The applications for the Talent Fellowships at AUC for September 2023 will open in October 2022. The deadline for submitting an application for a Talent Fellowship at AUC starting in September 2023 is 1 April 2023. Selection will be done as quickly as possible in April 2023 for students starting at AUC in the autumn (September) 2023 semester, and you will be notified in late April/early May 2023 if you have been awarded a Talent Fellowship at AUC. No correspondence with the ASF Selection Committee or ASF Board about the selection will be accepted.

The ASF Selection Committee, consisting of representatives of the ASF sponsors and an independent chair, considers all the applications and makes recommendations to the ASF Board on which students should be invited as Talent Fellows at AUC. For your fellowship application to be considered by the ASF Selection Committee, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must have also submitted an application for admission to AUC. Admission to AUC is a separate process. For more information, see the section on applications and admissions. Only those who apply and are accepted to AUC can join the Talent Fellowship at AUC.
• By September 2023 you must have completed your secondary education in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or have Dutch citizenship.
• You must come from a background or group that is underrepresented in higher education. The selection committee has been asked to prioritise students with a migration background, including refugees, and Dutch students who are the first in their family to attend a college or university.
• You must meet the criteria to receive an additional grant (aanvullende beurs) from DUO.

The Talent Fellowship at AUC is a merit-based award, although there is a family income threshold (see the section below). The ASF Selection Committee selects the applicants to be recommended  to receive a Fellowship based on the following criteria:

• Excellent school results. These are considered to be an indicator of your academic merit. Please note that the ASF Selection Committee will not see your application for admission to AUC and they will only receive information on your average secondary school grade (GPA) that you submit. If you want to communicate anything more to the Committee about your school results and academic ability, make sure to include it in your letter of motivation. This space can also be used to explain why you may not have high grades at the moment, but still believe you can perform well at AUC.
• Strong motivation to study liberal arts and sciences at AUC. The ASF Selection Committee will be looking for this in your letter of motivation.
• Demonstrated ambition and a passion for learning. Personal development is a priority for the Talent Fellowship at AUC  and the selection committee needs to see that you are committed to developing leadership qualities, excelling academically, and becoming exemplary and engaged members of the community.
• The ASF Selection Committee is also interested in your extracurricular accomplishments and activities. Give examples of both your individual accomplishments, as well as your contributions to your community or society, and your (potential) leadership profile and skills. Make sure to write about these in your letter of motivation.

Whether or not your family income falls below the threshold is measured by your eligibility for an additional grant (aanvullende beurs) from DUO. If you are not eligible for any additional grant, you will not be eligible for the Talent Fellowship at AUC. Please show that you are eligible to receive the additional grant using DUO’s rekenhulp tool. If you are offered a place in the Talent Fellowship you will have to provide official confirmation from DUO that you are eligible for an additional grant in order to join the programme.

Students are invited to join the Talent Fellowship at AUC if they meet the following requirements.

• A Talent Fellow must be fully admitted to Amsterdam University College. The Talent Fellowship at AUC cannot be transferred to another academic year or another academic programme.
• A Talent Fellow must have satisfied all visa and residence permit requirements, if applicable.
• A Talent Fellow must have proven both merit and meet the financial criterion.
•  A Talent Fellow may receive another full coverage scholarship for the same period of study, but may not receive another scholarship from the AUC Scholarship Fund (ASF).

The Talent Fellowship at AUC is paid directly to students in 10 monthly instalments each year.

We have high expectations of Talent Fellows. You will be expected to maintain good academic standing throughout your studies at AUC, with good grades and no periods of probation, or risk losing your  Talent Fellowship. You will be evaluated after each year of study at AUC, and your participation in the Talent Fellowship will be extended for another year if you:

• have successfully passed the first year (a GPA of at least 7.0 and preferably with a GPA ≥ 8.0)
• receive a positive recommendation at the end of your first year from your AUC tutor
• participate in the personal development programme

The same procedure is followed at the end of your second year. The Talent Fellowship at AUC is not, in principle, awarded for more than three years/six semesters in total.

If you are participating in the Talent Fellowship at AUC and you decide to, or have to, end your studies at AUC without graduating, your participation in the Fellowship will be terminated, and you must reimburse the AUC Scholarship Fund in full for all the payments you have already received.

Talent Fellows are important ambassadors for AUC and the Scholarship Fund. As a Talent Fellow, you are expected to participate in activities with AUC sponsors and other AUC contacts, including the AUC alumni network, and to cooperate in the promotion of the ASF. Your participation in the Talent Fellowship at AUC may be terminated if you unreasonably refuse to participate in such activities.