TL;DR: TU Delft MSc Programme Scholarships for 2027-2029 fund international students on a two-year MSc in Delft. The flagship Justus & Louise van Effen awards (two per faculty) cover full tuition plus living costs; apply by December 2026, 23:59 CE. Submit the MSc file, Scholarship Application Form, two references, and English test together – a late file is not reviewed.
What Are TU Delft MSc Programme Scholarships?
TU Delft MSc Programme Scholarships for 2027-2029 are merit-based awards that fund excellent international students on a regular two-year MSc at Delft University of Technology.
The flagship scheme covers tuition and a contribution toward living costs. They are not a hardship fund, not available for bachelor’s degrees, and not a tuition waiver you negotiate after you arrive. Faculty selection committees pick recipients only after the Admissions Office has given a positive (including conditional) assessment.
For the 2027-2029 cycle, the university’s official scholarships hub currently lists:
- Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships – the main university-wide MSc award, two per faculty
- Faculty-specific scholarships – currently the Microelectronics faculty scholarship under Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
- External and partner awards – CLIP, the ASML Technology Scholarship, and scholarships paid by other organisations
A “regular” two-year MSc at TU Delft is a programme taught and awarded solely by TU Delft. International joint education programmes are out of scope for the van Effen awards.
Always confirm live rules on the Official scholarships page before you submit. Faculty listings and partner awards change; the 1 December 2026 van Effen deadline is the date that currently governs the 2027 intake.
Why These Scholarships Matter for International Applicants
A TU Delft MSc is a two-year, full-time degree. Without funding, the cash requirement is large and front-loaded.
For 2026/2027 (the most recent published fee year), TU Delft charges:
| Student group | Annual tuition | Extra first-year costs (indicative) |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EFTA (statutory rate) | €2,694 | €285 housing-service fee |
| Non-EU/EFTA MSc (institutional rate) | €25,633 | €14,200 living-cost proof + €254 residence permit + €285 housing-service fee |
Non-EU first-year payment on that schedule totals €39,833 before the second year of tuition. Fees rise each year; TU Delft tells external sponsors to budget a 2-3% annual increase. 2027/2028 rates are not published yet, so treat current figures as a floor, not a quote.
Delft University Fund describes the two-year van Effen package as about €60,000 for non-EU students and about €28,000 for EU students. That is full tuition at the statutory or institutional rate that matches your registered nationality, plus a monthly contribution toward living costs for 24 months. It is not a cash grant that also pays flights, deposits, or the September settling-in period.
For a non-EU applicant, that award can decide whether enrolment is possible. For an EU applicant, tuition is already low; the living-cost contribution is what changes the monthly budget. Two van Effen awards per faculty across eight faculties means a minimum of 16 places. TU Delft signals, rather than requires, that successful applicants are typically among the top 10% of graduates from their previous programme.
How the 2027-2029 Scholarship Programmes Work
TU Delft MSc Programme Scholarships run admission and award selection in parallel, not in sequence. You do not wait for an offer letter, then apply for money. You submit one complete MSc file that already contains the funding documents. After a positive admission decision, faculty committees consider you for an award.
Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships
The van Effen awards are financed by the legacy of Justus and Louise van Effen, whose foundation supports excellent international MSc students at TU Delft.
Key rules for 2027-2029:
- Places: 2 per faculty (minimum 16)
- Deadline: 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET
- Decision: email to successful applicants only, by the end of March 2027
- Cover: full tuition each year at the statutory or institutional rate for your nationality, and a contribution toward living expenses
- Duration: 24 months; no extension
- Age: you must not be older than 35 on 1 September of your first academic year (1 September 2027 for this cycle)
- Academic signal: excellent results in a relevant prior degree; top 10% is the published indication. Proof of ranking is not required
You are eligible if you are an excellent international applicant who is, or will be, (conditionally) admitted to a regular two-year TU Delft MSc.
You are not eligible if any of these apply:
- You are a TU Delft bachelor’s student, including international students already in a Delft BSc
- You earned your bachelor’s degree at a Dutch university
- You have already started an MSc at TU Delft
- You are applying to an International Joint Education Programme
Joint and partner programmes TU Delft lists as ineligible for its own MSc awards:
- Metropolitan Analysis, Design and Engineering
- Applied Geophysics
- The Berlage post-master
- Industrial Ecology
- Geographical Information Management and Applications
The eight faculties that each receive two van Effen places:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Applied Sciences
- Architecture and the Built Environment
- Civil Engineering and Geosciences
- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Technology, Policy and Management
Faculty scholarship: Microelectronics
Under the heading “Faculty specific scholarships, academic period 2027-2029,” TU Delft currently lists up to two awards from the Microelectronics research department.
Those awards are narrower than van Effen:
- Only for the two-year regular MSc in Electrical Engineering, track Microelectronics
- GPA of 80% or higher of the scale maximum in a bachelor’s degree from an internationally renowned university outside the Netherlands
- Full tuition (statutory or institutional) each year; second-year renewal requires an average of 8 (80%) in year one
- Thesis must be in the Microelectronics department; a grade of 9 (90%) or higher on that thesis leads to a PhD offer in the department
The page still prints an application deadline of 1 December 2025 (23:59 CET) and a decision window of April 2026. As of September 2026 that deadline has passed. Treat the Microelectronics listing as something to verify with the faculty ([email protected]) before you assume a 2027 seat is open. Do not invent a new deadline.
Partner and external scholarships
TU Delft also points applicants to awards it does not itself select:
| Award | Who it is for | What it pays | How you apply | Cycle note (as of Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justus & Louise van Effen | Excellent international applicants to a regular 2-year TU Delft MSc; max age 35 on 1 Sept | Full tuition + living-cost contribution (~€60,000 non-EU / ~€28,000 EU over 2 years) | Same portal as the MSc application; deadline 1 Dec 2026 | Open for 2027-2029 |
| EEMCS Microelectronics faculty scholarship | EE (Microelectronics) track; GPA ≥ 80% from a university outside the Netherlands | Full tuition; possible PhD after a ≥9 thesis | Same MSc + scholarship file | Official page still shows 1 Dec 2025 – confirm with the faculty |
| CLIP (Costas Lemos Innovation Programme) | Up to 5 students with Greek passport or residence, bachelor’s completed in Greece, entering listed environment-related MSc programmes | Full tuition + living-cost contribution for 24 months | Separate form to [email protected] after you have an admission letter |
Last published deadline 31 July 2026 for the 2026 intake |
| ASML Technology Scholarship | Any nationality starting a technical master’s at a Dutch university; GPA ≥ 7.00 | €5,000 per year for 2 years, plus mentor and development programme | Apply on ASML’s site; in-person selection in Veldhoven | 2026 round closed; does not cover international tuition |
| Other external providers | Varies | Varies; tuition must cover both MSc years | Send the scholarship letter to TU Delft by 1 June | Letter must meet IND-style requirements or you pay the Financial Letter amounts by 1 July |
If an external organisation pays your fees, TU Delft invoices it each September (30-day term). You still pay housing and residence-permit service fees by 1 July. Sponsors cannot pay tuition in instalments.
What the money does – and does not – cover
Van Effen and similar “full tuition plus living contribution” awards cover:
- Two years of tuition at the rate that matches your nationality
- A fixed monthly living allowance for 24 months, paid from late September to mid-October in year one, once you are physically in the Netherlands, enrolled, and have a Dutch bank account
They do not cover:
- Flights
- An extra housing allowance on top of the monthly contribution
- The first weeks in Delft before the first stipend lands (TU Delft cites about €1,500 to settle in)
- Months beyond 24, even if your thesis overruns
There is no tuition-fee waiver. Full tuition is due unless a contract replaces the invoice. If you already paid and then receive a TU Delft award, a refund is possible.
Who decides
Faculty selection committees make the final choice. The central Admissions Office first has to admit you, including conditionally. Conditionally admitted students are considered. You do not need a confirmation statement on file to be considered; you do need one before an awarded place can be issued.
Only winners are emailed. No email by the published decision date means you were not selected. The website is then updated. Silence is the rejection.
How to Apply: Practical Steps Before 1 December 2026
The operational rule is simple and unforgiving: the earlier of the MSc deadline and the scholarship deadline is the one that counts.
For van Effen 2027-2029, that date is 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET.
MSc applications typically open on 15 October. That leaves about six weeks to assemble a complete file. Do not wait for an admission decision. After you submit, no extra documents can be uploaded.
1. Confirm you are applying to an eligible programme
Check that the degree is a regular two-year TU Delft MSc, not a joint programme. You cannot already be a Delft bachelor’s student or hold a Dutch bachelor’s diploma. Check the age cap if you are applying for van Effen.
Some MSc programmes close to non-EU/EFTA applicants on 15 January; others on 1 April. Those dates do not matter if you want funding – 1 December is earlier than both.
2. Sit the English test (and GRE, if your programme asks) early
For award consideration, TU Delft requires the English certificate with the MSc application before the scholarship deadline if a test is required. The general MSc calendar gives EU/EFTA applicants until 1 July for English; that later date does not apply to funding files. GRE, where a programme requires it, must also be in the file before the scholarship deadline.
3. Brief two referees before you open the portal
You need two reference letters. You can:
- Upload both as one PDF in the MSc application
- Invite referees in the portal so they upload directly
- Mix the two (one upload, one invitation)
Letters are ignored if they arrive after you have already submitted without them, and they are rejected after the scholarship deadline. Ask referees in October, not on 30 November.
4. Complete the MSc application in one sitting with the scholarship extras
A funding-ready file contains:
- A complete MSc application (diploma, transcript, English certificate, motivation letter, CV, proof of identity, plus any programme-specific items)
- The Official scholarships page (download the current PDF from the official page; filenames lag)
- Two reference letters
- English test, if required
Submit through the Official application page. Check Official application page first.
5. Track the calendar after you submit
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 15 October 2026 | MSc application intake opens |
| 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET | Van Effen / scholarship file deadline |
| End of March 2027 | Van Effen winners emailed |
| 1 June 2027 | Confirmation statement deadline (MSc); external scholarship letters due |
| 15 June 2027 | TU Delft must have approved an external scholarship letter |
| 1 July 2027 | Payment deadline if you are not fully covered; service fees still due |
| 1 September 2027 | Academic year starts |
If you are not selected and want to try the following year, you must cancel the current Studielink application and submit a new MSc file. You cannot roll a rejected application forward.
Official process detail lives in the Official scholarships page.
Common Mistakes That Disqualify Scholarship Applications
Waiting for admission before applying. Selection is parallel. If you wait for the offer letter, the 1 December file deadline is gone.
Submitting the MSc application first, then adding references or the Scholarship Application Form. Once the application is in, extra documents are not accepted. Every TU Delft award listed here requires the SAF in the same submission.
Treating the 15 January or 1 April MSc deadline as the funding deadline. For funded places, 1 December is leading. Applicants who “make the programme deadline” in January are already out of the funded pool.
Applying from a Dutch bachelor’s, as a current Delft student, or to a joint programme. Those groups are ineligible for TU Delft’s own MSc awards, including van Effen.
Assuming no email means “still in review.” Only awarded students are contacted. Plan enrolment and payment as if you are self-funded unless a named award email arrives.
Ignoring September cashflow even after you win. The first living-cost payment lands between late September and mid-October, and only after you are in the Netherlands with a Dutch IBAN. Budget the settling-in amount yourself. Flights are never in the contract.
Banking on a faculty listing without checking the printed deadline. The Microelectronics scheme on the 2027-2029 hub still shows 1 December 2025. If a date on the page has already passed, write to the faculty; do not assume the cycle rolled forward.
FAQ
What is the TU Delft MSc scholarship deadline for 2027-2029?
The Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships close on 1 December 2026 at 23:59 CET. Use whichever comes first: that date or your MSc programme deadline. A late scholarship file is not reviewed.
Who is eligible for the Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships?
Excellent international applicants (conditionally) admitted to a regular two-year TU Delft MSc, aged 35 or under on 1 September of year one. TU Delft bachelor’s students, holders of a Dutch bachelor’s, current Delft MSc students, and joint-programme applicants are ineligible.
Does the TU Delft van Effen scholarship cover living expenses?
Yes. It pays full tuition at the statutory or institutional rate for your nationality, plus a monthly living-cost contribution for 24 months. It does not pay flights, extra rent on top of that stipend, or costs after month 24.
Can I apply for a TU Delft scholarship after I receive admission?
No. Submit the Scholarship Application Form and two reference letters with the MSc application before the first deadline. You do not need an admission decision first. Extra documents cannot be uploaded after you submit.
What GPA do I need for TU Delft MSc scholarships?
Van Effen does not publish a numeric GPA cutoff; it signals top-10% prior results. The Microelectronics faculty scholarship requires a bachelor’s GPA of at least 80% of the scale maximum from a university outside the Netherlands.
Conclusion
TU Delft MSc Programme Scholarships for 2027-2029 are decided on a six-week file. From the 15 October 2026 intake to 1 December 2026 you need a complete MSc application, the Scholarship Application Form, two references, and your language test in one package. Faculty committees then decide; you hear only if you won, and only by the end of March 2027.
Start with the Official scholarships page, the Official scholarships page, and the Official application page. If a faculty or partner deadline on those pages is already in the past, email the listed contact and keep the van Effen file on the 1 December 2026 clock.
Sources: Official scholarships page, Official scholarships page, Official scholarships page, Official application page, Official application page. Figures and deadlines were checked against those pages in September 2026 and can change; the university’s site is authoritative.
