Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) 2027

The LExS supports excellent non-EEA/EFTA students across six Leiden faculties: Archaeology, Humanities, Medicine/LUMC, Governance and Global Affairs, Law, and Social and Behavioural Sciences (Science programmes are also covered by the scholarship scheme).

Key features of the programme:

• Five award levels — €10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500, or €19,000 of the tuition fee

• Awarded for the duration of the full Master's programme

• Linked to admission — you apply for the scholarship via your online admission application

• No nationality restriction for Advanced LLMs and the MSc International Relations and Diplomacy

• Faculty-nominated — selection committees nominate recipients within 10 weeks of the deadline

The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme, in one of five levels:

• €10,000 of the tuition fee

• €15,000 of the tuition fee

• €17,500 of the tuition fee

• €18,500 of the tuition fee

• €19,000 of the tuition fee

Important: the award level is final and non-negotiable. The LExS is NOT a full scholarship and does not cover the full cost of your studies — a significant personal contribution will be required. Non-EEA LExS recipients must still submit proof of sufficient funds for their student visa/residence permit application.

Related: Browse more fully funded scholarships on OHUB.

• Completed online application for admission to a Leiden University Master's programme (with application fee paid, if applicable)

• LExS motivation letter — the key scholarship document:

  • PDF file, maximum 500 words

  • Explains why you would like to be considered for the award

• (All other admission documents follow your Master's programme's requirements — transcripts, degree certificates, references, etc.)

After submitting your scholarship application, you CANNOT make changes — neither online nor by sending additional items by email. Get the motivation letter right before you submit.

1. Study programme requirements:

• Applicants for all Master's programmes at Leiden University starting in September

• EXCEPT Leiden Law School's LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes

2. Nationality requirements:

• Applicants must have a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport (EEA/EFTA = all EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland)

• And may not be eligible for Dutch government student finance (Studiefinanciering)

• Exceptions — no nationality restrictions apply for:

  • All LLM Advanced Studies programmes

  • MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy

• UK students: eligible as the UK is a non-EEA country — EXCEPT applicants already living in the Netherlands and registered in their Dutch municipality's BRP before 1 January 2021

3. Academic requirements:

• Excellent academic results in previous study programme(s), relevant to the Master's programme you're applying for

• As an indication: you should be among the top 10% of graduates in your previous programme — proof of ranking is NOT required; this indicates the level of competitiveness

Step 1: Apply online for admission to a Master's programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable

• It can take up to 3 working days to create/submit an application for admission — start well before the LExS deadline

Step 2: After submitting your admission application, return to the Apply screen in your online application and click on Scholarships

• If you're eligible, the LExS will now be visible in the scholarships section

• If you CANNOT see it: you haven't submitted your admission application, missed the deadline, or you're not eligible

Step 3: Indicate that you want to apply for the LExS and upload your motivation letter (PDF, max 500 words)

Step 4: Submit your scholarship application before the LExS deadline (1 December 2026)

• Remember: no changes possible after submission

Step 5: Applying for more than one study programme/specialisation? You must submit a LExS application and motivation letter within EACH separate online application for admission