The Amsterdam Merit Scholarships (AMS) have specifically been designed by the University of Amsterdam to offer talented and hard-working non-EU/EEA students the opportunity to pursue a degree in one of the academic fields covered by the UvA. The AMS programme is highly selective: only applicants with excellent study results and motivation might be eligible to receive a scholarship.

Candidates wishing to take part in the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship programme must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a non-EU/EEA passport and not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans ("Studiefinanciering"; for more information please refer to: www.DUO.nl) and/or the low tuition fee. The scholarship office should be notified as soon as possible of any change in nationality, type of residence permit, and/or possible “Studiefinanciering” support, throughout the academic year.
• Be fully admitted to a degree programme at the Graduate School of Social Sciences. Scholarship continuation is not guaranteed when a candidate changes their degree programme.
• The AMS will not be awarded to candidates having to complete a preparatory programme (pre-Master’s) before their Master.
  Please note: the only exception is if a candidate is required to only complete the Summer School Programme: Comprehensive Introduction to Research Methodology and Design (of which the costs are borne by the applicant).
• Be admitted unconditionally to a Master's programme of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, and this programme being the first programme for the applicant, either on bachelor level or master level, in The Netherlands.
• Be able to comply with Dutch visa regulations.
• Be enrolled at the UvA as full-time student for the academic year and the programme for which the scholarship is awarded.
• The candidate should not receive a full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the AMS scholarship. Notify the scholarships office when another full scholarship has been awarded and accepted.
• Scholarship continuation for subsequent year(s) of study depends upon satisfactory study progress. The programme you will be enrolled in, as it depends on the curriculum and rules and regulations of the department, sets the standard for satisfactory progress, and the time and manner in which progress will be measured. Please be advised that you are expected to gain approximately 80% of credits in any one year.

The Master’s programme you wish to apply for might set extra requirements such as academic and language requirements. 

We have a limited number of scholarships. The best eligible candidates are selected for a scholarship on the basis of the following criteria:

• Their academic excellence and promise in the proposed field, as evidenced by their academic records and letter of recommendation
• The quality of their letter of motivation

On your Master’s application form in SIS we ask whether you want to be considered for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (UvA scholarship). Please check this box if you want to be considered and if you fulfill all requirements mentioned above. If you have indicated in your Master’s application that you would like to be considered for the AMS scholarship, you can submit your scholarship application by uploading a self-composed PDF file (the scholarship application is separate from your Master’s application). This single PDF file can be uploaded in the section ‘Additional documents’ (in the left corner) under the item ‘scholarship motivation letter’. An application for the AMS scholarship without having (timely) applied for the study programme (and vice versa) will be rendered invalid.

Please compose one single PDF file yourself, which contains the next documents all in a row:

• curriculum vitae
• scholarship motivation letter
  this letter should entail how the Master’s programme of your choice will help you fulfill both your personal and academic goals and should explain why you are the best candidate for the scholarship.
• letter of recommendation
  this letter of recommendation should foremost give an indication of your academic qualities. This letter should be written by a professor or another member of academic staff.
• financial plan
  the financial plan serves to show that you do need the scholarship. It should also prove that you have sufficient funds to cover for all other costs.

How to make a PDF file

1. Open an empty Word file and put all scholarship application documents mentioned above (curriculum vitae, scholarship motivation letter, letter of recommendation, financial plan) in a row in the same document.
2. Click File in the top-left corner
3. Click Save as (name: scholarship application)
4. Choose where you want to save the file
5. Under File type or Save as type, select PDF
6. Click Save

Your Word document is now saved as a PDF file and can be uploaded in your SIS application as attachment under the item ‘Scholarship motivation letter’ to be found in the left corner tab ‘Additional documents’ (please see picture below):

Only students who have been fully and unconditionally admitted to one of the English-taught, selective Master's programmes of the GSSS can be awarded a scholarship. Students are selected for the AMS on the basis of academic merit. Selection takes place in March. Applicants will be informed no later than mid-May. 

A scholarship granted for one academic year cannot be transferred to another academic year. Students who are granted an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship are required to assent to the conditions applying to the scholarship in writing before the scholarship will be remitted.

Please note that the AMS is highly competitive. In 2025 two scholarships were awarded to students of the Graduate School Social Sciences (1,5 % of received scholarship applications).

If you have any questions regarding the AMS please send an email to apply-gsss@uva.nl.