VU Fellowship Programme and NL Scholarship 2027 at VU Amsterdam

The VU Fellowship Programme is a merit-based tuition fee waiver for talented students from outside the EU and EEA who want to take a master's degree at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. One application also puts you forward for the NL Scholarship, a contribution towards living costs, so you do not need a separate form.

Who can apply

The programme is meant for students from non-EU/EEA countries who pay the higher tuition fee. The page names no individual countries, so students from African countries qualify when they meet that fee status and do not hold Dutch nationality. You need proof of academic excellence, with a bachelor's grade average at least equivalent to a Dutch 8 on a scale of 10, which is a high and rare grade. You must also be admitted, conditionally or fully, to a full-time English-taught master's programme starting in September, and your degree must not come from the Netherlands.

What it offers

The fellowship covers tuition fees only. It gives no allowance for rent, food or insurance, so you must be able to pay those costs yourself. Only a few fellowship holders also receive the NL Scholarship, and the number of awards is small compared with the number of applicants.

Deadline and steps

Registration for the VUFP application opens on 1 November 2026. The deadline to apply is 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. First register for a master's programme and obtain conditional admission, because you can apply for the fellowship for one programme only. The application must be complete when you submit it, since it can be submitted only once.