Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Scholarships for International Students 2027
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is linked to scholarships that can reduce costs in meaningful ways. Here are a few strong options prioritized by funding level.
On the institution side, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is connected to scholarships that can reduce tuition and sometimes extend to other study costs. These are practical starting points. VU Fellowship Programme is a full tuition award, and the listed benefits often include full tuition fees.
Beyond campus funding, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam applicants often explore outside opportunities including government backed and independent programs. These are common starting points. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Scholarships is fully funded, and coverage often includes tuition fees, living allowance, and visa fees. COLFUTURO Scholarship Loans is partially funded and typically covers tuition support, health insurance support, and living expenses support.
For the complete set of linked scholarships including additional options and details, continue below on this page.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Scholarships for International Students
The scholarships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam can help fund your study expenses. There are currently 4 scholarships being offered to international students at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, all with varying requirements, benefits, and application processes. We have compiled them in this list to help you find the scholarship that best fits you.
Graduate Scholarships
External Scholarships
There are many degrees that are open to international students right now — find yours.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Admissions
Here are the official admission pages for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam:
| Degree | Admissions Pages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | International Students Admissions Page |
| Master's | International Students Admissions Page |
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Application Deadlines
| Degree | Admission Deadline |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | April 1, 2026 Different Bachelor's programs have different deadlines |
| Master's | April 1, 2026 Different Master's programs have different deadlines |
Tuition Fees at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for International Students
Indicative annual tuition fee ranges for international students at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Exact fees vary by program, so always confirm the current cost on the university's official tuition fee pages.
| Degree Level | Typical Annual Range |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Tuition | 14,310 – 19,650 Euros |
| Master's Tuition | 17,480 – 34,440 Euros |
Please note that tuition fees can vary based on the specific program you choose. For the most accurate and current fee information, consult the official tuition fee pages linked above.
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Scholarship Recipients
International students who received scholarships to study at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, documented by Global Scholarships.
Scholarship Recipient Insights at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
6 degree-study stories.
Featured Recipients by Nationality
| Nationalities | Stories per nationality |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 3 |
| Brazilian, Indian, Moroccan | 1 each |
Degree Levels and Subjects
| Degree level | Stories | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s | 6 | Software Engineering for the Green Deal; Neuroscience; Public Health; Cognitive Neuropsychology; International Technology Law |
Funding Routes Used by Featured Recipients
Funding Coverage and Living Costs
| Recipient and degree/program | Reported coverage |
|---|---|
| Rosheen Naeem — Master’s in Software Engineering for the Green Deal (SE4GD) | Erasmus Mundus covered tuition, monthly stipend and travel. Found Amsterdam rent and overall costs high compared with Italy and Finland. |
| Dua — Master’s in Neuroscience (Neurasmus) | Erasmus Mundus stipend comfortably covered her living costs in Amsterdam; emphasized learning to budget and track spending. |
| Abhijith Njarattil Parameswaran — Master’s in Public Health at KIT Royal Tropical Institute / VU Amsterdam; award 2023 | Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program covered tuition, monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, insurance and travel allowance. |
| Marina Mendes — Research Master’s in Cognitive Neuropsychology; awards 2024/2025 | VU Fellowship Programme waived the program’s annual international tuition of €12,130; NL Scholarship provided €5,000 toward first-year living costs. |
| Syed Shaharyar Ahmed — Master’s in International Technology Law | VU Fellowship Programme provided a 100% tuition waiver; NL Scholarship provided a one-off €5,000 relocation allowance. |
Examples of Featured Recipients’ Application Backgrounds
| Recipient and degree/program | Scholarship/application route | Reported background and preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Rosheen Naeem — Master’s in Software Engineering for the Green Deal (SE4GD) | Erasmus Mundus | Software Engineering bachelor’s at NUST, technical internships, student societies and volunteering, followed by technology-company work and Outreachy and Google Season of Docs internships. Tailored technical and nontechnical experience to the program. |
| Hiba — Master’s in Software Engineering for the Green Deal (SE4GD) | Erasmus Mundus | Software Engineering bachelor’s at Wuhan University. Prepared CVs, written and video motivation statements; received four acceptances after 25 applications. |
| Dua — Master’s in Neuroscience (Neurasmus) | Erasmus Mundus | Applied Biosciences bachelor’s at NUST, with molecular biology electives and a leukaemia thesis using cell culture. Added neuroscience projects and arranged a reference from a professor familiar with that work. |
| Abhijith Njarattil Parameswaran — Master’s in Public Health at KIT Royal Tropical Institute / VU Amsterdam | Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program | Community-health diploma, Social Work bachelor’s and a Social Work master’s specializing in public health at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Connected fieldwork, leadership and professional experience to scholarship essays. |
| Marina Mendes — Research Master’s in Cognitive Neuropsychology | VU Fellowship Programme + NL Scholarship | Psychology bachelor’s at Universidade de Brasília, GPA 4.9/5, cognitive-psychology research groups and neuroscience coursework during an exchange at University of Granada. Tracked translations, references and GPA explanations. |
| Syed Shaharyar Ahmed — Master’s in International Technology Law | VU Fellowship Programme + NL Scholarship | LLB (Hons) at University of the Punjab, CGPA 3.97/4, legal-associate work, research publications and remote international-law internships. Connected European technology-law client work to his proposed specialization. |
How Recipients Met Language Requirements
| Language requirement route | Stories / total degree-study stories | Recipients and examples |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS taken for the application | 2/6 | Dua — Master’s in Neuroscience (Neurasmus) took IELTS while preparing her Neurasmus application; Syed Shaharyar Ahmed — Master’s in International Technology Law took IELTS Academic, overall 8, after one week of self-preparation. |
| TOEFL taken for the application | 1/6 | Marina Mendes — Research Master’s in Cognitive Neuropsychology took TOEFL following Portuguese-medium undergraduate education; joined a preparatory course about three months before the exam. |
English-taught programs / stories reporting teaching language: 4/4
Teaching Language and Academic Experiences
| Recipient and degree/program | Reported instruction and experience |
|---|---|
| Rosheen Naeem — Master’s in Software Engineering for the Green Deal (SE4GD) | Instruction remained English throughout the joint program. Third semester at VU Amsterdam; final thesis semester involved an internship at Spectral Energy in Amsterdam. |
| Hiba — Master’s in Software Engineering for the Green Deal (SE4GD) | English throughout SE4GD. Described the Netherlands semester as research-oriented, within a program using exams, projects, flipped classrooms and industrial learning. |
| Dua — Master’s in Neuroscience (Neurasmus) | Lectures, slides, assignments and exams in English. Her track began at VU with a common neuroscience foundation and opportunities for five months of research; planned a full research year at University of Coimbra. |
| Syed Shaharyar Ahmed — Master’s in International Technology Law | All program classes entirely in English. Valued interdisciplinary technology-law discussions and academic advising, orientation and career support. |
Application Timelines Reported by Recipients
| Recipient and degree/program | Application or scholarship route | Reported application timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Abhijith Njarattil Parameswaran — Master’s in Public Health at KIT Royal Tropical Institute / VU Amsterdam | Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program / master’s admission | Started preparing in late 2022 for 2023 admissions, using an Excel tracker for courses, funding and deadlines; gathered transcripts and references and revised essays with friends and supervisors. |
| Marina Mendes — Research Master’s in Cognitive Neuropsychology | VU Fellowship Programme + NL Scholarship / master’s admission | Joined a TOEFL preparation course about three months before the exam; began timed online mock exams a few weeks before the test and took TOEFL for the application. |
Other Offers in Featured Applicants’ Journeys
| Recipient | Reported alternative | Decision described in the story |
|---|---|---|
| Hiba | Full CyberMACS scholarship; self-funded BDMA admission; EIT Digital Human Computer Interaction and Design admission with a half-tuition waiver. | Chose fully funded SE4GD because it matched her software-engineering background and interest in sustainability. |
| Abhijith Njarattil Parameswaran | Partial Public Health scholarship at Deakin University. | Pursued the KIT / VU Public Health master’s with Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program. |
| Marina Mendes | Think Big Postgraduate Award of £26,000 for Master’s in Applied Neuropsychology at University of Bristol; international tuition was £26,800. | Declined the Bristol offer in favour of Amsterdam. |
| Syed Shaharyar Ahmed | Warwick GREAT UK Scholarship: £15,000 / 70% tuition waiver; Nottingham Trent University Excellence Scholarship: 50% tuition waiver; Central European University Excellence Scholarship: 50% tuition waiver. | Studied International Technology Law at VU Amsterdam with the combined tuition waiver and one-off Dutch award. |
Preparation Lessons from the Stories
| Recipient and degree/program | Specific action |
|---|---|
| Dua — Master’s in Neuroscience (Neurasmus) | Matched projects and references to neuroscience despite having no dedicated neuroscience course in her bachelor’s degree. |
| Marina Mendes — Research Master’s in Cognitive Neuropsychology | Planned translation costs and requested a GPA explanation; would focus on fewer, better-aligned applications. |
| Syed Shaharyar Ahmed — Master’s in International Technology Law | Connected publications, internships and real client work to the master’s objectives rather than presenting achievements as an isolated list. |
What Scholarship Recipients Say
Advice and insights from international students who successfully secured funding to study at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
"The VUFP is a highly competitive tuition fee waiver awarded to academically excellent non-EU/EEA students. For my program, the annual tuition fee for international students was €12,130, which was entirely covered by this scholarship."
"Here’s an insider tip: while scholarship essay questions for various scholarships can differ, it’s wise to create a common content base that can be tweaked to fit specific prompts."
"Hi! I’m Dua from Pakistan. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Biosciences, and I’m currently pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Neuroscience, a two-year program."
"I’ve been living in Amsterdam since the start of the program, which is one of the more expensive cities among those participating in Neurasmus. That said, the Erasmus Mundus stipend has been more than enough to comfortably cover my living expenses."
"My program is Neurasmus, an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Neuroscience. This program allows a great degree of flexibility in terms of what field of neuroscience you wish to pursue. It also provides an excellent blend of coursework and research."
"I am deeply grateful to be able to pursue this academic journey here in the Netherlands, made possible by the trust placed in me through the VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) and the NL Scholarship."
There are many degrees that are open to international students right now — find yours.
About the Author: Hyun Lee
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