The application form for ASF Scholarships is not currently open. The deadline for submitting an application for an ASF Scholarship for September 2023 was 1 April 2023. More information on the application procedure, deadlines and timeline for selection can be found in the section Application procedure and timeline.

If you applied for a scholarship and have questions about your application, please feel free to send us an email.

To be eligible for consideration for an ASF Scholarship:

• You must have applied for a place at AUC. Learn how to apply.
• Your family income has to be below the threshold as explained below.

Admission to AUC is a separate process with its own deadlines and procedures. Only students who are (eventually) admitted to AUC can receive an ASF Scholarship.

Both Dutch and international students are welcome to apply for an ASF Scholarship. If you are completing your secondary education in the Netherlands, you are especially encouraged to apply for a scholarship if you will also be the first generation in your family to go to university and/or you have a migration background. However, we still encourage students from all backgrounds who are applying for admission to AUC and meet the family income criteria to also apply for an ASF scholarship. 

Family income threshold

Your family income must be below a certain amount in order for you to be eligible for an ASF Scholarship.

• Your family income is defined as the total annual income before tax deductions of both of your parents/guardians. This includes non-taxable income such as benefits or pensions.
• If you are not Dutch and not eligible for Dutch student finance (studiefinancering), the family income threshold is EUR 54,000 .
• If you are Dutch and/or eligible for Dutch student finance (studiefinancering), the additional grant from DUO is used to measure your family income. You must receive or be eligible for the maximum additional grant (aanvullende beurs) from DUO.

You will need to send financial documents about your family income with your scholarship application. Only the total amount of your family income will be revealed to the Selection Committee members, and only to them. They will not see your financial documents. These will be used strictly internally and only to verify the information provided. 

1. Applications deadlines

2. Selection (April-May)

• The ASF Selection Committee meets in April each year to consider all eligible applications.
• You will be notified in early May if you have been selected.
• No correspondence with the ASF Selection Committee or ASF Board about the selection is accepted.

3. Accepting a scholarship offer (June)

• To accept your scholarship offer, you must sign an acceptance form and return this before the deadline (usually in June).
• We may request that you provide (either on or before your arrival at AUC) some documentation proving you meet the conditions to receive the scholarship (e.g. copy of the confirmation from DUO that you are eligible for or will receive the maximum additional grant).

4. Scholarship payment starts (mid-September)

• Payment of your scholarship starts in mid-September and is paid out over 10 instalments per year. There are no payments in July and August, and you must have a Dutch bank account in your name to receive the scholarship instalments. You can find more information in the Scholarship amounts and payment section. 

ASF Scholarships are awarded based on merit, motivation and financial need.

Selection criteria

The ASF Selection Committee uses the following criteria to select the applicants to be recommended for a scholarship - make sure you cover all of these in your letter of motivation for your application:

• Academic merit, as indicated by your school results. Please note that the ASF Selection Committee will not see your AUC admission application and they will only receive information on your average secondary school grade (GPA). If you want to communicate anything more to the Selection Committee about your school results and academic ability, make sure to include this in your letter of motivation. If you feel your school grades are not representative of your academic ability, for example, you can explain in your letter of motivation why you believe you will perform well at AUC.
• Strong motivation to study liberal arts and sciences at AUC.
• Extracurricular accomplishments and activities. Not only your accomplishments but also your contributions to the community or society. The ASF Selection Committee will be looking for their relevance to AUC and for your (potential) leadership profile and skills.
• Financial need. Why is it important that you receive a scholarship?

Priorities

• ASF Scholarships are awarded to both Dutch and international students, but your application is likely to be considered first if you are a refugee, or if you are completing your secondary education in the Netherlands and will be the first generation in your family to go to university and/or you have a migration background.
• ASF Scholarships are awarded to Science, Social Sciences and Humanities majors, but applications from Science majors are considered first (as AUC aims for 50% Science majors).
• ASF Scholarships are aimed at prospective students who have not already experienced higher education. If you have already been to university then you are less likely to be selected for a scholarship (unless you needed university-level studies to meet AUC’s admission requirements).

Scholarship amounts

There are two levels of ASF Scholarships:

• EUR 6,010 for category EU/EEA students
• EUR 17,950 for category non-EU/EEA students

Category EU/EEA students includes all those eligible to pay the statutory tuition fee for AUC (wettelijk collegegeld), including Dutch students. Partial scholarships are also sometimes awarded, and are often 50% of the levels listed above per category.

Please keep in mind that an ASF Scholarship cannot cover all of your costs. If you use it to pay your tuition fees, you will only have a little spending money left over. You will need to be able to supplement your scholarship with some of your own money in order to pay for rent, food, books etc. To compare the scholarship levels with the costs of studying at AUC, please follow the link to fees and costs.

Payment of ASF Scholarships

ASF Scholarships are paid directly to the students in 10 instalments per year (starting in mid-September, no payments in July and August). You will need to have a Dutch bank account in your own name in order to receive scholarship instalments. Furthermore, you will be responsible for paying the AUC tuition fee yourself. The ASF cannot automatically pay your tuition fees for you.

Receiving an ASF Scholarship

In order to start receiving an ASF Scholarship:

• You must be fully admitted to Amsterdam University College. An ASF Scholarship cannot be transferred to another academic year or another academic programme.
• You must have satisfied all visa and residence permit requirements, if applicable.
• You must have provided documentation, if requested, to confirm your merit and financial need.
• You cannot receive another full coverage scholarship for the same period of study as the ASF Scholarship. If you have been awarded another scholarship, you must declare this to the ASF by sending an email so that it can be assessed if you will need to choose between the scholarships or if you can receive both.

Conditions for maintaining an ASF Scholarship

We have high expectations of ASF Scholarship holders. You will be expected to maintain good academic standing during your time at AUC, with good grades and no credit deficit, or you could risk losing your scholarship. You will be evaluated after one year of study at AUC, and your ASF Scholarship will be awarded automatically for another year if you:

• have successfully passed your first year (positive BSA decision or dispensation)
• are maintaining a GPA of at least 7.0 or above (and preferably with a GPA > 8.0)
• can prove that your basis for financial need has not changed

If you are not meeting one or more of these conditions, you will be offered an opportunity to submit a motivated request for renewal in which you can explain any extenuating circumstances. Your tutor will also be contacted and their advice/recommendation sought before a decision on renewal is taken. No renewal is possible in case of a negative BSA decision.

At the end of your second year, you will be evaluated again in similar fashion. Your ASF Scholarship will be awarded automatically for another year if you:

• are on track to graduate within three years/six semesters in total
• are maintaining a a GPA of at least 7.0 or above (and preferably with a GPA > 8.0)
• can prove that your basis for financial need has not changed

If you are not meeting one or more of these conditions, you will be offered an opportunity to submit a motivated request for renewal in which you can explain any extenuating circumstances. Your tutor will also be contacted and their advice/recommendation sought before a decision on renewal is taken.

Other important conditions

• ASF Scholarships are not, in principle, awarded for more than three years/six semesters in total. If you do not graduate within three years, you will be offered an opportunity to submit a motivated request for an extension of your scholarship for a seventh semester or longer, but there is no guarantee that this can be granted. Your tutor will also be contacted, and their advice/recommendation sought, before a decision on extension is taken.
• If you are receiving an ASF Scholarship and you decide to, or have to, end your studies at AUC without graduating, your ASF Scholarship will be terminated. You will be expected to reimburse the AUC Scholarship Fund in full for the ASF Scholarship payments you have already received.
• ASF Scholarship holders are important ambassadors for AUC and the Scholarship Fund. You will be expected to participate in activities with ASF sponsors and other AUC contacts, including the AUC alumni network, and to cooperate in the promotion of the ASF. If you unreasonably refuse to participate in such activities, this can put continuation of your ASF Scholarship at risk.

If you have any questions about the information above, please first consult the AUC Scholarship Fund FAQs. If you cannot find the answer in the FAQs, please contact the ASF using the link below.