Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must belong to the top 10% of your graduating class.
- You must not hold an EU/EEA passport and not be eligible for support under the Dutch study grant and loan system.
- You must have completed your secondary school and/or bachelor’s degree outside the Netherlands.
- You must have applied for an international master’s programme with a start date of 1 September 2024. Not all programmes participate. Please check Master’s programme > Tuition fees and financial support to see if the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is mentioned as a scholarship opportunity.
Scholarship amount
The Utrecht Excellence scholarship can be awarded as:
- the tuition fee, or
- the tuition fee plus the income required for a period of one year linked to a residence permit for study as determined by the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).
The scholarship can be renewed for the second year of two-year master’s programmes.
Deadline
Prospective students who wish to be considered for the scholarship must apply before February 1st 23:59 CET. The application portal will close at this time. Selection will only start after the deadline. We aim to publish the results by mid-April.
Selection criteria
Eligible candidates will be selected for a scholarship based on the following criteria:
- Academic quality and promise in the proposed field of study, as evidenced by your master’s application.
- Academic excellence, as evidenced by proof of belonging to the top 10% of your graduating class (class ranking certificate, GPA with grade distribution summary, statement/reference letter signed and stamped by your university).
- The quality and relevance of your motivation letter for the master’s programme (academic content, intercultural and communication skills, personal motivation).
- The quality of the application for the master’s programme itself (completeness, accuracy, consistency).
How to apply
After submitting an application (or applications) for a UES eligible master’s programme before the stated deadline, non-EU/EEA students will have the opportunity to submit an application for one Utrecht Excellence Scholarship from 1 November 2023. You will see the UES application(s) in your OSIRIS Online Application account dashboard. Click view/edit for the UES linked (related process) to the programme you wish to apply for, upload the requested proof of belonging to the top 10% of your class, answer the questions and submit the application.
Funding
The funds for the scholarships come from the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship Fund, established by Utrecht University, and contributions from Utrecht University alumni.
