Why Study in Amsterdam at Vrije Universiteit?

Reasons to study at VU Amsterdam

• Personal supervision

  VU Amsterdam devotes considerable attention to personal study advice during your studies. Right at the start of your course of study, you will be introduced to your programme’s study advisor. This person will offer you advice about any problems that you might have with your course of study, and answer questions about the job market. 

• Unique identity

  VU Amsterdam was the first university in the Netherlands established by a private person, with no interference from the church or the state. This heritage is still very much part of who we are: VU stands for Vrije Universiteit, which translates literally as 'Free University.' From the very beginning, the university has determined its own areas of research, created its own study programmes and practised its own didactic methods.

• Easily accessible

  VU Amsterdam is readily accessible by public transport. Schiphol airport is a major European hub, and several important European capital cities are within a few hours train journey of Amsterdam. Amsterdam Zuid Station is within walking distance of VU Amsterdam. There is also a rapid metro connection to Amsterdam Central Station or Amsterdam Sloterdijk Station. VU Amsterdam is also easy to reach by car, being situated close to Amsterdam’s orbital motorway.

  Our history as a small trading nation means that connections with neighbouring countries and the wider world are very strong; this is reflected in the culture of business and education, in which an outward-looking, open approach is greatly valued.

• University campus

  Almost all of our students, staff and programmes are located on campus: a single building complex in the business district of Amsterdam. Accordingly, in the course of your studies, it is very easy to familiarize yourself with other disciplines.

• Amsterdam

  There are many reasons to study in Amsterdam. Despite its small size, the Netherlands has had a disproportionate impact on world affairs, from innovation to sport and environmental management. Combine this with a high quality of life, good transport links and access to world-class education, and it will become clear why students from all corners of the world have chosen to study here.

• Accreditation

  VU Amsterdam is fully recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Education as a research university. All Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at VU Amsterdam are either accredited by or in the process of being accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders. This body was established by international treaty and guarantees the quality of higher education in the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium through the accreditation of study programmes.

• International environment

  About 10% of the student population is made up of international students. Our International Office offers excellent services and assists you with housing, visa and/or residence permits (if applicable) and the administrative side of studying in the Netherlands.

• Study abroad

  During your studies at VU Amsterdam, you have the opportunity to go study abroad. As an exchange student, you will study at a VU partner university for a semester. It's a unique academic challenge during which you will live and study in an international environment. A guaranteed boost for your career and personal development. All in all, an unforgettable experience during your studies.

  VU students on exchange

• Innovative and creative

  The Netherlands is a land of innovators, from scientists to engineers, artists and entrepreneurs. This is due in no small part to the education system, which places a high value on original solutions and the active involvement of students.

  Renowned masters such as Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt van Rijn have been followed by more recent figures such as the architect Rem Koolhaas and the designers Victor & Rolf, while a booming film and television industry cements the reputation of the Netherlands as a land of creativity.

• Multicultural

  The Netherlands has long been a destination for immigration; this has led to a multicultural society in which difference is celebrated and people are open-minded and tolerant. In addition, the Dutch are masters of foreign languages – in addition to their own language, most people speak fluent English and often another language such as German or French.

• Quality of life

  The quality of life in the Netherlands is among the highest in the world. A high level of social coherence, extensive investment in public facilities (including public transport), excellent healthcare facilities and a surprising amount of green space for such a densely populated country mean that the Dutch are amongst the most content people in the world.

Scholarships offered by VU Amsterdam for non-EU/EEA students

• VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP)

  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 2026. 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 have a degree from an education institution in the Netherlands.
      • you are not currently enrolled in a Bachelor or Master programme in the Netherlands. 
    • You do not need to complete a preparatory programme before the start of your Master.

  Information about GPA requirements

  We base our grade conversion on data collected by expert institutions, such as ECCTIS (UK). The comparison between the Dutch and foreign grade is based on grade distribution statistics, so how often a certain grade is given. This methodology ensures that a student who is successful in one country will be regarded as equally successful in another country. This way, we ensure all applications are treated fairly and equally. It is important to realise that grade comparison is not as simple as calculating that the grade 8 out of 10 is equivalent to, for example 80%, 16/20 or 3.2/4.
  
  Furthermore, a grade 8 or higher is considered a very high and therefore a quite rare grade in the Netherlands, as a result of Dutch grading culture. This means that only a small portion of students will graduate with a GPA of at least an 8 out of 10. Thus, when we compare Dutch grades to foreign grades, only a small portion of the distribution of foreign grades qualifies for the minimum GPA requirement to apply for the VUFP Scholarship. Moreover, meeting the minimum GPA requirement is only a minimum that should be reached so we accept and process your application, and is by no means a guarantee to actually be offered the VUFP Scholarship. The total score used to rank all applicants is based on several factors, of which GPA is only one.
  
  Other factors (such as your motivation for this university/specific programme, future ambitions, extracurricular activities, etc. – please see the application form for more detail) also play a significant part in the scoring process. In addition, as we can offer only a small number of scholarships to a large number of applicants, only a very small percentage of all VUFP Scholarship applicants are offered this scholarship in the end.

  VUFP and two-year 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 2025/2026 are not eligible to apply for the VUFP scholarship for 2026/2027.

  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 NL Scholarship 

  When applying for the VUFP scholarship, you automatically also apply for the NL Scholarship (formerly HSP). No separate application is necessary. 

  NL Scholarship is a contribution towards the costs of living. It is €5,000 or €10,000 for the entire duration of your study period. Please note:

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

  Application procedure

  Step 1: Register for a Master’s programme (from 1 October 2025)  
  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 2025

  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 2025. 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 2025)
  Submit your VUFP application in your personal VU dashboard. 

  Please note that you can apply for the VUFP only for one Master's 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 2026 (23:59 CET)

  To apply please fill out the VUFP-NLS application form. Older versions of the application form will not be accepted. At the end of the form, 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 1 February 2026 (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 2026 (6 weeks after the deadline).
  
  Step 5: Acceptance of VUFP or NL Scholarship offer
  Selected candidates accept/decline the VUFP and NL Scholarship offer in their personal VU dashboard. Deadline: end of March 2026 (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 NL scholarships than VUFP. This means that not all VUFP recipients will receive NL Scholarship.
  • If you have not been awarded VUFP, you also have not been awarded NL Scholarship.
  • A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another academic year.

  Conditions VUFP Scholarship Programme

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

  As one of our most excellent students, you agree to become an international student ambassador during your studies at VU Amsterdam. As an ambassador for our university, you will, for example, answer questions from prospective international students that contact you through the Unibuddy chat platform. In this way, you can contribute to our international community.

  You will be a VU ambassador for the duration of your Master studies. In October, the ambassador team will organise a Kick-Off session to explain the details of the programme. We will also provide you with an Ambassador Handbook.

  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. 

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

• NL Scholarship

  The NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship Programme) 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 NL Scholarship. This is because they pay the lower (statutory) tuition fee.

  Scholarship amount

  NL Scholarship is a contribution towards the costs of living. It is €5,000 or €10,000 for the entire duration of your study period. Please note:

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

  Application criteria

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

  Application procedure

  1. Follow the VUFP scholarship application (from 1 November 2025)
     Please follow the VUFP application process as described above. Deadline: 1 February 2026 (23:59 CET)
  2. Decision
     The Central Scholarship Committee decides which students will be offered NL 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 2026 (6 weeks after the deadline).
  4. Acceptance of NL Scholarship offer
     Selected candidates accept/decline the NL Scholarship offer in their personal VU dashboard. 
     
     Deadline: end of March 2026 (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 NL Scholarships than VUFP. This means that not all VUFP recipients will receive NL Scholarship.
  • If you have not been awarded VUFP, you also have not been awarded NL Scholarship.
  • A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be postponed to another academic year.

  Conditions NL Scholarship

  The conditions for the NL Scholarship can be found here.

  Contact

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

  The NL Scholarship is financially supported by VUvereniging: a social network of people who are connected to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

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