The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is a tuition fee reduction of €10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500 or €19,000 for excellent non-EEA students starting a full-time master’s programme at Leiden University in the Netherlands in September 2027. The scholarship deadline is 1 December 2026, and the application is open now through Leiden’s admission portal.
It does not pay living costs, and competition is stiff: Leiden says about 25 awards go out each year from more than 1,000 applicants. You must submit your master’s application first, because the LExS form only appears inside it. Below are the award levels, what each one leaves you to pay, who qualifies, the steps in order and the dates after the deadline, all checked on universiteitleiden.nl on 24 October 2026.
Leiden University Excellence Scholarship 2027: quick summary
- Scholarship name: Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
- University: Leiden University, Leiden and The Hague
- Study level: full-time master’s programmes starting in September
- Award: €10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500 or €19,000 off the tuition fee
- Who can apply: non-EEA/non-EFTA passport holders with excellent grades
- Extra document: a motivation letter of up to 500 words, as a PDF
- Deadline: 1 December 2026
- Result: email to every applicant before the end of March 2027
How much is the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship worth?
Leiden lists five award levels, each stated as an amount taken off the tuition fee. The university picks your level, and its page says the level is final and cannot be negotiated. The award covers the duration of your programme.
Many listing sites headline “€19,000 tuition support”. That is the top level. Most winners get one of the lower amounts, and most applicants get nothing. The table shows what each level would leave you to pay on one programme I checked: the Advanced LLM in Air and Space Law, which charges €22,900 for full-time study in 2027-2028. Fees differ by programme, so repeat the sum with your own programme’s fee.
| LExS level | Example fee 2027-2028 | You still pay (example) |
|---|---|---|
| €10,000 | €22,900 | €12,900 |
| €15,000 | €22,900 | €7,900 |
| €17,500 | €22,900 | €5,400 |
| €18,500 | €22,900 | €4,400 |
| €19,000 | €22,900 | €3,900 |
For comparison, Leiden’s MSc Computer Science charged non-EEA students €22,500 in 2026-2027; its 2027-2028 figure was not yet on the page. If you are on a two-year programme, ask the Scholarships Team whether your amount applies to each year, because the LExS page does not spell out the yearly split.
Rent and food come on top. The Dutch immigration service (IND) asks university students to show €1,130.77 a month for 2026, and Leiden states that LExS winners from outside the EEA must still prove they have enough money for the visa or residence permit.
Who is eligible for the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship?
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Programme | Full-time Leiden master’s starting in September |
| Nationality | Non-EEA/non-EFTA passport, and not eligible for Dutch student finance (studiefinanciering) |
| Open to all nationalities | All LLM Advanced Studies programmes and the MSc International Relations and Diplomacy |
| UK applicants | Eligible, unless registered in a Dutch municipality’s BRP before 1 January 2021 |
| Grades | Excellent results in a relevant previous degree; top 10% of your graduating class as a guide. Proof of ranking is not required |
| Not eligible | Leiden Law School LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes; February-start programmes; holders of a Leiden master’s (unless a prior master’s or work experience is required, as in Advanced LLMs) |
| Other scholarships | Cannot be combined with a full external scholarship; a partial one may be possible after you contact the Scholarships Team |
The EEA covers all EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and Switzerland is treated the same way. Everyone else, whether from Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East or non-EU Europe, sits in the eligible group. If your transcript uses a different scale (a CGPA out of 5, a percentage or a US GPA), the faculty committee reads it against your university’s grading, so you do not need to convert it yourself.
Leiden’s participating faculties are Archaeology, Humanities, Medicine/LUMC, Governance and Global Affairs, Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences, and Science.
Leiden University Excellence Scholarship deadline and 2027 dates
Leiden deadlines close at 23:59 Central European Time, which is 22:59 GMT in winter.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2026 | Studielink opened for programmes starting in 2027-2028 |
| By late November 2026 | Submit your master’s application; Leiden says to allow up to 3 working days for this |
| 1 December 2026 | LExS deadline. Late applications are not considered |
| Within 10 weeks of the deadline | Faculty committees nominate their recipients |
| Before the end of March 2027 | Every applicant gets an email with the outcome |
| Before 1 April 2027 | Admission deadline if you need a visa or residence permit (check your programme page) |
| September 2027 | Programme starts |
Deadline warning
The LExS form only shows up after your master’s application is submitted and the €100 fee is paid. If you start Studielink on 30 November, you will probably miss 1 December.
How to apply for the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship
- Register on Studielink: apply for your master’s on the Dutch national system with your passport. Within two days you receive your ULCN account details and a link to Leiden’s uSis portal.
- Complete the application in uSis: upload your admission documents and pay the €100 application fee if you hold an international degree.
- Open the Scholarships tab: go back to the Apply screen and select Scholarships. LExS only appears there if you are eligible.
- Upload your letter: a motivation letter of no more than 500 words, as a PDF.
- Repeat for each programme: if you apply to two programmes, submit a separate LExS application and letter inside each one.
- Submit before 1 December 2026: you cannot edit the application afterwards or email extra documents.
The €100 fee is non-refundable and covers up to three programmes or specialisations in the same academic year. You do not pay it if you are completing a Dutch bachelor’s, were previously registered at Leiden, or hold refugee status with an asylum residence permit. Leiden aims to give admission decisions within four to six weeks of receiving a complete file.
Documents for the master’s application
The LExS itself only asks for the motivation letter, but the committee reads it alongside your admission file. Each programme sets its own list, and most ask for these:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport copy | Same name spelling as on your certificates |
| Bachelor’s transcript and degree certificate | Final-year students upload their latest transcript |
| CV and programme motivation letter | Separate from the 500-word LExS letter |
| Proof of English | Where your programme requires a test result |
| Reference letters or writing sample | Only where the programme page asks for them |
| LExS motivation letter | PDF, 500 words maximum |
If your referees have never written a scholarship letter, our recommendation letter samples show what to send them.
Writing the 500-word LExS motivation letter
With about 25 awards across seven faculties, I would spend the 500 words on evidence. State your grade average with its scale, your class position if you know it, any thesis or research result, prizes, and one concrete reason this Leiden programme fits what you plan to do afterwards. Write it fresh instead of pasting your programme motivation letter.
Is the Leiden Excellence Scholarship worth applying for?
Yes, if you can raise the rest of the fee and the living money. Applying costs nothing beyond the €100 admission fee you would pay anyway. If you need full funding to travel at all, apply for LExS and also target scholarships that pay a stipend, such as Erasmus Mundus master’s. Our MARIHE Erasmus Mundus guide walks through one of those applications, and the University of Oulu scholarships guide covers a cheaper European option with smaller discounts.
FAQ on the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship
Is the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship fully funded?
No. Leiden says the LExS is not a full scholarship. It takes €10,000 to €19,000 off tuition and does not cover rent, food, flights or insurance.
What is the LExS deadline for September 2027?
1 December 2026 at 23:59 CET. Your master’s application must already be submitted, because the LExS form appears only after that.
Can bachelor’s or PhD students apply for the Leiden Excellence Scholarship?
No. LExS is only for full-time master’s programmes starting in September.
Do I need proof that I am in the top 10% of my class?
No. Leiden uses the top 10% as a guide and says proof of ranking is not required. Your transcript and letter still need to show excellent results.
Sources and updates
Award levels, eligibility, the deadline, the steps and the selection timeline come from Leiden University’s official LExS page. Fee examples come from the 2027-2028 tuition fee page of Leiden’s Advanced LLM in Air and Space Law and the 2026-2027 page of the MSc Computer Science. The application fee, Studielink and uSis steps and the 1 April admission deadline come from Leiden’s programme application and deadline pages. The living cost figure comes from the IND required amounts page. Leiden’s Scholarships Team answers questions at scholarships@sea.leidenuniv.nl. Information checked on 24 October 2026; this post will be updated if Leiden changes the award levels or the deadline.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
