Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES)
Offered by University of Amsterdam
About this scholarship
The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES) is the University of Amsterdam's flagship merit scholarship for exceptionally talented international master's students from outside the European Economic Area. It is a full scholarship worth up to €25,000, covering both tuition and living expenses for one academic year, with the possibility of extension to a second year for two-year master's programmes. The AES is highly competitive and awarded to only a small number of outstanding students each year. To be considered, applicants must hold a non-EEA nationality, rank in the top 10% of their class, and have an overall GPA of at least 8 on the Dutch 1–10 scale (or equivalent). The scholarship application is separate from the master's programme application: you apply for admission to an eligible UvA master's online, and submit the AES scholarship application (which may require postal submission of documents) at the same time, by the mid-January deadline. Selection is based on academic excellence and motivation.
Eligibility
- Hold a non-EEA nationality
- Rank in the top 10% of your class with an overall GPA of at least 8/10
- Apply for admission to an eligible University of Amsterdam master's programme
- Submit the separate AES scholarship application by the deadline
- Meet the English-language requirements of your chosen programme
This opens the official program page — look for the “Apply” button there. Always verify amounts and deadlines on the official site; they change each cycle.
Last verified by us: 2026-06-01.