The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, or VU Amsterdam, is a renowned public research university in The Netherlands. It was established in the year 1880. Nowadays, the institution is consistently a part of the top 150 universities worldwide. In this article, we will be looking at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam scholarships for international students.
Having five major buildings, the institution offers 45 Bachelor’s programs, 100 Master’s programs, and 250 courses & programs that are open to professionals. These numerous courses & programs are distributed across the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Behavioral & Movement Science, Faculty of Humanity, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Religion & Theology, and School of Business & Economics.
Currently, VU Amsterdam has 29,796 students. Four thousand one hundred eighty-three of these are from overseas. The university is very much open to students from anywhere around the world and prides itself on having a diverse international student community.
In line with this, the center of learning is known for producing graduates who become successful in their respective fields. This includes the founder of Randstad Holding Frits Goldschmeding, systematic theologian & emeritus professor Conrad Johannes Wethmar, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende, former Amsterdam city mayor Eberhard van der Laan, and rower & two-time Olympic gold medallist Nico Rienks.
Related Scholarships
How do I apply to the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Scholarships?
The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has courses and programs for students across the undergraduate, master’s, and postgraduate levels.
Incoming undergraduates must note that the application procedures at VU Amsterdam might be different from each other. It depends on the student’s chosen program. With that, non-Dutch diploma holders who are applying for a Dutch-taught program should keep in mind that the process starts with checking the specific entry requirements which can be found on the study program page. The next step is to create the application via Studielink. Following this, the applicant must complete their application in their vu.nl personal dashboard. Then, they will have to answer an obligatory questionnaire, called the VU Study Choice Check, to check whether the chosen program is suitable. Afterward, the Student Administration will inform them of the results, and if they are accepted, the last two things to accomplish are to complete tuition fee payments and to confirm the status of enrollment.
On the other hand, future undergraduates who are non-Dutch diploma holders who would like to apply for an English-taught program are to complete the required documents under general admission as well as their program’s specified requirements. Applicants will also be asked to prove that they have a good command of the English language. If an applicant does not meet the admission requirements, one may be advised to apply for the VASVU foundation year, a one-year program taught in Dutch that equips students with the necessary skills to apply for a Bachelor’s degree at VU.
Further information can be found on the university website’s How do I apply for a Bachelor’s program page.
Future Master’s students also have to follow varying application procedures depending on whether they are international degree holders, Dutch university degree holders, or Dutch HBO degree holders. International students have to begin by making an enrollment application in Studielink. After this, they are to complete their application through the vu.nl personal dashboard, and it is best to do this right after the first step. The third thing to do is to pay the non-refundable application fee of €100. Once the applicant has done all these, the last step is to wait for the results. Check out the How do I apply for a Master’s program page to learn more.
As for PhD students, they can either choose to be External or Internal PhD candidates. External PhD students can be self-funded or financed by a scholarship, while internal PhD students work as university employees. Naturally, the application procedures for these two have significant differences. To know the complete details, click here.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Scholarships for International Students
1. VU Fellowship Program (VUFP)
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full tuition
- Degrees Offered: Master’s
This Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam scholarship program is open to top-performing international students who wish to take up a Master’s degree at VU Amsterdam. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 80% of the highest possible grade and apply for a full-time Master’s program taught in English at the university. The grant can be utilized for either a one-year or two-year study duration, although scholars must note that it will only be renewed for the second year if the first-year credits are successfully acquired.
To apply for this scholarship, applicants have to begin by registering for their chosen Master’s program. Next is to submit the VUFP application, including their proof of excellence or transcript, motivation letter, and curriculum vitae. What comes after is the main VUFP committee’s decision as well as the results, which will be sent through the applicants’ emails. After that, the selected candidates should accept the offer within two weeks.
As the scholarship grant only covers the tuition fees, the scholar must be ready to fund their living costs, among other expenses.
2. Holland Scholarship Program (HSP)
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: €5,000
- Degrees Offered: Master’s
The HSP is subsidized by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, & Science, various Dutch research universities, and several universities of applied sciences. Academically competent students from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who wish to pursue a Master’s program are eligible for this grant. However, Surinamese and Swiss students are not allowed to apply for the HSP.
Applicants are required to apply for a full-time Master’s degree taught in English to be qualified as a scholar. Moreover, students applying for this scholarship will also have to apply for the VUFP as only recipients of the latter will be considered for this grant.
To apply for this scholarship available at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, a student should begin by sending in their VUFP application. The main HSP Committee will then choose the scholars from the list of applicants. Following this, the grantees will receive an email regarding the result, and they have to accept the offer before two weeks pass. Lastly, the scholarship amount of €5,000 will be handed to the HSP scholars during the first year of their Master’s degree.
3. Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS)
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: £3000
- Degrees Offered: Master’s
A scholarship program sponsored by the VU Fellowship Program or VUFP, this is available to top-performing students from the countries of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, and Vietnam. It comes in the form of a tuition fee waiver and will not cover the scholars’ living expenses. Moreover, there are only two slots available for most of the countries mentioned. Although, South Africa has four slots and Indonesia has eight slots.
To be considered for this Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam scholarship, the student should be applying for a Master’s degree utilizing English as the medium of instruction. Furthermore, they also have to apply for the VUFP scholarship program separately. With that, the application process is similar to the scholarships mentioned above.
A consistent top-ranking university worldwide, VU Amsterdam is a good choice for students looking for a multidisciplinary center of learning. Besides this, the institution is actively working towards improving in terms of diversity and sustainability, making it a truly exceptional choice for students all around the world. Check out the official website of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
