Utrecht Excellence Scholarships 2026-2027 Available
Utrecht University has officially announced that due to significant budget cuts, the prestigious Utrecht Excellence Scholarship (UES) will no longer be offered for master’s programmes starting in the 2026–2027 academic year. This marks the end of one of Europe’s most competitive scholarship opportunities for non-EU/EEA students.
For students who have already been awarded UES funding in earlier cycles, the scholarship remains valid and will continue as agreed. However, no new applications will be accepted for programmes beginning in 2026–2027, making the current intake the final opportunity to secure this award.
Funding Package
The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship has long stood out for its generous support. Recipients could receive either:
- Coverage of tuition fees, or
- Coverage of tuition fees plus a full living allowance for one year, as determined by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
For two-year master’s programmes, the scholarship was renewable for the second year upon satisfactory academic progress.
Short Eligibility Criteria
Until its final admission cycle, the UES was open to high-achieving non-EU/EEA students. Applicants were expected to:
- Rank within the top 10% of their graduating class.
- Hold a non-EU/EEA passport and be ineligible for Dutch state-funded grants or loans.
- Have completed either a bachelor’s degree or secondary schooling outside the Netherlands.
- Apply for a participating master’s programme at Utrecht University with a start date of 1 September 2025.
The scholarship was awarded based on academic excellence, strength of motivation, and the quality of the master’s application.
Timeline
The final application cycle for the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship will follow this schedule:
- Application Deadline: 1 February 2025, 23:59 CET.
- Selection Period: Review will begin only after the deadline.
- Results Announcement: By mid-April 2025.
Applicants must first apply to an eligible master’s programme and then submit a scholarship application via the OSIRIS portal. Early submission is strongly encouraged, as incomplete or incorrect applications submitted at the last minute cannot be corrected.
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