Are you a student seeking an exciting opportunity or scholarship to support your degree program? Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands inviting online application for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) for Masters programs. Don’t let this fantastic chance pass you by by missing the application deadline! In this article, we’ll go over this scholarship program’s features, benefits, and step-by-step application process. 

About Leiden University Excellence Scholarship

International students can apply for the tuition-free Leiden University Excellence Scholarship 2023–2024. The average annual award from this scholarship is €15,000. International students are invited to apply for the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree there.

Please note that the application for a Leiden Excellence Scholarship for study programmes starting on February 1st in 2024 will open at the beginning of October 01, 2023.

About University

Leiden University is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Leiden University consistently ranks among the best universities in the world by prominent international ranking tables.

It is being placed in the top 50 worldwide in thirteen fields of study in the 2020 QS World University Rankings: classics & ancient history, politics, archaeology, anthropology, history, pharmacology, law, public policy, public administration, religious studies, arts & humanities, linguistics, modern languages and sociology.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship Coverage

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

• € 10,000 of the tuition fee
• € 15,000 of the tuition fee
• Total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee

Leiden University Excellence Eligibility Criteria

1. Non-EU/EEA international students are eligible for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship

2. In prior academic education, the student must have achieved excellent study results which are relevant for the programme for which the student wishes to enrol. As an indication, the student will be among the top 10% for the relevant programme followed abroad.

3. The student has a non-EU/EEA passport and is not eligible for support under the Dutch student finance system “Studiefinanciering”. For more information, please refer to: www.duo.nl. This does not apply to LLM Advanced Studies programmes and the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy. For these programmes, the LExS programme is open to all nationalities.

4. The LExS is only valid for the period the student is registered at Leiden University as a full time student within the time frame of the study programme. The maximum study period for a 1-year programme (60EC) is 12 months. The maximum study period for a 2-year programme (120EC) is 24 months.

5. Continuation of the LExS is not guaranteed when a student changes their degree programme during the course of their studies. Requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis and the final decision will be taken by the relevant faculty selection committee(s). If the change of degree programme takes place before the student has registered on the study programme, the LExS scholarship will be revoked and the student will have to re-apply for the scholarship.

6. A LExS granted for the academic year as specified in the decision letter cannot be transferred to another academic year or to a later intake within the same academic year. If a student has been awarded a LExS for the September (or February) intake and decides to postpone their participation in the study programme, the LExS will be revoked. Requests to transfer the LExS to a later intake will be reviewed on a case by case basis and the final decision will be taken by the relevant faculty selection committee(s).

7. For a 2-year programme (120EC), the student is required to obtain a minimum of 60 ECTS in the first year of study in order to retain their right to the LExS in the following academic year. In cases in which there is uncertainty concerning the number of ECTS obtained or required by a LExS recipient, Leiden University will determine the standard for satisfactory progress and the time and manner in which this is measured.

8. The student is not permitted to receive any additional full scholarships for the same study programme. Partial scholarships can be permitted in some cases but only with advance written permission from Leiden University. If a student is awarded and accepts another full scholarship, for example a government-funded scholarship or the Jean Monnet scholarship, they must notify Leiden University immediately.

9. A student is permitted to submit multiple scholarship applications. However, they may not accept more than one scholarship provided by or sponsored by Leiden University (including the CEU Praesidium Libertatis scholarship). It is also not possible to combine the LExS with scholarships provided via bilateral agreements with other educational institutions.

10. The LExS will not be awarded to students who are admitted to a second Master programme at Leiden University. 10. The student must comply with Dutch visa and residence permit regulations. In the event that the student lives outside The Netherlands during (part of) their studies, Leiden University reserves the right to adjust the amount of living expense allowance accordingly (if applicable).

11. The student must notify Leiden University immediately in case of any changes to their nationality, type of residence permit or eligibility for Dutch student finance (studiefinanciering) during the course of the academic year.

12. If the student terminates their studies prematurely, they must notify Leiden University scholarship team immediately. The student must also submit a request for termination of student registration via Studielink. If applicable, the student will subsequently receive a reimbursement of the tuition fee less the scholarship on a pro rata basis

13. Irrespective of the amount of scholarship awarded, all LExS awardees are still required to pay the statutory tuition fee to Leiden University. The statutory tuition fee is determined by the Dutch government and is the fee charged to Dutch and EU/EEA nationals who are registering for a first (under)graduate degree in the Netherlands. The statutory tuition fee is also known as the “home fee”. See the DUO website for details.

14. During their studies at Leiden University, the student will play an active role in activities to promote the LExS.

15. LExS awardees must accept their scholarship in the uSis scholarship portal by the deadline stated in the communication sent to them via uSis. If the awardee does not accept the scholarship before the deadline stated, the LExS scholarship will be withdrawn.

Leiden University Excellence Restriction Criteria

1. Scholarships will not 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).

2. Scholarships cannot be awarded to students who will follow an LLM (non-advanced) or MSc programme at Leiden Law School, as these programmes do not award LExS scholarships.

3. For LLM Advanced Studies programmes, scholarships are only awarded for programmes starting on 1 September. You cannot be awarded a scholarship for Adv LLM studies starting on 1 Feb.

4. For Master’s programmes at the Faculty of Science, scholarships are only awarded for programmes starting on 1 September. You cannot be awarded a scholarship for a Faculty of Science Master’s programme starting on 1 Feb.

5. It is not possible to combine the LExS with another scholarship financed by Leiden University.

6. 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.

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Required Documents

• Scholarship Application Form
• Academic Transcript
• Motivation Letter
• CV
• Recommendation Letter

How to Apply Leiden University Excellence Scholarship?

Please follow the following application instructions to apply for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships:

• Apply online for admission to a Master’s programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable.
• In the scholarship section of your online application, indicate that you wish to apply for a LExS.
• Upload your LExS motivation letter as instructed in your online application. This is a PDF file of max. 500 words, in which you explain why you would like to be considered for the award. If you wish to add more documents, click on the ‘+’ on the top-left corner of the document upload section.
• Submit your online application, containing your LExS application, before the LExS application deadline. Please be aware that submitting is final and no further canges can be made afterwards.
• If you apply for more than one study programme and wish to apply for a LExS for each, indicate this clearly in each application and upload a LExS motivation letter for each.
• If you are still unsure on how to apply, please check

Official Notification

Disclaimer: This is one-page summary of the scholarship not a official scholarship page. Although we make every effort to maintain the information current and accurate, changes may occur at any time without prior warning. We alway encourage you to  check the official scholarship page for the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive information. You solely bear the risk for any reliance you place on information obtained from NotesBard.com.