Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS) for International Masters Students2024

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship programme (LExS) is offered for excellent Non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a Leiden University master’s degree programme and for excellent students from all nationalities enrolling in a Master of Law Advanced Programme or MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy.

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

About Leiden University

Leiden University was founded in 1575 and is one of the leading international research universities in Europe. It has seven faculties and a campus in both Leiden and The Hague. Its motto is Praesidium Libertatis – Bastion of Freedom. The five disciplinary clusters in which Leiden University and the Leiden University Medical Center excel are: Fundamentals of Science Life Sciences Health and Wellbeing Law, Politics and Administration Languages, Cultures and Societies The University’s academic partners in the province of Zuid-Holland are Delft University of Techn... continue reading

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS)

Aim and Benefits of Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS)

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

• € 10,000 of the tuition fee
• € 15,000 of the tuition fee
• Total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee

The LExS is not a full scholarship. Non-EEA LExS recipients must still submit ‘proof of sufficient funds’ for their student visa/residence permit application.

Requirements for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS) Qualification

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

• Leiden Law School's LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes.
• Study programmes starting in February at the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Sciences and Leiden Law School.

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

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.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (LExS)

Selection process

• The faculty selection committees will nominate their LExS recipients within 6 weeks of the LExS deadline. 
• All applicants will receive an email notifying them whether they have been awarded a LExS:  
  • At the end of November (for programmes starting in February)
  • At the end of April (for study programmes starting in September)

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 2 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 or are not eligible for the LExS.
3. Indicate that 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 details, visit Leiden University website