Amsterdam Merit Scholarship 2027 — Tuition-Equal Award for Non-EU Master's Students

Dutch universities rarely advertise that their main merit award is a tuition fee in disguise. The Amsterdam Merit Scholarship is exactly that, and it is worth understanding before you apply: the grant equals the tuition fee, it is paid to you in monthly instalments, and you are still invoiced for the fee. For a non-EU student facing a fee above EUR 20,000, that changes the arithmetic of a Dutch master's even though the award is not a full scholarship.

What it covers

At the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the scholarship equals the tuition fee and is disbursed monthly across the academic year. Because the fee is still charged, the award functions as a reimbursement stream rather than a waiver, and the university notes that tuition can be paid in instalments. Continuation into a second year depends on satisfactory progress, which the faculty defines as roughly 80 per cent of credits in any one year. The award is not cumulative with a full-coverage scholarship for the same period of study.

Read that structure carefully if you are budgeting. A grant that equals the fee covers tuition in net terms, but you still need the cash flow to pay the fee before the instalments arrive, and you still need living costs. Amsterdam rents are the binding constraint for most students, not tuition, so a fee-equal award leaves the larger number untouched.

Who can apply

You need a non-EU/EEA passport, no eligibility for Dutch student finance or the lower EEA fee, and unconditional admission to a master's programme at the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. You must not already hold a degree from a Dutch institution and must not be currently enrolled in a Dutch programme: the award is for a first programme in the Netherlands. You must be able to meet Dutch visa requirements and enrol as a full-time student.

These questions will tell you quickly whether you are in scope. Is my passport from outside the EU/EEA, and am I certain I pay the institutional fee rather than the statutory one? Have I been admitted unconditionally, rather than to a preparatory or pre-master's track? Is this my first programme in the Netherlands? Am I applying to a faculty programme covered by this award rather than to a different UvA faculty with its own deadline? And can I show a financial plan that works even if the instalments arrive late?

The deadline

Applications for the 2027-2028 award close on 15 February 2027 at 23:59 CET, and the faculty states that late applications are not accepted. The scholarship application is separate from the master's application but depends on it: both must be submitted in time, and an award application without a programme application, or the reverse, is treated as invalid. Note that deadlines differ across UvA faculties, with some closing on 15 January, so check the page for your specific programme rather than relying on a single university-wide date.

How to apply

Tick the scholarship box on your master's application in the SIS portal, then upload a single PDF in the "scholarship motivation letter" section under additional documents. That PDF should contain, in order, your CV, a scholarship motivation letter explaining how the programme serves your personal and academic goals and why you are the strongest candidate, a letter of recommendation from a professor or academic staff member, and a financial plan showing both need and the funds to cover everything the award does not.

https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/organisation/faculties/faculty-of-social-and-behavioural-sciences/education/social-sciences/scholarships.html

The single-PDF rule is enforced by reviewers, and a file assembled in the wrong order reads as carelessness. Name it clearly, put the four documents in the order the faculty specifies, and check that the recommendation letter is signed and dated.

Tips to win

Selection rests on academic excellence, the motivation letter and the reference. The financial plan is not decoration: it is where a reviewer checks whether the award actually changes your outcome. Show the tuition figure, the rent you expect, and the gap the scholarship closes, with numbers. A plan that says "I will manage" tells the committee nothing.

Make the motivation letter about the programme's content, not about Amsterdam. Name the research group, the methods you want to learn, and the question you would bring. Social and behavioural science admissions committees see hundreds of letters about the city and very few about a research design.

Common mistakes

Assuming the award is a fee waiver and discovering you are still invoiced. Missing the programme deadline because you were working to 15 February. Submitting the scholarship PDF without the financial plan. Applying while enrolled in another Dutch programme, which disqualifies you. And treating a 15 January faculty deadline as if it applied to every UvA programme. An OEAC advisor can review your statement and your document set against this programme's own checklist before you submit. If you are deciding between two offers, ask the advisory team to compare them for you.

Other scholarships worth comparing on OEAC Network: https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=19 https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=76 https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=44

An OEAC advisor can check your eligibility and your paperwork against the official rules before the deadline. Book a free review with the advisory team.

Last updated: 27 October 2026. Source: https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/organisation/faculties/faculty-of-social-and-behavioural-sciences/education/social-sciences/scholarships.html

Photo: Txllxt TxllxT — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.