The VU Fellowship Programme is Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's merit-based tuition fee waiver for talented prospective Master's students from non-EU/EEA countries. When you apply for the VUFP you are automatically also considered for the NL Scholarship (formerly the Holland Scholarship Programme) — a one-time €5,000 contribution toward living costs, awarded to only a few VUFP recipients. Awardees also agree to serve as international student ambassadors during their studies.
Why it is notable: One application covers both awards — no separate NL Scholarship form is needed at VU — and the official page publishes the exact two-round milestone timeline for the 2027 intake.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Full tuition fee waiver for the Master's programme (covers tuition fees only).
NL Scholarship: one-time contribution of €5,000 toward living costs for the entire duration of study, awarded for the first year only (subset of VUFP awardees; ~20–25 per year).
VUFP extension into the second year of two-year Master's programmes if 100% of the first-year ECTS are achieved (no re-application needed).
Does not provide any additional allowance toward study or living costs (rent, food, insurance) — applicants must finance living expenses themselves.
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Graduationfor Masters
This fellowship is offered for full-time English-taught Master's programmes at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam starting in September 2027.
Who can apply
Students holding a non-EU/EEA passport who are not eligible for the lower tuition fee; you must not hold the Dutch nationality. Global — open to all non-EU/EEA nationalities.
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
Course-dependent — you must meet the English-language requirement of the Master's programme applied to, and be conditionally or unconditionally admitted.
Other Certificates
Transcript / GPA proof of your bachelor's degree with a clear explanation of the GPA calculation, plus a grading-scale explanation — excellence is proven if the GPA is at least equivalent to the Dutch grade of 8.0. Only the bachelor's GPA counts, even if you already hold a Master's degree.
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
All nationalities except EU/EEA and Dutch nationals (statutory-fee students are ineligible). Note: students from Suriname and Switzerland are not eligible for…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
Document checklist
01Completed current-year VUFP-NLS application form (one PDF, including all answers)
02GPA proof / programme transcript of the bachelor's degree
03Grading-scale explanation with a clear GPA calculation
04Conditional or unconditional admission to the Master's programme (admission is a prerequisite, submitted through the programme application)
Application fee
No separate VUFP scholarship application fee is published on the official page. (Master's programme admission fees are c
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Netherlands entry visa / residence permit for study (MVV + verblijfsvergunning).
Application Procedure
9 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Register for a Master's programme (from 1 October 2026)
register in Studielink and complete the application in your personal VU dashboard. You must already be conditionally admitted to the Master's programme before you can apply for the VUFP scholarship. Advised deadline: 1 D
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02
Submit the VUFP application (from 1 November 2026)
submit in your personal VU dashboard on vu.nl — for one Master's programme only. Fill out the current VUFP-NLS application form, paste the GPA proof / programme transcript and grading-scale explanation at the end, and up
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03
Decision: faculties review all applications received by
1 February 2027 (23:59 CET) and nominate candidates; the Central Scholarship Committee awards the fellowships based on academic performance and motivation. No interview.
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06
Completed current-year VUFP-NLS application form (one PDF
including all answers)
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05
Acceptance: selected candidates accept or decline the
offer in their VU dashboard within 2 weeks of the results (deadline end of March 2027); offers not acted on are withdrawn. A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another year.
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04
Results: all applicants receive an email/notification around
mid-March 2027.
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07
GPA proof / programme transcript of the
bachelor's degree
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08
Grading-scale explanation with a clear GPA calculation
→
09
Conditional or unconditional admission to the Master's
programme (admission is a prerequisite, submitted through the programme application)
Application milestones
1 Feb 2027
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam platform.
What does the VUFP scholarship cover? A: The VUFP scholarship covers the tuition fees only. It does not provide any additional allowance toward study or living costs like rent, food, or insurance.Do I need to apply separately for the NL Scholarship? A: No — when applying for the VUFP scholarship, you automatically apply for the NL Scholarship as well. No separate application is necessary. HoweHow much is the NL Scholarship at VU? A: A one-time contribution of €5,000 toward living costs for the entire study period, awarded only for the first year (20–25 available per year).Can I start in February and still apply? A: No — students starting in February cannot apply; your Master's programme must start in September 2027.Will my VUFP be extended into the second year of a two-year programme? A: Yes, if 100% of the ECTS during the first year have been achieved; no re-application is needed.What is expected of me as a VUFP scholar? A: As an international student ambassador you answer questions from prospective international students (e.g. via the Unibuddy chat platform) for the duration Can I apply for the VUFP for more than one Master's programme? A: No — you must choose only one programme for the VUFP application, and you can submit your application only once.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Netherlands · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam