The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is a scholarship program offered by Leiden University in the Netherlands. The program is designed to provide financial support to outstanding international students who wish to pursue a Master’s degree program at Leiden University.
To be eligible for the LExS program, you must be a non-EU/EEA student with excellent academic performance and a strong motivation to study at Leiden University. You must also have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification and have been admitted to a Master’s program at Leiden University.
- Q1
- Where is Leiden University?
For a list of related scholarships in the Netherlands, please see our article on scholarships in the Netherlands.
Scholarship Details
| Scholarship | LExS Master’s Scholarship | LExS Excellence Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Financial support for outstanding international students pursuing a Master’s degree at Leiden University | Full tuition fee coverage and financial support for outstanding international students pursuing a Master’s degree at Leiden University |
| Amount | Covers tuition fee and provides €10,000 living allowance for one year | Covers full tuition fee and provides €15,000 living allowance for one year |
| Eligibility | Non-EU/EEA students with excellent academic performance and a strong motivation to study at Leiden University, admitted to a Master’s program | Same as LExS Master’s Scholarship |
| Application Deadline | Varies depending on program | Varies depending on program |
Host Institution(s):
- Leiden University in The Netherlands
Level/Field of Study:
- The scholarship is available for full-time Master’s programs at Leiden University, excluding LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programs at Leiden Law School.
Number of Awards:
- The number and type of awards vary depending on the budget of each faculty department.
Target Group:
- Non-EEA/non-EFTA nationals are eligible for this scholarship.
Scholarship Value/Duration:
The LExS scholarship program offers three types of awards to selected candidates:
- € 10,000 tuition fee coverage
- € 15,000 tuition fee coverage
- Total tuition fee coverage (excluding statutory tuition fee)
Note: The LExS scholarship is not a full scholarship, and selected non-EEA LExS recipients must still provide proof of sufficient funds for their visa/residence permit applications.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for this scholarship, students must meet the following criteria:
- Have outstanding academic performance relevant to the Master’s program for which they are applying
- Be among the top 10% of graduates in their previous study program (proof of ranking is not required)
- Hold a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport
- Not be eligible for support under the Dutch system of study grants and loans, except for those applying to LLM Advanced Studies programs or the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy, which have no nationality restrictions.
Application Instructions:
To apply for the LExS scholarship, interested candidates must first apply for admission to a Master’s program at Leiden University online. In the application, applicants must indicate their interest in applying for the LExS scholarship and upload their letter of motivation for the LExS scholarship in the scholarship section.
The deadline for programs starting in September is 1 February, and for programs starting in February, the deadline is 1 October.
Website:
- To access the online application form and detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship, visit the official scholarship website: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/scholarships/sea/leiden-university-excellence-scholarship-lexs.
