How to Apply for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship in 2027
There is no stand-alone AMS portal. You apply for the scholarship inside your UvA master’s application — earlier than other non-EU applicants — and each faculty then selects its own winners.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The single most important sentence on the Science page is this: “Application for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship is part of the Master’s programme’s application procedure.” The same is true in almost every faculty. Get the master’s application right, on the scholarship timetable, and the AMS follows.
Six steps from shortlist to submission
- 1Pick one programme and find its faculty
Check which of the nine faculty pages covers your programme on Faculties & Awards. Read that page, not just the central hub. Note the amount, the number of awards and whether your programme type is eligible.
- 2Register in Studielink
UvA master’s applications start with registration in Studielink, the Dutch national portal. You then receive login details for UvA’s own system, SIS. The research master in International Development Studies, for example, asks non-EEA applicants to register by 5 February 2027, 17:00 CET, ten days before its SIS deadline.
- 3Complete the SIS application by the scholarship deadline
Upload transcripts, CV, English score and the programme’s own documents. For most faculties the full master’s application must be in by 15 January 2027 if you want AMS consideration. Business Administration lists exactly that date for scholarship applicants.
- 4Tick the scholarship option
Science asks you to check a box on the MSc application. Law uses the ‘Scholarship’ tab. Psychology asks you to answer “yes” to “Will you be applying to one of the UvA scholarships?” — and says no further action is needed.
- 5Upload the faculty’s extra documents
This is where faculties split. See the table below. Some want one PDF, some a separate form, one an email.
- 6Wait for the faculty decision
Selection is run by the faculty or graduate school, not centrally. Results arrive between late March and late June depending on faculty. See Deadlines.
What each faculty wants on top
| Faculty | Scholarship documents | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Science | Motivation letter (max 500 words), CV with extracurriculars | MSc application, tick box |
| Economics & Business | Motivation (max 300 words), recommendation confirming top 10%, GPA proof, GMAT/GRE if applicable | Master’s application |
| Law | Motivation letter (max 500 words); no references | ‘Scholarship’ tab + ‘Additional documents’ |
| Social Sciences | One PDF: CV, motivation letter, academic recommendation, financial plan | ‘Additional documents’, as “Scholarship motivation letter” |
| Humanities (LLAMS) | Separate LLAMS application form | Form opened 9 Dec in the last cycle |
| Communication Science | AMS form, CV, one-page motivation, certified transcript, extracurriculars, optional 1–2 references; questionnaire by 7 Feb | Faculty process |
| Psychology | Nothing extra | “Yes” on the scholarship question |
| Child Development & Education | Motivation letter + budget plan | Email to resma-cde-fmg@uva.nl |
Sources: the faculty pages linked from the AMS hub, checked 6 October 2026.
How the “nomination” really works
Motivation →The old AES was widely described as a central scheme, with programmes nominating their best non-EU applicants to a university committee. UvA no longer publishes those rules. Today the faculty or graduate school itself selects. The pattern on current pages is:
- Admission first. Social Sciences and Psychology only consider students with unconditional admission. Admissions staff are effectively the first filter.
- A faculty shortlist. Communication Science invites only its eight strongest candidates to submit a full file. Social Sciences selects in March.
- Merit criteria. Science weighs “academic excellence and promise”, the quality of your previous institution, your motivation letter and your CV.
- Or luck. Law checks eligibility, then draws one name.
So the strongest thing you can do is an early, complete, unconditional-ready master’s application. A brilliant motivation letter attached to a file still missing an English score may never be read.
Fees and costs of applying
None of the AMS pages charge a separate scholarship fee. Programme application fees, document certification and English tests are your cost. If you win, you still pay UvA tuition — see Funding & Renewal.