 26,125 for the September 2027 master's start, paid in monthly instalments. It is a grant, not a tuition waiver, so you still pay full tuition.

Fields: Any field

Open to most nationalities

• Non-EU/EEA nationality and not eligible for Dutch study grants or loans or the reduced EEA tuition rate
• Applied to, and admitted for the first time to, a UvA degree programme
• Among the top 10 percent of your graduating class (the Faculty of Science gives a 3.5/4 GPA or 8/10 Dutch grade as a guide)
• Faculty of Science: previous degree completed no more than 3 years ago
• No full-coverage scholarship from another source for the same period
• Able to meet Dutch visa conditions

Deadlines differ per faculty. The Faculty of Science and Economics and Business both use 15 January for the September 2027 start; Economics and Business says applications open at the beginning of October. Check your faculty page for its exact date.

Deadlines move a little every year and some close early. Confirm the date on the official page before you plan around it.

• Complete UvA programme application
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates
• Motivation letter (the Faculty of Science asks for a maximum of 500 words)
• CV including extracurricular activities
• Any extra items your faculty or graduate school asks for

1. 1

   Step 1: Pick a programme

   Choose a UvA programme and find its faculty AMS page, because amounts, deadlines and rules are set per faculty.
2. 2

   Step 2: Apply for admission

   Submit your programme application to the graduate school admissions office before the scholarship deadline.
3. 3

   Step 3: Opt in to the scholarship

   In the Faculty of Science the application form asks whether you want to be considered for a UvA scholarship; tick it and add your motivation letter and CV.
4. 4

   Step 4: Wait for selection

   Selection takes place in March and applicants are told in April (Science) or at the end of April (Economics and Business).

• Cannot be used as a tuition fee waiver; you still pay full tuition and must cover your remaining costs
• For two-year master's programmes, year-two funding needs good first-year results (Science: at least 40 ECTS)
• Must attend classes and make good study progress as your faculty requires
• Must report changes in nationality, residence permit type or extra funding

• Awards are very few: the Faculty of Science gives only one AMS for the September 2027 start, so apply to other funding at the same time.
• Older websites still advertise the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship; the UvA master's funding page now lists only the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship and faculty scholarships.
• Start your UvA application early in the autumn so admission documents are complete well before 15 January.
• Use your motivation letter to link your past results to the specific programme, not to describe Amsterdam.

Winning the award does not include the visa. Plan your application with our guide for the host country.

• Netherlands student visa

Checked against these official pages on 16 Oct 2026.

• UvA: Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (master's) (opens in a new tab)
• UvA: Faculty of Science scholarships (opens in a new tab)
• UvA: Economics and Business scholarships (opens in a new tab)
• UvA: Master's scholarships and loans (opens in a new tab)