Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Scholarship Overview — What Is the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)?

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is Leiden University's flagship merit-based award for outstanding non-EEA/non-EFTA international students enrolling in a full-time Master's degree programme at one of the Netherlands' oldest and most internationally respected universities. Founded in 1575 by William of Orange, Leiden University counts among its alumni and associated scholars some of history's most influential thinkers — from Spinoza and Christiaan Huygens to Albert Einstein, who taught there for years. Today, the university is home to over 34,000 students across seven faculties spread between Leiden and The Hague, and the LExS exists specifically to ensure that its pursuit of academic excellence is not limited by the financial barriers facing the world's brightest international students.

Unlike a fully funded scholarship, the LExS provides a partial tuition fee waiver — it reduces the cost of your tuition fees by a fixed annual amount at one of five levels (€10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500, or €19,000 per year), for the full duration of your programme. It does not cover living expenses, health insurance, visa fees, or accommodation. This is one of the most important things to understand clearly before applying: you will still need to demonstrate proof of sufficient funds to cover your remaining costs when applying for your Dutch student visa, even if you receive the scholarship.

What makes the LExS particularly significant is its selectivity. Leiden University typically awards approximately 25 LExS scholarships across all faculties per year, while over a thousand eligible students apply. That ratio — roughly 1 in 40 or fewer — places the LExS among the most competitive partial scholarships in the Netherlands. The number and level of awards per faculty depends on each faculty's available budget, meaning some faculties may offer more or fewer awards in a given year.

The LExS operates on two application cycles per year, each tied to a specific intake: applications for September intakes are typically due by 1 February, while applications for February intakes are due by 1 October. Both the admission application and the scholarship application (which consists of indicating your interest and uploading a 500-word motivation letter) must be submitted before the same deadline — there is no separate scholarship-only portal or timeline.

Faculty selection committees review all eligible scholarship applications within six weeks of the deadline and nominate their recipients. All applicants are notified by email of the outcome — successful candidates receive notification before the end of April for September intakes, and before the end of November for February intakes.

LExS Award Levels — What Does the Scholarship Actually Cover?

Understanding the LExS award structure is essential before you decide whether to apply. Unlike a fully funded scholarship such as the Erasmus Mundus or some Dutch government programmes, the LExS is deliberately designed as a tuition-fee reduction award at one of five fixed annual levels. When awarded, the level assigned to you is final — it cannot be renegotiated or appealed.

Who Can Apply — LExS Eligibility Requirements in Detail

1. Nationality Requirement

The LExS is primarily intended for non-EEA/non-EFTA nationals. This means students from countries outside the European Economic Area (EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) and outside Switzerland are the core eligible group. Following Brexit, UK students are now treated as non-EEA for LExS eligibility purposes — meaning UK passport holders applying from outside the Netherlands are eligible. There is one important exception: UK students who were already living in the Netherlands and registered in their Dutch municipality's BRP (Basisregistratie Personen) before 1 January 2021 do not qualify under the Brexit provision.

There are also two programme-level exceptions where all nationalities are eligible, regardless of whether they hold a non-EEA passport: applicants for the LLM Advanced Studies programmes at Leiden Law School, and applicants for the MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy, can apply for the LExS from any country of origin.

2. Programme Eligibility

• Eligible: Full-time Master's degree programmes (MA, MSc, LLM Advanced) at Leiden University, across the faculties of Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Science, Archaeology, Medicine/LUMC, Governance and Global Affairs, and Law (for LLM Advanced and MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy).
• Not eligible: Non-advanced LLM programmes and MSc programmes at Leiden Law School (with the exception noted above for LLM Advanced Studies).
• Not eligible: Study programmes starting in February at the Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Sciences, and Leiden Law School are excluded from the LExS for the February intake.
• Not eligible: Students already holding a Leiden University Master's degree (with the exception of students applying for programmes that specifically require a prior Master's degree or work experience, such as some LLM Advanced programmes).
• Not eligible: Part-time, online, exchange, or non-degree enrolments.

3. Academic Excellence

You must have achieved excellent academic results in your previous study programme that are clearly relevant to the Master's you are applying for. Leiden University uses the benchmark of being among the top 10% of graduates in your prior study programme as an indicator of the level of competitiveness expected — importantly, proof of ranking is not required in your application documents. This is purely a guideline to signal where you should aim to be, not a formal hard cutoff that disqualifies you if you can't produce a ranked transcript.

What matters in practice is that your prior academic results are strong and verifiably excellent relative to your programme and institution, and that they are relevant to the subject area of the Master's you're applying for — a computer science undergraduate applying for an MSc in Computer Science demonstrates clear relevance; a business undergraduate applying for an MSc in Biochemistry would need to make that relevance very explicit.

4. Admission to a Leiden Master's Programme

You must have submitted (or be in the process of submitting) a complete online application for admission to an eligible Master's programme at Leiden University. The LExS scholarship section only becomes visible in your application portal after you have submitted your admission application — meaning you cannot apply for the scholarship without first completing and submitting your programme application.

5. Dutch Studiefinanciering Ineligibility

You must not be eligible for support under the Dutch study grants and loans system (Studiefinanciering, administered by DUO). Most non-EEA international students are not eligible for Studiefinanciering, but if you are (for example, because you have a certain type of Dutch work permit or have been living in the Netherlands for several years under specific conditions), you would not qualify for the LExS.

Who Is NOT Eligible for the LExS?

• EEA/EFTA nationals (except for LLM Advanced and MSc International Relations & Diplomacy — which are open to all nationalities)
• Students eligible for Dutch Studiefinanciering
• Applicants to non-advanced LLM or MSc programmes at Leiden Law School
• Students applying to February-intake programmes at Humanities, Sciences, or Law School
• Students who already hold a Leiden University Master's degree (with limited exceptions)
• Students who have not submitted a complete Leiden admission application before the LExS deadline
• Students applying for part-time, online, or non-degree programmes

Eligible Programmes and Faculties at Leiden University

Leiden University offers nearly 80 Master's programmes across more than 200 specialisations, spanning seven faculties in two cities. The LExS is broadly available across these faculties for eligible programmes — here is a breakdown of the main academic areas covered:

Check Your Eligibility & Track Your LExS Documents

Use the interactive tools below to instantly check whether you're likely to qualify for the LExS, build your document checklist, understand the statistics, and explore alternative Netherlands scholarships — all in one place.

How to Apply for the LExS — Step-by-Step Guide

The LExS has no standalone application portal. Everything happens inside Leiden University's standard online admission system. The sequence is strictly ordered — you must complete your admission application first, then the scholarship option becomes available. Here is the complete process from start to finish:

1. Identify your target Master's programme and confirm it is LExS-eligible (several months before the deadline)
   Start by browsing Leiden's Master's programme catalogue and identifying the programme that best matches your academic background and career goals. Then check the official LExS page for the current eligible-programmes list and confirm your specific track is included. Pay special attention to whether you are targeting a September or February intake, since February-intake programmes at Humanities, Sciences, and Law School are excluded from the LExS entirely.
2. Review the admission requirements for your specific programme
   Each Master's programme at Leiden has its own entry requirements — prior coursework, language proficiency thresholds, and sometimes portfolio or writing samples. Read your programme's specific admission page carefully, since the LExS scholarship eligibility is built on top of standard programme requirements.
3. Pay the application fee (if applicable) and submit your online admission application
   Create your account on Leiden's online application system and complete your Master's admission application fully. Note: Leiden University advises that it can take up to 3 working days to create and submit an admission application — start well before the LExS deadline, not at the last minute. Some programmes charge an application fee; this must be paid before your application is considered complete.
4. Access the scholarship section of your application portal
   After your admission application is submitted, return to the Apply screen and click on "Scholarships." If you are eligible for the LExS, it will now appear in this section. If it does not appear, you have either not yet submitted your admission application, missed the deadline, or your programme is not LExS-eligible for your intake cycle.
5. Indicate that you wish to apply for the LExS
   Click to indicate your interest in the scholarship within the portal.
6. Write and upload your 500-word motivation letter (PDF)
   This is the most important scholarship-specific step. The LExS motivation letter must be a PDF file of maximum 500 words that explains why you would like to be considered for the award. This is your primary differentiator among hundreds of academically strong applicants — see the dedicated motivation letter section below for a full breakdown of what to write. Once submitted, you cannot edit it or send additional materials by email, so finalize it carefully before uploading.
7. Submit your scholarship application before the LExS deadline
   Both your admission application and your scholarship application (with the motivation letter uploaded) must be submitted before the deadline — typically 1 February for September intakes and 1 October for February intakes. Late applications are not considered under any circumstances. If you are applying to more than one Leiden Master's programme and wish to be considered for the LExS for each, you must submit a separate scholarship application and motivation letter within each separate programme application.
8. Wait for the faculty selection committees to review all applications
   Faculty committees nominate their LExS recipients within 6 weeks of the deadline. All applicants receive an email notifying them of the outcome — successful candidates for September intakes typically hear before the end of April; February-intake applicants hear before the end of November.
9. Accept the scholarship and confirm the Terms and Conditions in writing
   If awarded, you must confirm your acceptance in writing by filling out the LExS Acceptance Form provided by Leiden University. The scholarship is not activated until this confirmation is received and the Terms and Conditions are agreed to. The award level at this point is final and non-negotiable.
10. Arrange your Dutch student visa and residence permit (MVV + VVR) — non-EEA students
    Even as an LExS recipient, you still need to apply for a Dutch entry visa (MVV) and residence permit (VVR) from the IND. Your scholarship award letter will be part of your financial evidence, but the IND also requires proof of personal funds to cover costs not covered by the scholarship (living expenses, insurance, remaining tuition). Leiden's International Student Services team can guide you through this process.
11. Maintain 60 ECTS in your first year to retain the scholarship for year two
    For multi-year programmes, you must earn a minimum of 60 ECTS credits in your first year to keep the scholarship for subsequent academic years. This requirement is confirmed in the scholarship Terms and Conditions — read them carefully upon acceptance.

How to Write a Winning LExS 500-Word Motivation Letter

The LExS motivation letter is the single document that most determines your outcome. Every competitive applicant has strong grades — the motivation letter is where selection committees differentiate between 40 technically eligible candidates and the 1 they want to award. With a hard cap of 500 words and no template to follow, the pressure is entirely on you to be specific, compelling, and concise.

What to Cover in Your 500 Words

The official LExS brief for the motivation letter is deliberately open: you explain "why you would like to be considered for the award." Strong letters address three interconnected questions within the 500-word limit:

What NOT to Include in Your Motivation Letter

• Generic praise of Leiden that any applicant could write ("I have always dreamed of studying at one of Europe's greatest universities")
• A summary of your CV — the committee already has access to your application; don't waste your 500 words repeating what's already visible
• Requests for a specific award level — the level is set by the committee and cannot be influenced by your letter
• Claims without evidence ("I am a natural leader") — replace every claim with a specific example
• Excessive focus on financial hardship — mention the financial significance honestly and briefly, but the letter should primarily be about academic and intellectual fit, not personal circumstances

Tips for Winning the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship

• Start your admission application at least one week before the LExS deadline — not the same day. Leiden University's portal can take up to 3 working days to process and activate your application, and the scholarship section only becomes visible after your admission application is fully submitted. If you start your admission application the day before the LExS deadline, there is a real risk you won't be able to access the scholarship section in time.
• If applying to multiple Leiden programmes, submit a separate motivation letter for each. Each programme application requires its own LExS application with its own motivation letter. Letters submitted for one programme are not automatically considered for another. This means each letter needs to be tailored to that specific programme — a letter written for a Master's in History is not suitable (and may actively hurt you) if attached to a Master's in Chemistry.
• Once submitted, your scholarship application cannot be changed. Leiden explicitly states that after submitting your scholarship application, you cannot make changes — not online, and not by emailing additional documents. Proofread your motivation letter multiple times, have someone else read it, and only submit when you are fully satisfied.
• Quantify your academic excellence wherever you can. The selection committee receives hundreds of applications from students who say they are "excellent." The ones who stand out say: "I graduated ranked 2nd in my cohort of 150 students," or "my final GPA of 3.85/4.0 placed me in the top 5%." Concrete numbers are far more persuasive than general descriptions.
• Connect your prior coursework explicitly to your target programme's content. Selection committees look for academic results that are "relevant to the Master's programme for which they are applying." If your relevance isn't obvious — for example, if your undergraduate major is only partially related to your target Master's — explain the connection explicitly in your motivation letter rather than assuming the committee will infer it from your transcript.
• Research Leiden's specific faculty before writing your letter. Spend an hour on Leiden's faculty pages, course catalogues, and research group profiles before writing your letter. Identify one or two elements that genuinely differentiate Leiden from other universities in your field — a specific methodology, a research centre, an interdisciplinary approach, or a faculty connection. Your letter will be immediately more compelling than the hundreds that don't do this research.
• Remember the LExS covers tuition only — plan your finances for everything else before applying. Some students spend months preparing a strong LExS application, win it, and then struggle to secure a Dutch student visa because they underestimated the remaining costs (accommodation, insurance, visa fees, living expenses) that the scholarship does not cover. Plan your complete budget before the deadline so you can demonstrate sufficient funds to the IND when the time comes.
• Apply for only one LExS per programme — not multiple per cycle. Within a single programme application, there is only one LExS to apply for. The "multiple applications" provision only applies if you are applying to more than one separate Leiden Master's programme simultaneously.

After Receiving the LExS — What Happens Next?

• Sign and return the LExS Acceptance Form promptly: Upon receiving your award notification, you must formally accept the scholarship by completing and returning the Acceptance Form provided by Leiden. You will also need to confirm your agreement with the scholarship Terms and Conditions in writing before the award is activated.
• Confirm your Master's admission and register for your programme: Scholarship acceptance is conditional on your formal registration as a Leiden Master's student. Complete your programme registration within the required timeframes — do not assume the scholarship secures your place automatically.
• Apply for your Dutch student visa and residence permit (non-EEA students): Contact Leiden's International Student Services team about the IND application process. You will need your scholarship award letter plus additional evidence of personal financial means to cover costs the LExS doesn't address. Begin this process as soon as you receive your award notification.
• Arrange accommodation early — Leiden and The Hague are competitive markets: Student housing in Leiden in particular is limited and in high demand. Apply through Leiden's housing office (ROOM) or other housing partners (SSH, student housing organisations in the area) as early as possible. Private platforms like HousingAnywhere and Kamernet are alternatives but can be more expensive.
• Register with the Dutch municipality (BRP) within 5 days of arrival: Registering at the Gemeente Leiden (or The Hague, depending on where you'll live) is required by law. You need this registration to get your BSN (citizen service number), which in turn is required to open a bank account, arrange health insurance, and complete other administrative steps.
• Open a Dutch bank account: A Dutch bank account (with ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, or a fintech like Bunq or Revolut) is needed to receive scholarship disbursements and pay rent. Some banks allow you to start the process before arriving in the Netherlands — check current options in advance.
• Arrange health insurance: All residents in the Netherlands must have health insurance. Depending on your work or student status, you may be eligible for Dutch public health insurance (zorgverzekering) or may need international student health insurance. Confirm the requirement with Leiden's International Services team, as the rules can be nuanced for scholarship holders.
• Earn your 60 ECTS in year one: For multi-year programmes, you must obtain at least 60 ECTS credits during your first academic year to retain the LExS for the second year. This is a contractual term of your scholarship agreement — track your credits proactively throughout the year, not just at the end.
• Notify Leiden if your circumstances change: You are required to inform Leiden University promptly if you receive a full external scholarship, change your programme, change your nationality or residence permit type, or become eligible for Dutch Studiefinanciering. Failure to report these changes can result in the scholarship being revoked.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship