Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) for Advanced LL.M. Programmes at Leiden Law School, Netherlands (EUR 10,000 to EUR 19,000 of the Tuition Fee; Apply by 1 December 2026)

The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) is offered by Leiden University, the Netherlands, for excellent students joining a full-time Leiden University Master's degree programme, with the exception of the LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes at Leiden Law School. For law graduates, this means the scholarship is available for the Advanced LL.M. programmes of Leiden Law School.

Leiden University has around 25 LExS scholarships available each year, and over a thousand students apply, so the scholarship is highly competitive.

• Air and Space Law (Advanced LL.M.)
• International Children's Rights (Advanced LL.M.)
• European and International Human Rights Law (Advanced LL.M.)
• European and International Business Law (Advanced LL.M.)
• International Civil and Commercial Law (Advanced LL.M.)
• International Dispute Settlement and Arbitration (Advanced LL.M.)
• Law and Digital Technologies (Advanced LL.M.)
• International Financial Law (Advanced LL.M.)
• Public International Law (Advanced LL.M.)

Leiden Law School describes these programmes as designed for excellent students with legal experience and for qualified lawyers. The LExS is also open to other Leiden University Master's programmes starting in September, outside Leiden Law School's LLM (non-advanced) and MSc programmes.

• Study programme: a full-time Leiden University Master's programme starting in September. Programmes starting in February are excluded.
• Nationality: applicants generally need a non-EEA/non-EFTA passport and must not be eligible for Dutch student finance (Studiefinanciering). All LLM Advanced Studies programmes are an exception: they have no nationality restriction, so Indian applicants to an Advanced LL.M. may apply.
• Academic record: excellent results in previous study relevant to the chosen Master's programme. As an indication, the student is among the top 10% of graduates of their previous programme; proof of ranking is not required.
• Applicants who already hold a Leiden University Master's degree are excluded, except for programmes that require a specified previous Master's or work experience, such as the LLM Advanced Studies programmes.

The LExS is awarded for the duration of the study programme at one of five levels:

• EUR 10,000 of the tuition fee
• EUR 15,000 of the tuition fee
• EUR 17,500 of the tuition fee
• EUR 18,500 of the tuition fee
• EUR 19,000 of the tuition fee

The award level is final and non-negotiable. The LExS is not a full scholarship and does not cover the full cost of study, so a significant personal contribution is required. Non-EEA recipients must still submit proof of sufficient funds for the student visa or residence permit, and under the terms and conditions all awardees still pay the statutory tuition fee.

• Apply online for admission to the Master's programme at Leiden University and pay the application fee if applicable. Creating and submitting the admission application can take up to 3 working days, so start well before the LExS deadline.
• After submitting the admission application, return to the Apply screen of the online application and click on Scholarships. If you are eligible, the LExS appears there.
• Indicate that you want to apply for the LExS and upload a motivation letter: a PDF of at most 500 words explaining why you should be considered.
• Submit the scholarship application before 1 December 2026. No changes can be made after submission, either online or by email.
• If you apply for more than one programme or specialisation and want the LExS for each, submit a separate LExS application and motivation letter within each admission application.

Late scholarship applications will not be considered. Both the admission application and the scholarship application must be submitted before the LExS deadline.

• Faculty selection committees nominate recipients within 10 weeks of the LExS deadline, and all applicants are told by email whether they have been awarded a LExS before the end of March.
• Recipients must confirm in writing that they accept the terms and conditions before the award is made.
• The LExS cannot be combined with another full scholarship from an external provider; in some circumstances it may be combined with a partial external scholarship.
• The award is tied to the academic year and intake in the decision letter and is revoked if the student postpones; for a 2-year programme, at least 60 ECTS must be earned in the first year to keep it.

For a September start, Leiden Law School states that applicants who need a visa or residence permit must apply for admission before 1 April, and others before 15 May. To be considered for the LExS, however, the admission application and the scholarship application must both be submitted before 1 December 2026.