Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS) for Master's Study in the Netherlands

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship Programme (LExS) helps outstanding non-EEA/non-EFTA students pay for a full-time master's degree at Leiden University. It is not a full scholarship: it covers part of the tuition fee, and you still need to show proof of sufficient funds for your visa or residence permit. The award is open to students starting a qualifying master's programme at the university.

Leiden University, The Netherlands.

All full-time Masters programmes at Leiden University starting in September, except:

• Leiden Law School's LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes.

Scholarships cannot be awarded to students who will follow a study programme starting in February.

Leiden University only has around 25 LExS scholarships available each year, while over a thousand students apply for the scholarship. The number and type of award depends on the budget available for each Faculty department.

Non-EEA/non-EFTA nationals. For certain courses, all nationalities may apply (see below).

The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme. There are five available levels of awards:

• € 10,000 of the tuition fee
• € 15,000 of the tuition fee
• € 17,500 of the tuition fee
• € 18,500 of the tuition fee
• € 19,000 of the tuition fee

If and when awarded a LExS, the level of the award is final and non-negotiable.

The LExS is not a full scholarship and does not cover the full cost of your studies. Always keep in mind that a significant personal contribution will be required. Non-EEA LExS recipients must still submit 'proof of sufficient funds' for their student visa/residence permit application.

Students must have achieved excellent study results in their previous education, relevant to the Master's programme they are applying for. As an indication, the student is among the top 10% of graduates in their previous study programme. Note: proof of ranking is not required; this information is purely to indicate the level of competitiveness.

Applicants must have a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport and may not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans (Studiefinanciering). The exception is students applying for the LLM Advanced Studies programmes or the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy, for which no nationality restrictions apply.

EEA includes all EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

As the UK is a non-EEA country, students from the UK are eligible to apply for the LExS. This does not apply to applicants who were already living in the Netherlands and registered in their Dutch municipality's BRP before 1 January 2021.

Scholarships cannot be awarded to applicants who have already obtained a Leiden University Master's degree, with the exception of students applying for a Master programme for which a specified previous Master programme or work experience is mandatory (e.g. LLM Advanced Studies programmes).

It is not possible to combine the LExS with another full scholarship from an external provider. Students are obliged to notify the scholarships department if they receive a full scholarship from another source. In some circumstances, the LExS may be combined with a partial scholarship from an external provider. Contact the Scholarships Team for further details.

Students who are granted a LExS must comply with, and confirm in writing, their agreement with the Terms and conditions attached to the scholarship prior to the awarding of the scholarship.

You must first apply online for admission to a Master's programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable. It can take up to 3 working days to create/submit an application for admission, so start your application well before the LExS deadline.

After submitting your application for admission, return to the Apply screen in your online application and click on Scholarships. If you are eligible to apply for the LExS, it will now be visible in the scholarships section. If you cannot see the LExS in your scholarships section, you have either not yet submitted your application for admission, missed the deadline or are not eligible for the LExS.

Indicate that you want to apply for the LExS, then upload your LExS motivation letter. This must be a PDF file of max. 500 words, in which you explain why you would like to be considered for the award. After submitting your scholarship application, you cannot make changes to it either online or by sending additional items by email.

If you are applying for more than one study programme/specialisation and wish to apply for a LExS for each, you must submit a LExS application and motivation letter within each separate online application for admission.

Late scholarship applications will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure they create/submit both their application for admission and their application for a scholarship before the LExS deadline.

The deadline is 1 December 2026.

The faculty selection committees will nominate their LExS recipients within 10 weeks of the LExS deadline. All applicants will receive an email notifying them whether they have been awarded a LExS before the end of March.

Visit the official website (link below) to access the online application form and for detailed information on how to apply.