To be eligible for consideration for a Talent Fellowship at AUC: 

• You must have also applied for a place of admission to AUC. Learn how how to apply for admission to AUC. 
• You must have completed your secondary education in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or have Dutch citizenship by the time you plan on starting your education at AUC.
• You must come from a background or group that is underrepresented in higher education. The Selection Committee has been asked to prioritise students with a migration background, including refugees, and Dutch students who are the first in their family to attend a college or university.
• You must meet the criteria to receive an additional grant (aanvullende beurs) from DUO. In your application for a Talent Fellowship at AUC, you will need to show you are eligible to receive the additional grant using DUO’s rekenhulp tool. If you are selected for a Talent Fellowship you will have to provide official confirmation from DUO that you are eligible for an additional grant in order to join the programme.

Please note that admission to AUC is a separate process with its own deadlines and procedures, and only students who are (eventually) admitted to AUC can receive a Talent Fellowship.

1. Applications deadlines

Late applications cannot be accepted. Please do not miss the deadline!

2. Selection (April-May)

• The ASF Selection Committee meets in April each year to consider all eligible applications. Only one new Talent Fellowship is awarded each year.
• No correspondence with the ASF Selection Committee or ASF Board about the selection is accepted.

3. Accepting a scholarship offer (June)

• To accept a Talent Fellowship, you must sign an acceptance form and return this before the deadline (usually in June).
• We may request that you provide (either on or before your arrival at AUC) official confirmation from DUO that you are eligible for or will receive an additional grant.

4. Fellowship starts (mid-September)

• Payment of your fellowship starts in mid-September and is paid out over 10 instalments per year. There are no payments in July and August, and you must have a Dutch bank account in your name to receive the fellowship instalments. You can find more information in the Talent Fellowships amounts and payment section. 

The Talent Fellowship at AUC is a merit-based award, although there is a family income threshold that is measured by your eligibility for an additional grant from DUO (see the Eligibility criteria section for more information).

Selection criteria

The ASF Selection Committee uses the following criteria to select the applicants to be recommended for a fellowship - make sure you cover all of these in your letter of motivation for your application:

• Academic merit, as indicated by your school results. Please note that the ASF Selection Committee will not see your AUC application for admission and will only receive information on your average secondary school grade (GPA). If you want to communicate anything more to the Selection Committee about your school results and academic ability, make sure to include this in your letter of motivation. If you feel your school grades are not representative of your academic ability, for example, you can explain in your letter of motivation why you believe you will perform well at AUC.
• Strong motivation to study liberal arts and sciences at AUC.
• Demonstrated ambition and passion for learning. Personal development is a priority for the Talent Fellowship at AUC and the ASF Selection Committee needs to see that you are committed to developing leadership qualities, excelling academically and becoming an exemplary and engaged member of the community.
• Extracurricular accomplishments and activities. Not only your accomplishments but also your contributions to the community or society. The ASF Selection Committee will be looking for their relevance to AUC and for your (potential) leadership profile and skills.

Priorities

The Talent Fellowships at AUC are aimed at Dutch students, and students completing their secondary education in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who are from underrepresented communities in Dutch higher education. Within this, the Selection Committee is being asked to prioritise:

• Applicants from the Netherlands with a migration background. (At least one of your parents was born outside of the Netherlands.)
• Applicants from the Netherlands who will be the first generation in their family to go to college or university.
• Applicants with refugee status in the Netherlands.

Amount of the Talent Fellowship at AUC

Talent Fellows receive EUR 2500 per academic year for a maximum of three years.

Payment

Payment of your fellowship starts in mid-September and is paid out over 10 instalments per year. There are no payments in July and August, and you must have a Dutch bank account in your name to receive the fellowship instalments. 

Conditions for receiving a Talent Fellowship at AUC

In order to start receiving a Talent Fellowship:

• You must be fully admitted to Amsterdam University College. A Talent Fellowship at AUC cannot be transferred to another academic year or another academic programme.
• You must have satisfied all visa and residence permit requirements, if applicable.
• You must have provided official confirmation from DUO that you are eligible for or will receive an additional grant.
• You cannot be receiving any other type of scholarship from the AUC Scholarship Fund (you can apply for both a regular ASF scholarship and Talent Fellowship, but you cannot receive both).

Conditions for maintaining a Talent Fellowship at AUC

We have high expectations of Talent Fellows. You will be expected to meet the following conditions in order to maintain your Talent Fellowship at AUC:

1. You must maintain good academic standing and stay on track to graduate in three years.
2. You must participate in the TFA personal development programme.
3. Talent Fellows are important ambassadors for AUC and the Scholarship Fund. You are expected to participate in activities with ASF sponsors and other AUC contacts, including the AUC alumni network, and to cooperate in the promotion of the ASF.
4. You must continue to be eligible for an additional grant (aanvullende beurs) from DUO and provide proof on request.
5. You will be evaluated after one year of study. Your Fellowship will be renewed automatically for another year if you have successfully passed your first year (positive BSA decision or dispensation) and are meeting conditions 1 to 4. If you are not meeting one or more of these conditions, you will be offered an opportunity to submit a motivated request for renewal in which you can explain any extenuating circumstances. No renewal is possible in case of a negative BSA decision.
6. At the end of your second year, you will be evaluated again in similar fashion. Your Talent Fellowship will be renewed automatically for a third and final year if you continue to meet conditions 1 to 4. If you are not meeting one or more of these conditions, you will be offered an opportunity to submit a motivated request for renewal in which you can explain any extenuating circumstances.

If you are receiving a Talent Fellowship and you decide to, or have to, end your studies at AUC without graduating, your Fellowship will be terminated. You will be expected to reimburse the AUC Scholarship Fund in full for the Fellowship payments you have already received.

For general questions about the AUC Scholarship Fund or the Talent Fellowship, please contact the ASF via the link below.