Master's scholarships

The Excellence Programme is initiated by Wageningen University & Research to attract excellent international students for a Master's programme.

For whom

International MSc students who hold the nationality of at least one of the eligible countries listed below, do not hold EU or EFTA nationality, and start an eligible on-campus MSc programme in September 2027. Students must be unconditionally admitted to the programme.

Eligible countries

The Excellence Scholarship is open to applicants from a selected group of countries. The selection of eligible countries is based on our aim to foster a diverse and well-balanced international student community and to strengthen geographical representation within our international classroom.

Applicants must hold the nationality of at least one of the following countries:

Argentina · Australia · Brazil · Canada · Chile · Colombia · Costa Rica · Cuba · Ecuador · Guatemala · Japan · Malaysia · Mexico · New Zealand · Peru · Singapore · South Korea · Thailand · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States of America

Please note that applicants who also hold the nationality of an EU or EFTA country are not eligible for the Excellence Scholarship.

Components of the scholarship

A tuition fee waiver for the duration of the programme (24 months).

Requirements

1. You hold the nationality of at least one of the eligible countries listed above and do not hold the nationality of an EU or EFTA country.
2. You have submitted a complete application for an eligible on-campus MSc programme at Wageningen University & Research before 1 December 2026. Please see: How can I apply for the Master's programme?
3. You are unconditionally admitted to this MSc programme
4. You have a high GPA of 80% or higher. A First Class Honours BSc graduation or equivalent is required.

Please note that a complete Master's application includes all required supporting documents. In particular:

• You must meet the English language requirements before 1 December 2026. Since obtaining the required English language test results may take several weeks, we strongly recommend planning your test well in advance. Your official English language test results must be available before 1 December 2026 so they can be uploaded as part of your Master's application.
• You must have completed your Bachelor's degree before 1 December 2026 and uploaded your Bachelor's diploma as part of your complete Master's application before this deadline..

MSc application deadline  

Before 1 December 2026. Only MSc applications that have been submitted before this deadline will be assessed by the WU Scholarship Selection Committee.

Can I apply for this scholarship?   

The WU Scholarship Selection Committee coordinates the selection process for the WU Excellence Scholarship. Around March–April 2027, a number of applicants will be informed by email that they have been selected for the final stage of the WU Excellence Scholarship selection process. As part of this final stage, a lottery will be held to determine the scholarship recipients.

On 7 April 2027, the WU Excellence Scholarship will be offered to the selected students. The remaining candidates will be placed on a waiting list.

The WU Excellence Scholarship consists of a tuition fee waiver. Students who are offered and accept the scholarship will receive a revised first-year invoice. This invoice will include the remaining costs for the first year, such as the living allowance, health and liability insurance, and the residence permit fee, while the tuition fee will be waived.

Based on the current fee structure, the revised first-year invoice will be approximately €16,500 and must be paid before 1 July 2027.

The Africa Scholarship Programme (ASP) offers talented and motivated students from Africa the unique opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree at Wageningen University and to support capacity building in Africa.

Components of the scholarship

• Travel to and from The Netherlands
• Living allowance for the duration of the programme (24 months)
• Tuition fee coverage for the duration of the programme (24 months)
• Visa costs and costs for health insurance

Requirements

1. You are a citizen of an African country.
2. You have submitted a complete application for one of the MSc programmes at Wageningen University & Research before December 1, 2026. Please see: How can I apply for the master’s programme?
3. You are unconditionally admitted to this MSc programme.

4. You are an excellent student with a First class honours degree and a GPA of 80% or higher in a bachelor's degree.
   Please note that a complete Master's application includes all required supporting documents. In particular:

   You must meet the English language requirements before 1 December 2026. Since obtaining the required English language test results may take several weeks, we strongly recommend planning your test well in advance. Your official English language test results must be available before 1 December 2026 so they can be uploaded as part of your Master's application.
   
   You must have completed your Bachelor's degree before 1 December 2026 and uploaded your Bachelor's diploma as part of your complete Master's application before this deadline.

5. Preference is given to students who have not obtained a master’s degree
   yet.

Only if you meet all of the above mentioned requirements you could be eligible for an invitation to the Africa Scholarship Programme selection procedure.

MSc application deadline  

Before 1 December 2026. Only the MSc applications that have been submitted before this deadline will be assessed by the WU scholarship selection committee.

Can I apply for this scholarship?    

The WU Scholarship Selection Committee coordinates the selection process for the WU ASP Scholarship. Around March–April 2027, a number of applicants will be informed by email that they have been selected for the final stage of the WU ASP Scholarship selection process. As part of this final stage, a lottery will be held to determine the scholarship recipients. 

On 7 April 2027, the WU ASP Scholarship will be offered to the selected students. The remaining candidates will be placed on a waiting list.

The Anne van den Ban Fund allows talented students from developing countries to study at Wageningen University. The scholarships are assigned to students in close cooperation with the university and are combined with the WU Fellowship Programme.

For who

International students from developing countries starting an MSc programme in September 2027 who have unconditional admission.

Components of the scholarship  

• Travel to and from The Netherlands 
• Living allowance for the duration of the programme (24 months)
• Tuition fee coverage for the duration of the programme (24 months) 
• Visa costs and costs for health insurance

MSc application deadline    

Before 1 December 2026. Only the complete MSc applications that have been submitted before this deadline will be assessed by te ABF selection committee.

Please note that a complete Master's application includes all required supporting documents. In particular:

• You must meet the English language requirements before 1 December 2026. Since obtaining the required English language test results may take several weeks, we strongly recommend planning your test well in advance. Your official English language test results must be available before 1 December 2026 so they can be uploaded as part of your Master's application.
  
• You must have completed your Bachelor's degree before 1 December 2026 and uploaded your Bachelor's diploma as part of your complete Master's application before this deadline.
  

Can I apply for this scholarship?   

This scholarship is based on invitation. It’s not possible to apply directly.

Selection results will be communicated (to selected candidates only)  

During May 2027 (exact notification date to be announced).

Please note: The exact notification date will be published on this page in the autumn of 2027.

The NL Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Dutch higher education institutions. It is intended for talented international students from selected countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who wish to pursue a master's degree in the Netherlands.

Available scholarships: 8

Start MSc programme: September 2027 or February 2028

Scholarship and payment

If selected, you will receive one NL Scholarship of €5,000. The selection committee may award a maximum of three NL Scholarships to one student, resulting in a total award of €5,000, €10,000 or €15,000.

The NL Scholarship is not a full scholarship and cannot be used to meet WUR's payment requirements for your MSc intake. You must pay your full WUR invoice or provide another scholarship grant letter accepted by WUR before 1 July 2027 (September intake) or 1 December 2027 (February intake).

Before payment, WUR will verify that you have arrived in the Netherlands, are enrolled in the eligible on-campus MSc programme and have provided a Dutch (NL) IBAN. Payment is expected in October 2027 for September starters and March 2028 for February starters.

Requirements

To be eligible, you must:

• have a GPA of 80% or higher;
• have one of the following nationalities: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States of America or Vietnam;
• have conditional or unconditional admission to an eligible on-campus MSc programme at WUR;
• not have previously participated in a degree programme in the Netherlands.

The scholarship is not available for online master's or Double Degree programmes, or if you have dual nationality and one nationality is from an EU/EEA country.

Application and selection

Eligible candidates who are conditionally or unconditionally admitted will automatically be invited to apply. Invitations are sent weekly from 1 February 2027 onwards.

If invited, you must submit your scholarship application before 1 May 2027. From 1 May onwards, applications are no longer possible. The same deadline applies to the February 2028 intake; there is no separate later application round.

As part of the selection procedure, WUR shares required applicant information with the organisations involved in the NL Scholarship programme.

For more information about the NL Scholarship programme in the Netherlands, visit the NL Scholarship page on Study in NL.