To ensure the standard of the programme and services, at the GSH, external PhD trajectories are subject to a fee.
Tuition Fees
As of July 1, 2026, all new external PhD candidates (type 2, 3 and 4 according to UNL) pay a tuition fee. External PhD candidates who started before July 1, 2026 won’t be charged a tuition fee, unless such an arrangement was already set up).
PhD candidates appointed within a consortium of collaborating faculties and/or universities (joint degree) fall under the regulations of the lead institution. . Prior to the start of the PhD trajectory, agreements will be made about the distribution of the PhD completion bonus .
If third-stream funded research projects include the appointment of external PhD candidates, the budget should include the tuition fee that will be charged to external PhD candidates.
Fee Amount
The table below provides an overview of the components and structure of the tuition fee. The amounts listed are per year.
| Component | Amount |
| Graduate School membership | € 500 (4 yrs) / 250 (>4 yrs) |
| Educational contribution | € 600 (4 yrs) |
| VUnetID costs (optional) | € 1.300 |
| Total excl. VUnetID | € 1.100 |
| Total incl. VUnetID (years 1–4) | € 2.400 |
| Total excl. VUnetID (>4 years) | € 250 |
| Total incl. VUnetID (>4 years) | € 1.550 |
For more information about the tuition fee, criteria and procedures for exemptions, see these guidelines.
Graduate School of Humanities PhD Fund
PhD candidates (internal as well as external) who have no bench fee or travel expenses in their project budget left, or do not have any bench fee or allocated travel budget at all, can apply for funding to attend conferences and to travel to libraries and research institutes abroad (GSH PhD Fund). For more information, see the funding guidelines as well as the application form.
Please note that requests will be assessed and funding allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. Funding is subsequent to available funds per calendar year. Once funds are depleted no further applications will be granted.