Overview
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, commonly known as LExS, is a competitive Master's-level scholarship offered by Leiden University, the oldest university in the Netherlands, founded in 1575. For the 2027 intake, LExS continues its role as one of the more prestigious partial-funding awards available to international Master's applicants in the Netherlands, offering a substantial reduction in tuition costs to academically outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area.
Unlike scholarships tied to a specific department or narrow field, LExS spans nearly the entire range of Master's programs at Leiden, making it accessible to strong applicants regardless of their specific academic interest — a rare feature among high-value European scholarships, many of which restrict funding to a handful of designated fields.
Scholarship Details
LExS is awarded at three distinct financial levels: €10,000 toward tuition, €15,000 toward tuition, or — at the highest award tier — the total tuition fee minus the statutory tuition fee, which represents the largest possible reduction available under the program. Whichever tier a recipient receives, the award applies for the full duration of the chosen Master's program, rather than being paid out as a one-time or annually renewable amount.
It's important to understand that LExS is explicitly not a full scholarship. Non-EEA/EFTA recipients must still demonstrate proof of sufficient funds separately as part of their student visa or residence permit application, meaning admitted scholars need to factor in remaining tuition costs and living expenses through other means — savings, family support, or supplementary funding sources — even after securing the award.
Eligibility Requirements
LExS is open to applicants applying for a Master's program at Leiden University, with essentially all programs eligible except non-advanced LLM programs. A specific exception applies to the LLM or MSc Advanced Studies program in International Relations and Diplomacy, where applicants are eligible regardless of nationality — a notable carve-out from the broader non-EEA/EFTA restriction that applies elsewhere in the program.
For most other programs, eligibility is limited to non-EEA/EFTA citizens, though UK applicants should check the official Leiden scholarship page for nationality-specific notes given the post-Brexit funding landscape. Academically, LExS is a merit-based award, and Leiden expects applicants to demonstrate excellent results in their prior study program — this is a genuinely competitive scholarship, and only the strongest candidates are typically selected.
Several exclusions apply. Applicants cannot combine LExS with another full scholarship from an external provider, nor with another Leiden University-funded scholarship. Students who have already obtained a Master's degree from Leiden University are also ineligible, as are students enrolled in a non-advanced LLM program.
