Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) 2027

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is for excellent students joining a full-time Leiden University Master's degree programme - with the exception of LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes at Leiden Law School.

• Table of Content
• About Leiden University
• Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship
• Requirements for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship

The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme. There are five available levels of awards:

• € 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

Requirements for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship Qualification

1. Study programme requirements

Applicants for all Master's programme at Leiden University starting in September, with the exception of :

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

2. Nationality requirements

Applicants must have a non-EEA/non-EFTA* passport, and may not be eligible for student finance via the Dutch government (Studiefinanciering) – with the exceptions of students applying for the programmes listed below for which no nationality restrictions apply:

• All LLM Advanced Studies programmes
• MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy

*EEA/EFTA: All EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

Additional note for UK students

As the UK is a non-EEA country, students from the UK are eligible to apply for the LExS. Note: this does not apply to applicants who were already living in the Netherlands and registered in their Dutch municipality's BRP before 1 January 2021. More information on Brexit can be found in the Brexit dossier.

3. Academic requirements

Students must have achieved excellent academic results in their previous study programme(s), which must be relevant to the Master's programme for which they are applying. As an indication, the student is amongst the top 10% of graduates in their previous study programme. Note that proof of ranking is not required – this information is purely to indicate the level of competitiveness.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) Master's Scholarship

• The faculty selection committees will nominate their LExS recipients within 10 weeks of the LExS deadline. 
• All applicants will receive an email notifying them whether they have been awarded a LExS before the end of March.

Check also:
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC 2027
Chevening Scholarship 2027

Application Deadline

How to Apply

1. Apply online for admission to a Master's programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable. 
   • Note: it can take up to 3 working days to create/submit an application for admission, so start your application well before the LExS deadline. 
2. After submitting your application for admission, return to the Apply screen in your online application and click on Scholarships. If you are eligible to apply for the LExS, it will now be visible in the scholarships section.
   • Note: if you cannot see the LExS in your scholarships section, you have either not yet submitted your application for admission, missed the deadline or are not eligible for the LExS.
3. Indicate that you want to apply for the LExS then upload your LExS motivation letter. This must be a PDF file of max. 500 words, in which you explain why you would like to be considered for the award.
4. Submit your scholarship application before the LExS deadline. Please be aware that after submitting your scholarship application, you cannot make changes to it either online or by sending additional items by email.
5. If you are applying for more than one study programme/specialisation and wish to apply for a LExS for each, you must submit a LExS application and motivation letter within each separate online application for admission.

For more information, kindly visit Leiden University scholarship webpage.