Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (Faculty of Science - University of Amsterdam)

Requirements

Candidates wishing to apply for an AMS programme should: 

• not have the nationality of one of the countries of the EU/EEA or Suisse
• not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans (for more information please refer to www.duo.nl).
• 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
• have submitted a complete application to one of the MSc programmes (see the website of your MSc programme for the application and admission procedure)
• have been (or will be) admitted for the first time to one of the MSc programmes at the UvA
• be able to comply with the conditions to obtain a Dutch visa (if applicable)
• have completed their previous academic programme no longer than 3 years ago
• AMS applicants should have sufficient funds to cover all other costs. For more information check: Living expenses and money matters - University of Amsterdam

The International Team should be notified as soon as possible of any change in nationality, type of residence permit or additional financial support throughout the academic year.

Selection criteria for the scholarship

The Faculty of Science has a limited number of Amsterdam Merit Scholarships available. In addition to the admission requirements of the Master's programme, eligible candidates are selected on the basis of their academic excellence and promise in the proposed field as evidenced by: 

• The candidate’s academic records. Students belonging to the top 10% of graduates from their class can apply. This generally means an overall GPA equivalent to:
  • 3.5 (American system, 4-point scale)
  • 1st class honours/ upper division (British system)
  • 8+ (Dutch EC-system, 10-point scale);
• The academic quality of the educational institute where the (under)graduate degree has been (or will be) obtained;
• The quality of the letter of motivation (maximum 500 words), in which the candidate explains the reasons for choosing the specific Master’s programme in a broader context and the relevance of obtaining this scholarship for the candidate’s future academic career;
• The candidate’s curriculum vitae, including a description of extracurricular activities such as participation in student commissions, international experience, sports or music at a high level or volunteer work

Failure to meet one or more of the requirements or selection criteria automatically means that the student is not eligible for this scholarship.

• For the September 2025 start two Amsterdam Merit Scholarships (AMS) of € 26.125 each will be available. 
• The scholarship cannot be used as a (partial) tuition fee waiver; AMS recipient must still pay the full amount of tuition fee (with the possibility to pay this amount in monthly instalments). 
• AMS recipients will receive their grant in monthly instalments.
• Selection takes place in March.
• Applicants will be informed in April whether – or not- they have been selected for this scholarship.