VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme (VUFP) 2027

Who can apply

Hold a non-EU/EEA passport and not be eligible for the lower tuition fee
Do not hold Dutch nationality
A bachelor's GPA at least equivalent to a Dutch 8.0 on the 1 to 10 scale, as decided by the VUFP Scholarship Committee; only the bachelor's GPA counts, even if you hold a master's
Conditionally or unconditionally admitted to the first year of a full-time, English-taught master's at VU Amsterdam starting in September 2027
The degree you are seeking admission with was not obtained in the Netherlands, you hold no degree from a Dutch institution and you are not currently enrolled in a Dutch bachelor's or master's
You do not need to complete a preparatory programme before the master's
February starters cannot apply, and joint programmes where VU does not run admissions are excluded
One VUFP application, for one master's programme only

Admission comes first, and that sets the real deadline

The VUFP is not something you apply for alongside your master’s application. VU only accepts a VUFP application from someone who already holds a conditional or unconditional offer for a master’s starting in September 2027. The scholarship window runs from 1 November 2026 to 1 February 2027, but VU advises applying for the master’s itself through its dashboard by 1 December 2026, and earlier if your programme has an intake or assessment. Admission decisions take time, so an applicant who waits until January may not have the offer in hand when the scholarship window closes. In practice, treat 1 December 2026 as your working deadline.

What the money does and does not pay for

VU states plainly that the VUFP “covers the tuition fees only”. There is no stipend and no housing support, and VU says you must finance rent, food and insurance yourself. This matters more than it looks: to get a Dutch student residence permit, non-EU students normally have to show they can pay their living costs for the year, and the VUFP will not help with that. Before applying, work out where your living costs will come from, whether savings, a sponsor, or a second scholarship that allows combining. VU’s pages say nothing about visa or residence permit fees, so assume these are your responsibility. The award can cover a one-year or two-year master’s, but the second year is paid only if you have achieved 100% of the first year’s ECTS.

How the application works, step by step

Once you are admitted, you submit your VUFP application in your personal VU dashboard. You fill out the VUFP-NLS application form for 2027-2028 (older versions are not accepted), paste your bachelor’s transcript or GPA proof and a grading scale explanation at the end, and upload everything as one PDF. An application with an unanswered question or a missing transcript is treated as incomplete and is not evaluated, and scores sent by email beforehand are not assessed. You can apply for only one master’s programme and can submit only once, so choose the programme you most want before you upload. The faculty of your programme reviews the applications and nominates candidates, and a central scholarship committee makes the final choice on academic performance and motivation. Results are expected around mid-March 2027.

The grade bar and how it is read

VU asks for a bachelor’s GPA equivalent to at least a Dutch 8.0. You do not convert your grades yourself: the VUFP Scholarship Committee decides the local equivalent of a Dutch 8.0, using conversion data from expert bodies such as ECCTIS and grade distribution statistics rather than a simple percentage formula. A Dutch 8 is a high and fairly rare grade, so do not assume your local first class or distinction converts automatically. Only your bachelor’s GPA is used, even if you already hold a master’s. Meeting the bar only gets your application processed. VU ranks applicants on several factors, including your motivation for the university and programme, future ambitions and extracurricular activities, and says only a very small percentage of applicants receive the award. VU has committed approximately one million euros to the programme but does not publish the number of awards.

Where the NL Scholarship fits in

When you apply for the VUFP you automatically apply for the NL Scholarship as well, with no separate form, although the selection is different. VU has around 20 to 25 NL Scholarships a year, which is fewer than the VUFP awards, so only a few VUFP winners receive one, and nobody gets an NL Scholarship without a VUFP. The amount is a contribution towards living costs, paid for the first year only. VU’s web page puts it at EUR 5,000, while its terms document says EUR 5,000 or EUR 10,000 for the whole study period, so confirm the figure in your offer. Our NL Scholarship entry explains how that national scheme works at other Dutch universities.

Conditions after you win

Winners agree to act as an international student ambassador for VU during their master’s, for example by answering questions from prospective students on the Unibuddy chat platform, with a kick-off session in October. A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another. Changing to another VU programme is allowed only in set circumstances and must be requested within six weeks of the original programme’s start. If anything stops you from completing the programme, such as leaving the university, you must tell VU’s International Office in writing immediately. VU also reserves one VUFP award for an applicant who previously completed a semester or year at VU through its Semester in Amsterdam programme.