International Office
MSc Students
Scholarships and student loans
Amsterdam Merit Scholarships (AMS)
The Universiteit van Amsterdam aims to attract top students to its international classrooms. As from September 2007, outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.
The Amsterdam Merit Scholarships (AMS) have specifically been designed by the Universiteit van Amsterdam to offer talented, ambitious and dedicated non-EU/EEA students the opportunity to pursue a degree in one of the academic fields covered by the UvA. The AMS programme is highly selective: only applicants with excellent study results and motivation may receive a scholarship.
For the academic year 2011-2012 we have 3 full scholarships to award. Each scholarship consists of €24,000 per academic year for its two-year programmes. Those who have received the scholarship have recently been informed.
Eligibility
The applicant must meet the eligibility criteria in order to be considered for the AMS scholarship.
The applicant should:
- hold non-EEA nationality or nationalities only
- not be entitled to receive a Dutch study grant or loan ("Studiefinanciering")
- not be eligible to pay the reduced tuition fee rate for EEA students at the UvA
- not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AMS scholarship
- have submitted a complete application to one of the MSc programmes of the Faculty of Science. This includes a sufficient English test score (see requirements under "Admission and Application" on the Faculty of Science website)
- have been (or will be) admitted to one of the MSc programmes of the Faculty of Science
- be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa (if applicable).
Failure to meet one or more of these criteria automatically means that the student is not eligible for an AMS scholarship.
Selection criteria
The Faculty of Science has a limited number of AMS scholarships available. Eligible candidates are selected for a scholarship on the basis of the following criteria:
- be admitted to one of the MSc programmes of the Faculty of Science
- their academic merit and suitability of the proposed field of study
How to apply
Please mention on your application form whether you wish to be nominated for an AMS scholarship from the UvA. In case you have already send in your application form you can still inform us about your wish to be nominated by sending us an e-mail to the address below.
If you want to apply for AMS please include in your motivation letter a paragraph in which you explain why you wish to be nominated for AMS.
The scholarship
For the academic year 2011-2012 the scholarship consists of € 24,000 per academic year. The same amount received in the first academic year of the two-year programme will be paid to the nominated students in the second academic year.
Note that the scholarship cannot be used as a (partial) tuition fee waiver; applicants should pay the full amount of tuition (due € 12,000 for the academic year 2011-2012).
Conditions
Amsterdam Merit Scholarships are only awarded to applicants who are admitted to one of the MSc programmes of the Faculty of Science. A scholarship granted for the two-year programme that starts in September of a certain year can not be transferred to another academic year. Failing to enroll in the MSc programme to which the applicant has been admitted when the programme actually starts entails forfeiture of the scholarship. AMS scholarships are not available to those who have been granted another scholarship. Students who are awarded an AMS scholarship are expected to complete their first year of study with good results (40 ECTS) in order to receive the scholarship for the second academic year.
Students who are granted an AMS Scholarship are required to assent to the conditions attached to the scholarship in writing preceding the grant of the scholarship.
How to find other scholarships
More information about scholarships and student loans is available on the central web site of the Universiteit van Amsterdam.
Some MSc pogrammes offer their own scholarships. This is explicitely mentioned in the description of the specific programme.
You can also refer to the web site of NUFFIC. There you can make use of the Grantfinder. The Netherlands Student Grantfinder is an online search engine for those who want to study in the Netherlands and are looking for financial aid. The Grantfinder contains information on a range of Dutch scholarships for foreign students.
Student loans (EU students only)
If you are a citizen from an EU member state, are following an accredited course, pay tuition fees and do not receive another Dutch income on the basis of your study, you may be entitled to a regular student grant. Please apply well in advance. For information please contact the DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs).
The Netherlands Fellowships Programme
The Dutch Ministry of Education offers scholarships to nationals from a wide range of countries under the terms of various cultural agreements and other agreements of co-operation. One of the few possibilities for scholarships are the NFP programme and the Huygens Programme.
The Netherlands Fellowships Programme offers scholarships to applicants who are a national of a developing country. The following Master of Science programmes are on the NFP course list:
MSc in Biological Sciences (all tracks)
MSc in Forensic Science
For more information about the Huygens Programme, the NFP programme, deadlines and application forms please contact the Dutch embassy in your own country. The Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Co-operation (NUFFIC) can also provide information regarding available scholarships.
For NFP Fellowship candidates the application deadline is December 1st. Because each Dutch Embassy has its own deadline we advise you to contact the Embassy yourself.