Financial help for non-EU students

This is the third year a group of around 100 international students have received a bursary from the UvA, the ‘Amsterdam Merit Scholarships' (AMS).

The Rector Magnificus Prof. D.C. van den Boom and Dr J.R.Bausch of the AMS committee (Prof. Dentistry) officially welcomed the students to the University and congratulated them on gaining their scholarships.

Two of the AMS scholars, Andrew Switzer from Canada and Paul Mbatia Waihura talked about their experiences so far and what the scholarships mean to them. Afterward all the recipients were awarded a certificate and there was a typical Dutch reception with herring and cheese.

The AMS bursary was established in 2007-2008 when the tuition fees for non-EU students were increased. With this the UvA wanted to be able to give the most talented students from outside the EU who were not eligible for student funding (studiefinanciering) a chance to follow a study here. This year the scholarships were granted to 99 students from 32 countries.

For more information about the Amsterdam Merit Scholarships see