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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Netherlands

4 Fulbright/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Award

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
Fall Start
Grant Length
12 Months
Award Type
Special Study/Research
Fulbright Graduate Degree Grants
  • Yes
Award Profile

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is ranked among Europe's top research universities and provides an internationally-oriented community in which students can develop their full potential. A high level of ambition characterizes research and education at this university. Free and open communication of ideas, strongly-oriented toward people and society, is encouraged. The university seeks renewal, using the strength of the variety of academic disciplines, nationalities, ideologies and social convictions that exist in the environment. VU Amsterdam offers a competitive range of research and academic graduate programs, covering all major academic disciplines. The university is located in one of the most dynamic and fast-growing business districts in The Netherlands in which employees with an international background are widely appreciated. Amsterdam is the most culturally diverse city in the world, boasting 179 different nationalities, where English is widely spoken.

Grant Length
12 Months
Grant Period
Fall Start

Applications for 12 months, starting September 1, will be considered.

For 2-year programs, please see remarks on this link on the specific VU Amsterdam grant. 

 

Orientation
In-Country Orientation

The one-day Fulbright In-Country orientation will take place at the end of August/beginning of September (date to be determined). There also is a second introduction meeting at the end of September at the Ambassador's Residence.

US Fulbright Graduate students with US Ambassador Shefali Razdan Duggal at the Ambassador's Residence

Candidate Profile

Applicants must have strong motivation and excellent study results. Candidates must be admitted (at the time of application or later during the selection process for the Fulbright grant) to an English taught Master's degree programs at VU Amsterdam. The list of these programs can be found on this link.

Please note that joint programmes administered by another university than VU are excluded from this grant. If you are unsure if your chosen programme is administered by VU Amsterdam or another university, please contact the International Student Advisors.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

The Netherlands is a small country, approximately the size of Maryland or West-Virginia. It is a fairly densely populated country, with good public transport links. This makes it easy to travel to other parts of the country during your stay. It has a temperate climate with a fair amount of rain. The Dutch economy is geared mainly towards import/export, services and trade, and less on heavy industry. Most Dutch people will be able to speak basic English, and you will be able to get around without speaking Dutch. However, it is really appreciated if you learn some Dutch either before or during your stay in the Netherlands. With two airports in Amsterdam and Eindhoven, it is also easy to reach other European countries for weekend trips. 

The Dutch are known for being direct, which can also be interpreted as being rude or blunt. In general, most Fulbright grantees indicate that it takes a bit of getting used to, but they appreciate it after being in the country for a while. The grading system in the Netherlands may also take some time getting used to. It ranges from 10-1, with a 10 being a perfect score and anything below 6 a fail. The grades 10 and 9 are rarely given, only in case of exceptionally good work, a 7 and 8 are considered to be good grades. Also, the courses and grading are mostly based on exams at the end of term. In terms of discussions on diversity, equity and access, there is a growing awareness of the systemic inequalities in society. You may find that there are differences in interpretation and the discussion between the U.S. and the Netherlands on these topics. 

The Dutch Fulbright Commission will organize four meetings during your stay, two introduction meetings at the beginning of the grant period, a mid-year evaluation and a meeting at the end of the grant period. There also is a cultural excursion program in place, where an alumna organizes 5 excursions to places of interest in the Netherlands.

Excursion with US Fulbright grantees in Amsterdam, visiting the Van Gogh Museum and the Royal PalaceExcursion with US Fulbright grantees to Maastricht, trying the find the best Maastricht pastry

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
1 Month
Dual citizens of this country are NOT eligible

U.S. Students with U.S. and Dutch nationality are not eligible. In addition, U.S. students with both U.S. and European citizenship, or students on a spousal E.U. visa, will not be considered.

Candidates who will receive a PhD degree by the grant start date are not eligible for consideration.

Candidates who wish to start a joint programme administered by another university than VU are not eligible for consideration. If you are unsure if your chosen programme is administered by VU Amsterdam or another university, please contact the International Student Advisors.

Degree Level of Applicant
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Special Application Instructions

In your Fulbright online application, for Award Name please select VU Amsterdam from the drop down menu.

In case you apply for a two-year program, and you comply with the requirements, you are eligible to receive a grant from the VUFellowship Programme for the second year. If you have already completed a Master's degree or are a PhD student, this means that for the purposes of the Fulbright and the VUFP grant, only your bachelor's GPA will be taken into account during the final phase of the selection in the Netherlands. 

Foreign Language Proficiency
Not Required

Additional Information: Dutch language proficiency is not required, but is useful at the time of arrival. Some study of Dutch prior to arrival is encouraged in order to promote deeper engagement with the host community. The grants are available only for Master's programs taught in English.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
No
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
Yes
Affiliation
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
Letter of acceptance required prior to grant start

Applicants are required to apply to VU Amsterdam independent of their Fulbright application and, if already admitted, to include a letter of admission with their application. If this is not yet possible, this can be provided at a later date. A letter of affiliation is not necessary. 

Although the deadline for applying at the VU Amsterdam is April 1, 2025, applicants who want to be considered for the Fulbright/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam grants are asked to apply and complete their application at VU Amsterdam before January 15, 2025 at the latest. Candidates who apply late at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will not be considered. The application process opens on October 1, 2024. More information on the application process can be found on this link. 

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition not covered in grant benefits

Tuition fees are not waived, and differ per program, see http://www.vu.nl/tuitionfee. The Fulbright/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Award cannot be combined with the Holland Scholarship. 

Award Benefits
  • A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
  • International travel benefits
  • Accident & sickness health benefits
  • 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
  • 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

1,550 monthly stipend amount in
€ [Euro]

The grant is paid in monthly installments. 

One-Time Allowances

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

1,000 in
  • Registration/Permitting fees

A residence permit is mandatory for the Netherlands. The costs of the residence permit will be reimbursed. Also, for any mandatory Fulbright meetings, local travel costs by public transport will be reimbursed. An international travel allowance of € 1,000 will be provided for a round trip ticket to the Netherlands. 

Additional Grant Benefits
  • Mid-year seminar

There will be four meetings over the course of the year, one of which will be the mid-year evaluation. Grantees will also be reimbursed for a Museum Year Card, giving free access to over 400 museums in the Netherlands. 

Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

This website is a good way to get a general idea about the costs of living in the Netherlands. 

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available

Dependent support is not available. If an applicant is planning on bringing dependents, please contact the host institution to inquire whether they are willing to also apply for a residence permit for the dependents. Without a residence permit applied for by the host, dependents will not be able to join the applicant. 

Housing Arrangements

Grantees are responsible for finding housing themselves. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam may be able to help with this, but this is not guaranteed. 

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EUR@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
http://www.fulbright.nl
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Linda Pietersen: l.pietersen@fulbright.nl
Additional Online Resources
VU Amsterdam Website : http://www.vu.nl/en/
Information about the Netherlands: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/themes
Dutch Government Website: https://www.government.nl/topics
More information about the Netherlands: https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl/more-about-the-netherlands