Exchange step 4: scholarships

Scholarships within Europe

• Erasmus+ scholarship for study

  Requirements and application

  The Erasmus Scholarship (Erasmus+) programme is an EU programme aimed at promoting international student mobility through funding for education, youth and sports. As a student, you can receive one Erasmus Scholarship for each phase of your studies. 

  Conditions 

  • You must be enrolled as a full-time, tuition fee-paying student at VU Amsterdam in the academic year in which you go on exchange. 
  • You must have completed the first year of your studies and have obtained 90 ECTS credits before commencing your academic stay abroad. 
  • There must be an exchange agreement between VU Amsterdam and the foreign university. The latter is known as the ‘partner university’. You can find an overview of all VU Amsterdam's European partner universities on the VU Study Abroad Map.
  • You must be selected to go on an exchange by the VU International Office. 
  • You will take care of the correct completion of all the needed forms in time, including all required signatures. 

  Minimum stay	Three months
  Maximum stay	Twelve months per cycle  (Bachelor, Master or Phd)*
  Destination	Partner university within the European Union and/or EEA (plus Serbia and Turkey, excluding Switzerland** and UK)
  Selection and forms	VU International Office will inform the students that are eligible for this scholarship and send them the application forms
  Application deadline	If you go on an Erasmus+ exchange in the first semester, you need to apply for the scholarship on vu.nl and upload the signed learning agreement and grant agreement before November 1st and the file must be complete before May 1st. If you go during the 2nd semester, you need to upload the agreements preferably before March 1st.
  Scholarship amount	The allowance depends on the country and ranges from €9 to €13 per day
  Finances and administration	erasmus@vu.nl

   *If you have received an Erasmus grant before, then these months will also be counted. 

  **Switzerland is not a partner in the Erasmus+ Programme, but it does have a similar programme for students coming to and departing from Switzerland.

  Selection

  Selected students will be informed by email and will receive application documents by email. 

  More information

  Check the Manual Erasmus+ scholarship for instructions, the timeline, how to apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship at VU.nl and FAQs.

  The grant will be paid in two instalments:

  1. 70% of your scholarship in September/October (if you handed in all of the documents before mid-August) for the 1^st semester. 
  2. You will receive the remaining 30% of the scholarship after your return, one month after you have handed in all documents. 

  Scholarship amount 

  The scholarship amount will depend on your destination country. Countries are divided into three categories based on cost of living.
  
  Below you can see the different country groups and the amount you will receive: 

  	Host country	Amount per month	Amount per day
  Group 1 - Programme countries with higher living costs	Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden	€390	€13
  Group 2 - Programme countries with medium living costs	Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Latvia,  Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain	€330	€11
  Group 3 - Programme countries with lower living costs	Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey	€330	€11

  You will receive a scholarship from the starting day of your exchange (including introduction) until and including your last exams.

  Travel distances	Green travel amount	Non-green travel amount
  Between 10 and 99 KM:	56 EUR per participant	28 EUR per participant
  Between 100 and 499 KM:	285 EUR per participant	211 EUR per participant
  Between 500 and 1999 KM:	417 EUR per participant	309 EUR per participant
  Between 2000 and 2999 KM:	535 EUR per participant	395 EUR per participant

  The Erasmus+ travel distance calculator represents the distance between the place of origin (VU Amsterdam) and the venue (host university), whereas the amount covers the contribution to the travel costs both to and from the venue. For the Erasmus+ students that travelled ‘green’ to their host university there is the green travel amount. That means you travelled for example by train, bus or shared car (carpooling).

  In order to be eligible for the Green Travel amount you have to fill out the ‘Statement Green Travel’.

  Extra funding on top of the Erasmus+ Grant

  Erasmus+ Fewer Opportunities Top-Up

  In line with the national guidelines we are able to offer the Erasmus+ Fewer Opportunities Top-Up to Erasmus+ students. This top-up is for students who belong to one or more of the groups below and the amount is €250 per month, on top of the existing Erasmus+ scholarship:

  1. Students with Economic barriers with a DUO supplementary grant
     In order to be eligible for this extra top-up you need to comply with the conditions of the Erasmus+ scholarship and have an official statement from DUO with the confirmation of being awarded the supplementary grant. On your Grant Agreement you can apply for the extra funding. In case you are unable to provide such a statement, please send an e-mail to erasmus@vu.nl. 
  2. Students with Disabilities or Health problems
     You can also apply for the Top-Up in case you have a disability or health problems. This amount is also €250 per month, on top of the existing Erasmus+ scholarship but can’t be combined with the ‘DUO’-top-up grant. In order to be eligible for this extra top-up you need to comply with the conditions of the Erasmus+ scholarship and have an official statement from a health care provider or organisation. In case you are unable to provide such a statement, please send an email to erasmus@vu.nl.

  Erasmus+ Inclusion Support

  Besides the Erasmus+ Fewer Opportunities Top-Up, students with a functional disability or health problems may also be eligible for the additional Erasmus+ Inclusion Support. This is meant for students who are expecting high additional costs of studying abroad that the Fewer Opportunities Top-Up won't fully cover. Some examples are wheelchair-accessible accommodation or high additional medical costs during the semester abroad.  

  To apply for this additional Erasmus+ grant, you will find some of the documents you need for your application below: 

  • a medical statement from a doctor 
  • a detailed budget for the required provisions, insofar as these expenses are not covered by another source 
  • correspondence showing that the host institution is aware of your intention to study there and is willing and able to meet your needs 

  Do you have a functional disability and wish to apply for this additional Erasmus+ grant? Please contact the Outgoing Exchange Team after selection so we can help guide you through the process. If you have any doubts about your eligibility for this scholarship, please reach out to us as well.
  
  Students are allowed to combine the Erasmus+ Fewer Opportunities Top-up with the Erasmus+ Inclusion Support scholarship. 

  We would like to encourage all students with additional support needs to apply for a study abroad and hope this additional funding will help you. In case you are still in doubt regarding your application for a study abroad, pleasedo not hestiate to contact the Outgoing Exchange Team
  
  At the end of May, Erasmus+ students will receive further instructions from the Erasmus+ office on how to apply for the Erasmus+ grant and the additional top-up.

  Online Linguistic Support 

  To support you, Erasmus+ has implemented the Online Linguistic Support (OLS). As a mobility participant, you have the opportunity to assess and improve your skills in the foreign language you will use to study, as well as the local language(s).  This means you can learn two languages in OLS. This will help you when you need to conduct your studies in one language, but you live in a community which speaks a different language. Take the chance to improve your skills! There is even an opportunity for live coaching via forum, tutoring sessions and MOOCs.  
  
  Find out more about the online linguistic support and course. 

• Erasmus+ scholarship for an internship

  Many master's programmes have a mandatory internship, which you can also do abroad. You are then eligible for an Erasmus+ internship scholarship.

  You can also do an internship of up to 5 months after completing your bachelor's or master's degree. This is a good preparation for the labour market. In this case you can apply for an Erasmus+ internship scholarship for recent graduates. For more information have a look here.

• Travel Grant

  As an Erasmus+ student, you will receive a travel grant that will support you financially regarding your travel costs. Students, who are travelling sustainably and therefore reduce their carbon footprint, will receive a higher amount than students who don’t. For the exact amount, please see the table under "Erasmus+ scholarship for study". If you would like to get some tips on how to reach each one of our Erasmus+ partner universities by train, please have a look on our Study Abroad Map. On this website, you can find some additional information regarding train tickets and other practicalities. 

  UK & Switzerland 

  Students, who travel by train or bus to their exchange semester in the UK or Switzerland, will be eligible for the VU Green Travel Grant of €212 EUR. With this grant, you can for example buy an Interrail ticket to use for your exchange journey. You can request this VU Green Travel Grant in Mobility Online, after you have completed your application. Please note that you will have to upload your train/bus ticket as proof. For more information about travelling green, please have a look at this website. 

• Other scholarships for studying abroad within Europe

  In addition to the regular scholarship options offered by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, there are other ways to get a grant or scholarship. You can find some of these possibilities below:

  • Erasmus+ Scholarship for internships, see under Internship inside Europe
  • Swiss-European Mobility Programme, SEMP
  • Fondswervingonline.nl
  • Nederlandse Interuniversitairy Arthistorical Institute
  • Nederlands Institute Athene
  • Nederlands Institute Rome
  • VSB fund
  • Scholarships from the Dutch institutie in Türkiye
  • TÜBITAK scholarships for study in Türkiye
  • Scholarships of the Turkish government

  There are various search engines that you can use to search for scholarships.:

  • Grantfinder
  • Scholarshipportal.eu
  • OEAD for scholarships in Austria 
  • Young Talent Group

Scholarships outside of Europe

• GLOBE scholarship

  The GLOBE scholarship programme aims at stimulating co-operation between Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and non-European higher education institutions. This scholarship is intended for students who want to study at a partner institution outside Europe for a minimum period of 3 months. 

  Conditions GLOBE scholarship programme

  • Candidates must be enrolled as a full time student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and therefore have paid their tuition fee for the academic year in which you are going on exchange.
  • Students must have obtained 90 ECTS, before the start of their study abroad.
  • Only students that are nominated at the host institution and selected by VU International Office can apply for a GLOBE scholarship in VU.nl. 
  • Scholarship amounts will be reclaimed when it appears that students have received it unjustly.

  Payment

  • End of September for students going abroad for the first semester.
  • End of January for students going abroad for the second semester.
  • The scholarship amount is €2500 in total for approximately 50 students.

  The GLOBE scholarship is not guaranteed. The scholarships will be awarded via a lottery procedure. All VU students will be treated equally. We will inform you in May if you are selected for this scholarship. Don't count on it, as we only have 50 scholarships, and approx. 500 student going on exchange outside of Europe.

• NL Scholarship (formerly called Holland Scholarship Programme)

  NL Scholarship is a national scholarship programme for students at Dutch universities. The scholarship is made available by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with Dutch higher education institutions. The programme aims to increase the international mobility of students, by stimulating them to study outside the EEA on a scholarship.
  
  VU Amsterdam has a limited number of NL scholarships that will be available for students who are selected for an exchange at one of VU Amsterdam's partner universities in Indonesia or South Africa. If there are any scholarships left, then students going on exchange to one of the non-EU partner universities that are part of the USRN network will also have a chance at a NL scholarship. These leftover scholarships will be randomly assigned.

  We will send an email to these students to inform them about the scholarship in May or June. After receiving this email, you will be able to apply for the NL scholarship. Without an invitation, your scholarship application will be rejected.
  
  The scholarship amount is €2500 in total.

  Support 

  The NL Scholarship is financially supported by VUvereniging. VUvereniging is a social network of people who feel connected and involved with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and VUMC. Their support of NL Scholarship is specified on their website.

  Please note due to current uncertainties with regards to governmental funding, we cannot guarantee the availability for this scholarship. More information will be placed on the website later.

• Other scholarships for studying outside of Europe

  In addition to the regular scholarship options offered by VU Amsterdam, there are other ways to get a grant or scholarship. Note that most of these scholarships are not intended for an exchange, but other forms of studying/doing an internship abroad. You can find some of these possibilities below:

  • Chinaprogramme
  • Darmasiswa Scholarships Indonesia
  • Regelingen | Fondswervingonline.nl
  • Fulbright scholarships for study in the US
  • Vulcanus in Japan
  • VSB Beurs
  • Scholarships from the Dutch Institute in Istanbul, Turkey
  • TÜBITAK scholarships for study in Turkey
  • Scholarships of the Turkish government
  • Scholarships for study in Mexico

  There are various search engines that you can use to search for scholarships:

  • Grantfinder
  • Scholarshipportal.eu
  • Young Talent Group

• Other scholarships for internships outside of Europe

  • The Fondsendesk grant for an internship outside the EU is intended for students with the Dutch nationality and with limited financial resources (demonstrated by receipt of a DUO Supplementary grant). The grant amounts to 1000 Euro. Apply in time because the budget is limited. You can find more information on Internship or graduation project.

• Insurance

  When you choose to go abroad for your study programme or an internship, it's important to have your insurance properly arranged. Requirements vary by country, but definitely consider additional insurance such as an additional travel insurance and a liability insurance.

Do you want to know more?