Scholarships for international Master's students

The VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) offers talented prospective non- EU/ EEA students the unique opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. VU Amsterdam has committed to providing approximately 1 million euros towards attracting highly motivated and excellent students. 

Eligible candidates  

• You hold a non- EU/ EEA passport and you are not eligible for the lower tuition fee.
• You do not have the Dutch nationality.
• You can prove your academic excellence (GPA equivalent to a Dutch 8).
• You are conditionally or unconditionally admitted to the first year of a full-time English-taught Master’s programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam starting per September 2024. Please note that:
  • students starting in February cannot apply,
  • joint programmes where VU Amsterdam does not administer the admission process are excluded from VUFP.
• The degree with which you are seeking admission has not been obtained in the Netherlands.
• You do not need to complete a preparatory programme before the start of your Master.

 VUFP and 2 year study programmes

The VUFP scholarship can be granted for a one or two-year Master’s programme. The scholarship will only be extended for the second year of a two-year Master’s programme if 100% of the ECTS of the first year have been achieved.

Students already enrolled in a two-year Master’s programme who have not been awarded the VUFP scholarship in 2023/2024 are not eligible to apply for the VUFP scholarship for 2024/2025.

Scholarship amount 

The VUFP scholarship covers the tuition fees only. It does not provide any additional allowance towards study or living costs, like rent, food, insurances. Be aware that you must be able to finance these living expenses by yourself.

Combining the VUFP with the Holland Scholarship Programme (HSP)

When applying for the VUFP scholarship, you automatically also apply for the HSP. No separate application is necessary. 

HSP is a contribution towards the costs of living. It is 5.000 EUR or 10.000 EUR for the entire duration of your study period. Please note:

• The HSP scholarship is awarded only for the first year of your study programme. You will not receive the HSP scholarship for the second year of your studies even if you are following a two-year study programme.
• We have around 20- 25 HSP scholarships available. Only a few of the VUFP awardees will get the HSP scholarship.

Application procedure

Step 1: Register for a Master’s programme (from 1 October 2023)  
Register for a Master's programme in Studielink and after that in your personal dashboard on vu.nl. Here you can find more information on how to apply for one of our English-taught Master’s programmes. Please note that you must have been already conditionally admitted to the Master’s programme before you can apply for the VUFP scholarship.
Advised deadline Master's programme application: 1 December 2023

It is essential that you submit your programme application in time if you wish to apply for the scholarships. Realistically, you should aim to submit your programme application no later than 1 December. And if your programme’s admission procedure includes an intake/assessment, we advise you to submit your complete programme application even earlier.

Step 2: Submit VUFP application (from 1 November 2023)
Submit your VUFP application in your personal VU dashboard. 

Please note that you can apply for the VUFP only for one master programme! This means that if you apply for several master degrees, when submitting your VUFP application you must choose for which master programme you wish to do so. 

Deadline VUFP application: 1 February 2024 (23:59 CET)

To apply please fill out this form and at the end of it paste the GPA proof/ programme transcript and a grading scale explanation. Once done, save it as a one file in .PDF format and upload it in the Scholarship section of your personal dashboard on vu.nl (located on the Complete Registration page).

Answer all questions and include the GPA proof/ programme transcript. Not answering one or more questions or not including the GPA proof/ programme transcript will result in your application being considered incomplete.

Please note that you can submit your application only once. Make sure to double check if your application is complete and sufficient before submitting it. You will not be allowed to submit it again!

Extra information regarding proof of excellence (programme transcript or a GPA proof) and a grading scale
Please upload the transcript and grading scale of your bachelor’s degree with a clear explanation of the GPA calculation. Excellence in previous (bachelor) education is proven if the grade point average achieved is at least equivalent to the Dutch grade of an 8.0 on the Dutch grading scale 1 – 10. 

You do not need to convert your grades to the Dutch ones. The VUFP Scholarship Committee will do that by deciding on the local grade equivalents for the Dutch grade of an 8.0.

Please note:

- Even if you have already completed a Master’s degree, for VUFP application purposes, we will look only at your GPA from your bachelor’s degree. This is to ensure that all applicants have a fair chance.

- If you haven’t yet officially graduated, please provide us with the GPA proof/ programme transcript showing your most up- to- date grades.

Step 3: Decision
The Central VUFP Committee decides which students will be offered a VUFP scholarship. All VUFP applications received by Wednesday 1 February 2024 (23:59 CET) will be reviewed by the faculty of the applied for Master’s programme. Faculties will then nominate applicants to the Central Scholarship Committee, which will subsequently award scholarships to the most talented students. The results will be based on the academic performance and motivation.

Step 4: Results
All students will receive an e-mail/ notification informing them of the Central Scholarship Committee’s decision concerning their application. Expected date: mid-March 2024 (6 weeks after the deadline).

Step 5: Acceptance of VUFP or HSP offer
Selected candidates accept/decline the VUFP and HSP offer in their personal VU dashboard. Deadline: end of March 2024 (2 weeks after the results have been published).

Kindly note the following:

- You can accept/decline the offer in your personal VU dashboard on vu.nl.

- If you do not take action within 2 weeks after receiving the results, the offer will be withdrawn.

- There are fewer HSP scholarships than VUFP. This means that not all VUFP recipients will receive HSP.

- If you have not been awarded VUFP, you also have not been awarded HSP.

- A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another academic year.

VUFP and Semester in Amsterdam

One VUFP scholarship will be reserved for an applicant who previously completed a semester or full academic year abroad at VU Amsterdam via the Semester in Amsterdam programme and who is now applying for a full-time Master's programme at VU Amsterdam. If you are applying as a Semester in Amsterdam alumnus or alumna, please complete the regular application procedure and then email semesterinamsterdam@vu.nl to inform the staff that you applied for a VUFP scholarship. 

Conditions VUFP Scholarship Programme

The conditions for the VUFP Scholarship Programme can be found here.

Current VUFP scholars

VUFP scholars enrolled in a two year Master’s programme do not need to re-apply for the VUFP scholarship for the second year. Their VUFP will be extended for the second year if they have obtained 100% of the ECTS of the first year. We will email you around July- August to let you know if your scholarship will be extended or not. If you have not obtained 100% of the required ECTS due to circumstances outside of your control, please contact us as soon as possible.
 

Complaint procedure

If you do not agree with the decision of the Scholarship Committee, you may file a written complaint to vufp@vu.nl. Complaints regarding the application procedure (not the results!) should be addressed to the student ombudsman by e-mail and must include:

• Your name and full address.
• Details of the selection procedure that you do not agree with.
• The grounds for complaint: why are you unable to accept the selection procedure?
• Date and signature.

For pressing questions regarding the VUFP scholarship, please email: vufp@vu.nl.

The VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) is financially supported by VUvereniging: a social network of people who are connected to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

The Holland Scholarship Programme (HSP) is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Dutch research universities, and universities of applied sciences. Students eligible for this scholarship are students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who are applying for the first year of a Master’s programme in the Netherlands. Students from Suriname and Switzerland are not eligible to apply for the HSP scholarship. This is because they pay the lower (statutory) tuition fee.

Scholarship amount

HSP is a contribution towards the costs of living. It is 5.000 EUR or 10.000 EUR for the entire duration of your study period. Please note:

• The HSP scholarship is awarded only for the first year of your study programme. You will not receive the HSP scholarship for the second year of your studies even if you are following a two-year study programme.
• We  have around 20- 25 HSP scholarships available. Only a few of the VUFP awardees will get the HSP scholarship.

Application criteria

When applying for the VUFP scholarship, you automatically apply also for the HSP. No separate application is necessary. Eligibility criteria for the HSP are the same as for the VUFP.

Application procedure

1. Follow the VUFP scholarship application (from 1 November 2022)
Please follow the VUFP application process as described above. 

Deadline: 1 February 2023 (23:59 CET)

2. Decision
The Central Scholarship Committee decides which students will be offered HSP scholarship.

3. Results
All students will receive an e-mail/ notification informing them of the Central Scholarship Committee’s decision concerning their application. 

Expected date: mid-March 2023 (6 weeks after the deadline).

4. Acceptance of HSP offer
Selected candidates accept/decline the HSP offer in their personal VU dashboard. 

Deadline: end of March 2023 (2 weeks after the results have been published).

Kindly note the following:

- You can accept/decline the offer in your personal VU dashboard on vu.nl.

- If you do not take action within 2 weeks after receiving the results, the offer will be withdrawn.

- There are fewer HSP scholarships than VUFP. This means that not all VUFP recipients will receive HSP.

- If you have not been awarded VUFP, you also have not been awarded HSP.

- A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another academic year.

Conditions Holland Scholarship Programme

The conditions for the Holland Scholarship Programme can be found here.

Contact

For any further questions please contact us through: hsp@vu.nl

The Holland Scholarship Programme (HSP) is financially supported by VUvereniging: a social network of people who are connected to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

The VU Fellowship programme sponsors the Orange Tulip Scholarship programme. It is now possible for excellent students from India and Indonesia to apply for this highly selective VUFP / OTS scholarship.

Value

OTS scholarship is a tuition fee waiver. This scholarship does not offer any additional allowance towards living costs.

    • India (two scholarships available)
    • Indonesia (two scholarships available)
    

Deadline

1 February 2023

Fields of study

Eligible candidates should be admitted to one of the English-taught Master's degree programmes at VU Amsterdam. In addition, OTS candidates need to have applied for the VUFP in their VU dashboard.

Application procedure

Students apply for the specific OTS programme (India, Indonesia). Please see the specific NESO website:  

   
     NESO India   
     NESO Indonesia
   

• Students need to apply separately for a VUFP scholarship. Deadline for OTS is the same as the regular deadline for VUFP scholarship: 1 February 2023.
• OTS will make the selection for the OTS candidates.
• OTS will send their selection before 1 March to the Central VUFP Scholarship Committee.
• The Central Scholarship Committee will confirm the OTS selection.

The Fulbright Center welcomes 20 to 25 students from the U.S. to the Netherlands each year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Our programs have been changing lives for 70 years, but we have remained unchanged in our commitment to fostering transformative experiences through education and the promotion of mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and the Netherlands. 

Eligibility

Only students from the U.S. can apply for the Fulbright scholarship. U.S. students currently residing in the Netherlands will not be considered for any awards to the Netherlands. Also, U.S. students with both U.S. and Dutch citizenship are excluded. In addition, this grant is also not available for US students with another EU nationality who intend to study at the VU on the basis of their EU nationality, or a spousal EU visa.

Institution profile

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is ranked among Europe’s top research universities and provides an internationally oriented community in which students can develop their full potential. A high level of ambition characterizes research and education at this university. Free and open communication of ideas, strongly oriented toward people and society, are encouraged. The university seeks renewal, using the strength of the variety of academic disciplines, nationalities, ideologies and social convictions that exist in the environment.

VU Amsterdam offers a competitive range of research and academic graduate programs, covering all major academic disciplines. The university is located in one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in the Netherlands in which employees with an international background are widely appreciated. Amsterdam is the most culturally diverse city in the world, boasting 179 different nationalities, where English is widely spoken.

Language

Some knowledge of Dutch is useful at the time of arrival in the Netherlands, but not mandatory. The grants are available only for Master’s programmes taught in English.

Grant period

12 months, starting 1 September.

Fulbright scholars that have been granted the scholarship for a two year Master's programme will be eligible to receive a VUFP scholarship for the second year, if they have achieved 100% of the credits of the first year.  

Candidate profile

Applicants must have strong motivation and excellent study results. Candidates must be admitted (at the time of application or later during the selection process for the Fulbright grant) to English-taught Master’s degree programs at VU Amsterdam. U.S. students currently residing in the Netherlands will not be considered for any awards to the Netherlands.

Grant benefits

The grant will be paid in 12 monthly instalments of €1,300. International travel will be reimbursed to a maximum of €1,000. The cost of the residence permit (approximately €250) will be covered as well. Tuition fees are not waived, but differ per program.

Dependents

No dependent allowance is available.

Application procedure

Apply for the Fulbright grant by the deadline of 12 October 2022. Here you can find more information on how to apply.

After the application for the Fulbright grant the students prepare their application for the VU Fulbright award and submit this before 15 January 2023 at the latest.

Decisions

The Fulbright Commission and the VU programs in the Netherlands will make their decision, and once both decisions have been taken, the student will be informed, usually in March or April.

Contact

For further information about the Fulbright grant, please contact Ms. Linda Pietersen - l.pietersen@fulbright.nl. For more information about the programs of VU Amsterdam contact vufp@vu.nl.

Homepage Fulbright Center (Dutch)   

Homepage Fulbright Student Programme

Fulbright Grant Amounts

Who can apply for this fellowship?

Eligible candidates must:

1. Be a professional and national of, and working and living in one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Colombia, Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen. 
2. Have an employer’s statement that complies with a prescribed format, please download. All information must be provided and all commitments that are included in the format must be endorsed in the statement. You will not be eligible for the fellowship if you fail to submit this document. Depending on your country of employment, you might need a government statement. As this scholarship is for working professionals, applications from students will not be taken into consideration.
3. Not be employed by a company or organisation that has its own means of staff- development, like for example:
   - Multinational corporations (e.g., Shell, Unilever, Microsoft).
   - Large national and/or a large commercial organisation.
   - Bilateral donor organisations (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid).
   - Multilateral donor organizations, (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB).
   - International NGO’s (e.g., Oxfam, Plan, Care).
4. Have an official and valid passport.
5. The scholarship applicant has been admitted to the course or programme for which they wish an OKP scholarship. (The admission must be unconditional in terms of your education and language proficiency, deadline 30 March 2023).
6. Knock-out criteria: Your background fits into one or more priority areas as mentioned in the OKP country focus document. This is a knock-out criteria by the OKP programme as your fellowship application will not enter the assessment stage if you do not meet these criteria.

Application procedure for OKP Scholarship

STEP 1: Check the conditions and eligibility criteria above and determine whether you can apply for the OKP scholarship.

STEP 2: Apply for academic admission directly by going through the application steps.

• Apply for the Master's programme at VU Amsterdam, information can be found here.
• Only a limited number of Master's programmes are registered for OKP, please check this list for all eligible Master's programmes.
• To apply for OKP, you have to be unconditionally admitted for the study programme at VU Amsterdam on 30 March at the latest, in terms of your education and language proficiency. Conditional admission may be granted only subject to you finding suitable funding for the programme. You are strongly advised to seek academic admission as early as possible to allow the institution to process your application in time (please note the Faculty’s Admission Board needs four to six weeks to decide upon your admission). 

Candidates from Indonesia

VU Amsterdam does not offer scholarships for the joint scholarship programme LPDP/OKP for 2023-2024.

For more information check the information on the Study in Holland website.

STEP 3: Apply for the OKP Master’s Scholarship via Delta

(All nationalities mentioned above, except for candidates from Indonesia).

• Deadline for the application via Delta is 30 March 16.00 CET. 
• Apply for the OKP Master Courses Round 1 2023 via Delta, the online application tool for OKP scholarships. 

You will need to upload the following documents in Delta. Each uploaded document should be prepared in PDF format and not exceed 2MB: 

• Copy passport.  
• Employer’s statement.  
• Admission letter from VU Amsterdam.
• Government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable). 

STEP 4: Nomination and selection procedure

• 13 April 2023: VU Adam nominates applications for the selection of the Dutch Embassy.
• 25 May 2023: Selection of Dutch Embassy must be completed.
• 8 June 2023: Successful applicants will be informed about the outcome of the scholarship application.

Other scholarship conditions

Level of study: Master's programmes

• Scholarship in €: Full scholarship including tuition fee, visa, insurance, a reimbursement of your flight ticket, a monthly allowance of 970 euros and a one-time payment of study material of 585 euros.
• Deadline: 30 March 2023, 16.00 CET.
• Master's programmes must start between 24 July 2023 and 31 January 2024.

More information 

• Website Study in Holland

NN Group has decided to no longer continue with the NN FM Scholarship programme and shifts its focus to other projects to support people in the area of financial, physical and mental well-being. Therefore, it will be no longer possible to apply for the scholarship. Please contact external.communications@nn-group.com if you have any further questions.

Colfuturo (for Colombian  students)

COLFUTURO is a Colombian non-profit foundation that was established in 1991 with the support of the National Government and some of the most important companies of the private sector in the country at that time. Its main objective is to provide financial support and increase the possibilities of Colombian citizens to access high-quality postgraduate study programs abroad. With a total population of 47 million inhabitants, only 4% of Colombia’s professionals have postgraduate degrees, of which only 2% have Master’s degrees and less than 1% have Doctorate-level degrees. Thanks to this initiative, students, after finishing their postgraduate studies, return to the country and encourage the promotion of constant social, economic and cultural transformation in Colombia.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT MODEL:

The financial support model we use is a Scholarship-Loan. COLFUTURO offers each student up to US $50,000, which may be requested in full, even if the program is one year. Students may be awarded scholarships for 80% of the loaned amount, provided they accomplish these requirements: (1) be awarded their postgraduate degree, (2) return to Colombia, and (3) remain in the country for three to five years.

APPLICATION:

Information how and where to apply for this scholarship- loan can be found on Colfuturo website: https://www.colfuturo.org/

REQUIREMENTS:

To participate in COLFUTURO’s yearly application process, students shall follow the regular admission process to the program in the educational institution in the country of their choice. COLFUTURO does not get involved in the different universities’ or in their study programs’ application and selection processes. Additionally, applicants shall demonstrate advanced proficiency in a foreign language and hold an undergraduate degree, except for those students applying to double degree programs.

SELECTION:

The selection process considers three main criteria: academic quality of students, the quality of the study program, and the comparison amongst all applicants, maintaining each student’s anonymity. The academic quality of students is assessed with three aspects: undergraduate GPA (Grade Point Average), ranking position within their graduating class and an essay.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Colfuturo students are entitled to a 30% discount on the tuition fees at VU Amsterdam. We provide individual invoices for all students clearly stating the original tuition fee and 30% discount offered by us. Students need to upload it in Colfuturo system to arrange the payments.

Students who are nominated for the Colfuturo have 2 years to make use of it (enroll at the selected university). For example list of nominated students we have received for 2020- 2021 is still valid for 2021- 2022 and 2022- 2023 academic years.

QUESTIONS?

For questions about the application, documents, eligibility criteria, results etc. please contact Colfuturo. In order to request your invoice or in case of questions regarding the payment of tuition fee please contact: vufp@vu.nl

FUNED (for Mexican students)

FUNED is a private operating foundation that promotes the professional careers of future Mexican leader through higher education providing complementary financial aid and scholarships for Mexicans pursuing Master's degrees abroad at one of the best 200 universities and 100 best programs worldwide.

APPLICATION:

Information how and where to apply for this scholarship- loan can be found on FUNED website: https://www.funedmx.org/

REQUIREMENTS:

To apply for FUNED funding you need to meet the following requirements:

- Be a Mexican national.

-Have achieved a GPA of 8.0 minimum of 10 point scale in their first degree program (i.e., Licenciatura) and to hold a first degree Mexican "Título."

- Submit to FUNED an official Certificate of Admission issued by VU Amsterdam.

- Submit your application to FUNED no later than 90 days before leaving to study their Master's degree.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

FUNED can be combined with funding from CONACYT for studies in the field of Health. It can also be combined with funding from EdukPro.

FUNED students are entitled to a 30% discount on the tuition fees at VU Amsterdam. We provide individual invoices for all students clearly stating the original tuition fee and 30% discount offered by us. Students need to send them to FUNED to arrange the payments.

QUESTIONS?

For questions about the application, documents, eligibility criteria, results etc. please contact FUNED. In order to request your invoice or in case of questions regarding the payment of tuition fee please contact: vufp@vu.nl

The STUNED Scholarship Programme is open for professionals from Indonesia who have completed a Bachelor's programme (S1). It is aimed in particular at teacher-educators, government officials (central and regional), NGO employees and journalists. The programme gives priority to candidates from outside Java and takes account of gender equality. However, strongly motivated candidates from all other sectors including the private sector are encouraged to apply. PhD students are not eligible for grants under this programme. See for more information STUNED Scholarship Programme.

Unfortunately it is not possible to apply for STUNED Scholarship Programme in 2023- 2024 academic year. 

Funding for Indonesian students who wish to pursue a Master's or PhD degree through the LPDP programme (Indonesia Endowment Fund of Education). See for more information Indonesia Endowment Fund of Education (LPDP)

Note: VU Amsterdam does not offer scholarships for the joint scholarship programme LPDP/OKP for 2023-2024.

The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme, a project funded by the EU, aims at increasing the number of experts in the EU field and supporting Turkey’s administrative capacity building efforts for the effective implementation of the EU acquis within the framework of Turkey’s negotiation process for the full membership to the EU. The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme began in the 1990-1991 academic year and is one of the longest running projects in Turkey.

Within the scope of the Scholarship Programme, Turkish public officials, graduate students (master/PhD), academic and administrative staff of the universities in Turkey as well as employees of the private sector and NGOs may apply. Scholars shall only conduct academic studies at graduate or research level at a university or similar institution in one of the EU member countries for periods of minimum 3, maximum 12 months. Academic studies longer than 12 months will not be supported even if the scholars are willing to fund the remaining period.

Scholarships are granted exclusively for academic studies directly related to Turkey’s EU harmonisation process and the EU acquis. The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme plays an important role in developing a better understanding of EU standards, legislation and implementation of EU acquis in EU member states among scholars who are believed to take an active role in the accession process of the Turkey to the EU. What is more, the Scholarship Programme aims to increase cultural exchange and intercultural dialogue that are essential to the development of EU-Turkey relations. 

For more information about the application process please visit www.jeanmonnet.org.tr.

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) offers financial aid for eligible students from the U.S. to help cover the cost of higher education. Eligible students borrow directly from the ED at participating schools. 

As a foreign school, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has participated in the Direct Loan Program for several years and will continue its participation in the program as an eligible school for the academic year 2023-2024.

How to apply for the Direct Loan

To see how to apply for the Direct Loan during your studies with us please click here. 

US Loans Guide

For more information about US loans please have a look at the US Loans Guide. In this guide you can find detailed information on the following topics:

    - General information about direct loans
    - Applying for financial aid
    - Application procedures
    - Financial information
    - Procedures at VU Amsterdam
    - SAP, brief description
    - Exit counselling
    - In School Deferment Request
    - Refund policy
    - Alcohol and drugs

Questionnaire VU

To start the loan application, please fill out the questionnaire and mail the form to usloanprogram@vu.nl.

NB: Vrije Universiteit does not receive any automatic messages from the United States telling us that you have applied or re-applied for a Direct Loan. If you would like to take out a loan, you therefore have to mail us the questionnaire after making your loan application in the FAFSA system. Only then can we start the origination process of the loan on our side.

Deadline

Deadlines for finalized applications 1st semester:

• 1 August 2023 - Access to Financial Aid in September
• 1 September 2023 - Access to Financial Aid in October
• 1 November 2023 - Access to Financial Aid in December

Deadlines for finalized applications 2nd semester:

• 1 January 2024 - Access to Financial Aid in February
• 1 February 2024 - Access to Financial Aid in March
• 1 April 2024 - Access to Financial Aid in May

Using your loan to pay for tuition fee
If you take out a Federal Direct Loan, you should not pay tuition fee yourself, as the VU will deduct your tuition fee from your loan amount. To do so, you need to complete both your loan application and your enrolment with VU before 20 August.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All students applying for or receiving US Federal Aid (subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS) must progress satisfactory towards completion of the study programme at VU Amsterdam to remain eligible for federal financial aid. You can find detailed information in the SAP document.

Withdrawing?

If you have taken out loans and are considering withdrawing from your program, it may happen that you will have to return (a portion) of the funds. As such, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss the details. For more information on the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policy please click here. Additional information regarding our refund policy can be found here. 

Other useful resources:

Consumer information

Student loan management, loan repayment and loan default

Contact

VU Amsterdam
International Office / US Loan Team
De Boelelaan 1105
NL-1081 HV Amsterdam
Usloanprogram@vu.nl

For additional information on U.S. federal loans, please visit the Direct Loans website of the U.S. Department of Education.

SallieMae is a loan provider in the US, who offers private loans to US students to cover their costs for their study period abroad. Only students with the American nationality are eligible for this type of loan. The loan is meant to finance your stay at VU Amsterdam and could cover your tuition fee, room and board, etc.

Eligible programmes

All degree programmes offered at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Bachelor, Master, LL.M, Research Master).

Application procedure 

Apply online for the loan: https://www.salliemae.com (our school code is: 008376-00).
Once done, please email us at usloanprogram@vu.nl to let us know that you have applied for it.  
For the details regarding the application procedure and payments of your SallieMae loan please have a look here. 

Deadlines 

Deadline for submitting the application for the study programme: 1 April
Deadline for informing the International Office by email of application to SallieMae: 1 July (access to the loan at the beginning of academic year)

Important notes

• Please read the procedure of VU Amsterdam carefully.

• SallieMae has the final decision on the approval/ denial of your loan application.
• Students are always fully responsible for the repayment of their loans to SallieMae.
• The loan period only covers for 1 year, which means that if you are participating in a study programme which takes longer than 1 academic year, you will have to submit a loan application for the following year.
• Please note that we pay your SallieMae loan in two equal instalments: one in August and another one in December. We will email you the specific dates upon receiving your application. (For students requesting their loan later in the academic year, we arrange alternative payments dates). 
• One of the requirements for being granted a residence permit in the Netherlands is that students must submit proof that they have sufficient financial means to finance their study period in the Netherlands. VU advises a budget, not including the tuition fee, of approx. €10,000 to €15,000 per year to cover the costs for rent, insurance, living expenses, course books and local transportation. How much money students actually spend will of course depend on their life style and spending habits.
• Loan applications with SallieMae must not exceed 180 days between the application date and disbursement date. For example, if the first disbursement is scheduled for 1 October, do not apply for the SallieMae loan earlier than 1 May.
• Whilst awaiting your loan, you need to arrange the payment of your tuition fee. Depending on your situation, you can either pay in one go or arrange payment in instalments (please see here for more information). Please note that payment in instalments is possible only if you have a bank account within the SEPA area. 

Disclaimer

The student is responsible for submitting a complete application, according to the steps described above before the aforementioned deadline. VU Amsterdam cannot be held responsible for late and/or incomplete applications.

The Erasmus+ Master Loan aims to support learning mobility, because studying abroad can be expensive– especially in countries with high living costs. The loan scheme is being established in cooperation with the European Investment Fund (Part of the EIB Group).

For more information please click here.