Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students in Netherlands 2022/2023

You want to further your studies in Netherlands. Good news! Leiden University Excellence Scholarships is currently ongoing application. In this article we will explain everything about this scholarship Program, its worth, eligibility and step by step application process.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships invites applications from international students to pursue masters degree at Leiden University Netherlands. These scholarships are fully funded and awarded to excellent students.

The type and number of award of the scholarship depends on the budget available for each Faculty department. Leiden University was established in 1575 and is one of Europe’s leading international research universities.

Lists of Courses Offered by Leiden University Excellence Scholarships

• Humanities
• Archaeology
• Medicine/LUMC
• Law, Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Governance and Global Affairs
• Science,
• African Studies Centre
• International Institute for Asian Studies.

Worth of Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships provides each candidate with the following benefits:

• The scholarship covers € 15,000 of the tuition fee and € 10,000 of the tuition fee which is the total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee.
• This scholarship also provide average amount of € 15,000 annually.

Eligibility for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students

To be eligible for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships, applicants must fulfill all of the following requirements below:

• The required language for the scholarship is English.
• The qualified countries for these scholarship are Non-EU/EEA international students.
• To be qualified for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, before the academic education, the candidate must have achieved excellent study results which are related for the program for which the student wishes to enroll. As an evidence, the candidate will be among the top 10% for the relevant program followed abroad.
• Each candidate must have also achieved exceptional study results in their previous education, this being related to the Master’s program for which they are applying. As an evidence, the candidate is among the top 10% of graduates in his/her previous study program. Note: evidence of ranking is not needed as this information is purely to show the level of competitiveness.
• The continuation of the scholarship is not guaranteed when a candidate changes his or her degree program during the study program. Requests will also be reviewed case by case and the final decision will be taken by the Faculty Selection Committee(s). But in case the change is before the scholar has registered for the study program, the scholarship will be canceled and the student will have to re-apply for the scholarship.
• These scholarship is only valid for the period the candidate is registered at Leiden University as a full time student within the time frame of the study program.
• Please note that for a program lasting more than one year, each student is required to obtain a minimum of 60 ECTS in the first year of study in order to retain the right to Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for the following academic year. But in cases where there is any doubt as to the number of ECTS standards for satisfactory progress and the time and manner in which progress will be measured will be set by the Leiden University Selection Committee.
• To be eligible for these scholarship, each student is allowed to submit several applications for scholarships at one time. However, it is impossible to combine scholarships which are provided or sponsored by Leiden University.
• Each candidate must comply with Dutch visa regulations.
• The Leiden University Excellence Scholarships will not be awarded to students who are admitted to a second Master program at Leiden University with the exception of students applying for a Master program for which a certain previous Master program or work experience is compulsory.
• To be qualified for these scholarship, candidate should know that during the study at Leiden University, he/she will take an active part in activities to improve the scholarship. The scholar has to accept the granted scholarship by filling out the ‘Acceptance Form Leiden University Excellence Scholarships’.

How to Apply for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students

Please follow below instructions to apply for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships:

• Candidates should apply online for admission to a Master’s program at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable.
• In the scholarship section of your online application, outline that you wish to apply for a scholarship.
• Upload your Leiden University Excellence Scholarships motivation letter as instructed in your online application. This is a Word doc of maximum of 500 words, in which you explain why you would like to be considered for the award.
• You can now submit your online application, containing your scholarship application, before the application deadline.
• Note that if you apply for more than one study program and wish to apply for a scholarship for each, specify this clearly in each application and upload a scholarship motivation letter for each.

Application Deadline for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships for International Students

The application deadline for the ongoing scholarship is February 1 2022.

Official Website:

To know more about Leiden University Excellence Scholarships please click here.

Not interested in this particular scholarship? See other Netherlands scholarships here