Looking for undergraduate, masters and PhD scholarships in the Netherlands for international students? You have found it. Higher education in the Netherlands, also known as Holland, is subsidized by the government and helps to keep tuition costs below other study abroad destinations like the USA, Australia and the UK. In addition, a number of Netherlands scholarships for international students are available to cover tuition fees, living cost, travel and/or other expenses.
The Netherlands is part of mainland Europe. It shares land borders with Germany and Belgium. The Netherlands was the first non-native English speaking country to offer courses taught in English to international students. International students can study programmes in Dutch or English, making it a great option for studying abroad.
Studying in Netherlands is similar to other popular study abroad destinations in terms of duration:
The Dutch higher education system is made up primarily of three different types of institution; Research Universities, Universities of Applied Science and Institutes for International Education. The top two universities in Netherlands are Delft University of Technology and the University of Amsterdam.
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You will find a very diverse culture in most cities and their Universities in Netherlands. The country offers excellent transport links to other European countries, which gives you the option of travelling and sightseeing in other popular destinations such as France and Germany at a low cost during your time there. For more information on Studying in the Netherlands, visit the official Nuffic Site.
There are several ways of applying for a programme. Check the institution’s website pages for the programme of your choice to find information on the application process. For some study programmes, the education institution has set a certain capacity. This means that a limited number of places is available. This is called ‘numerus fixus’. If the number of students who apply exceeds the number of available places, a selection procedure will take place. The application process therefore differs from that of regular study programmes.
You need to check with your institution whether the programme of your choice has a numerus fixus. For most programmes you first need to register via the Studielink tool. It is the official registration and application portal for programmes at Dutch higher education institutions.
Please note: you should first check with the institution of your choice whether you are required to register via Studielink. Some institutions use a different method to register students from abroad! If you have to apply via Studielink, make sure you do so before 15 January 23:59 hours (CET).
For each academic year you can submit an application for a maximum of two numerus fixus programmes. The institution decides how many times you can participate in the selection of a specific programme. Medicine, Dentistry, Dental hygiene and Physiotherapy programmes are an exception; for these programmes you can only submit one application per programme per academic year. For example; you can’t apply for Medicine at two different universities, but you are allowed to apply for Medicine and Dentistry. Your institution will send you a notification of acceptance. If you have questions about your acceptance, please contact the institution directly.
The following application deadlines:
This is the general deadline, but always check the exact deadline with the institution of your choice, as it may vary per institution and study programme.
As most courses and degrees run for more than one year most international students will require an entry visa called a Provisional Residence Permit or Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf (MVV) in Dutch. Your MVV will allow you entry into the country for a six month period and once in the country you will need to apply for a Residence Permit – your chosen University should do this on your behalf.
A Provisional Residence Permit (MVV) will only be granted if your application meets certain requirements, including but not limited to:
A level of competence with the English language is required before you can study at degree level in Holland. You will require a score no lower than 6.0 IELTS or TOEFL 550 (Paper Based), 213 (Computer Based). Other language tests may be accepted so please check with your chosen institution.
Tuition fees are low and life is comparatively cheap. For international students, the average tuition fee for bachelor’s programmes is between €6,000 and €15,000, and for a master’s programme between €8,000 and €20,000. Experience has shown that students living and studying in Holland for one year spend between €800 and €1,100 a month. However, this depend on your choice of higher education institution. If you choose a private university, your tuition fees will be higher. As a student you can get discounts in many bars, restaurants, museums and cinemas
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There are a range of undergraduate, masters and PhD scholarships in Netherlands for international students. We have put together a comprehensive list below. Be sure to bookmark this page because we will be updating it from time to time.
The Holland Scholarship at Leiden University is intended for talented international students who would like to follow an English-taught Bachelor’s programme.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: One-off payment of € 5,000 – which you will receive after arrival in The Netherlands in your first year of studies.
The USP scholarship is intended for students with an excellent academic profile, but who require financial assistance to study. Evidence of social engagement and extracurricular activities will support your request for funding. UCG aims to reward students with great ambition, but who also have a great passion for social engagement and who are determined to make a positive impact during their studies at UCG.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Awardees: 2
Value of Scholarship: The USP Scholarship is a grant towards study and living costs. The value is €12,000.
Duration of Scholarship: Duration of programme
Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University offers scholarships for students from non-EEA countries, who are not entitled to pay the EEA tuition fee, provided their grades are considered ‘excellent’. The scholarship will be provided in the form of a waiver from the non-EEA tuition fee.
Application Deadline: 31st January
Value of Scholarship: The scholarship takes the form of a tuition waiver:
Duration of Scholarship: The scholarship will be awarded for the first year of the IBA programme
Each year, 54 (one-time) scholarships each worth EUR 5,000 are available to prospective bachelor’s or master’s degree students. The Hague University of Applied Sciences is seeking young, intelligent, talented and ambitious people who view themselves as citizens of the world.
Application Deadline: 31st March
Number of Awardees: 54
Value of Scholarship: €5,000.
Duration of Scholarship: One-time
The Netherlands Government through the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as well as several Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences offers the Holland Scholarship for International students to study for Undergraduate and Master’s programme
Application Deadline: 1st February and 1st May
Number of Scholarships: not specified
Value of Scholarship: The scholarship amounts to €5,000.
Duration of Scholarship: You will receive this in the first year of your studies.
The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) aims to attract excellent students from around the world. Students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can apply for an Amsterdam Talent Scholarship (ATS).
Application Deadline: 31st December
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: The 3000 euro ATS is awarded at the end of every academic year to successful non-EEA students who have been enrolled in one of the programmes of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Applications offered for the Sub- Saharan Africa Scholarship for the Summer School Planning and Design with Water at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of the TU Delft, in the Netherlands.
Application Deadline: 15th April
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: The scholarship includes
Duration of Program: 3 weeks
Talent for Governance only selects people who possess a strong motivation to make a difference for their citizens. The talent programme consists of a training course at The Hague Academy for Local Governance, an internship in a Dutch municipality and worldwide networking activities.
Application Deadline: 1st December
Value of Scholarship: The Talent for Governance programme is almost completely cost covering. The talent programme covers cost of tuition fee, travel costs, accommodation and most living expenses in The Netherlands. The Hague Academy will select the travel arrangements and accommodation and about half of the costs of the living expenses
Duration of Scholarship: 3 weeks
The IFFR Trainee Project for Young Film Critics, created in 1998, is a talent development programme that offers young (under 30 years), motivated and talented professional film critics from outside the Netherlands a chance to travel abroad, cover major international film festivals and, in particular, get acquainted with International Film Festival Rotterdam and the broad range of independent cinema it offers.
Application Deadline: 1st November
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award:
Duration of Program: 10 days
The RNTC Netherlands training centre provides training for media professionals from all over the world: from journalists and programme-makers to social activists and communications professionals from non-governmental organizations. Whether you are a journalist, a blogger or a media manager, there are courses to fit your needs. If you want apply for a scholarship to cover the costs of the course, you need to apply to both RNTC (for your course application) and Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) (for a fellowship).
Application Deadline: 15th March
Eligibility: RNTC Netherland Fellowships are available for professional journalists, programme-makers, broadcast trainers and managers. The scholarships will be awarded on academic and professional merit.
Value of the Program: An NFP or MSP scholarship will cover the full cost of your travel and visa, accommodation and meals, insurance, and the course fee.
Duration: scholarships are available for courses of two weeks or longer.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) aims to attract the world’s brightest students to its international classrooms. Outstanding students from outside the EU/EEA can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS).
Application Deadline: Deadlines for the AMS differ per Faculty or Graduate School.
Number of Scholarships: The UvA will award up to 15 of these scholarships annually.
Value of Scholarship: € 25,000
Duration of Scholarship: 1 year.
The University of Amsterdam, Netherlands has recently launched a prestigious new scholarship programme targeting exceptionally talented Master’s students from outside Europe. The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship (AES) is a full scholarship of €25,000, covering tuition and living expenses for one academic year. There is the possibility of an extension for a second year for two-year Master’s programmes.
Application Deadline: 12th January
Number of Scholarships: The UvA will award up to 6 of these scholarships annually.
Value of Scholarship: Full scholarship of €25,000, covering tuition and living expenses for one academic year.
Duration of Scholarship: Students who receive the AES for a two-year Master’s programme will be evaluated after one year of study.
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship programme (LExS) is offered for excellent Non-EU/EEA students enrolling in a Leiden University master’s degree programme and for excellent students from all nationalities enrolling in a Master of Law Advanced Programme or MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy.
Application Deadline: 1st October and 1st Feb
Number of Scholarships: The number and type of award of the scholarship depends on the budget available for each Faculty department.
Value of Scholarship: The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship programme has 3 types of awards
Duration: Scholarship will last for the duration of the master’s programme
The Radboud Scholarship is only intended for talented students who have obtained outstanding study results and are highly motivated to pursue a Master’s degree programme at Radboud University. The Radboud University Scholarships are offered to a selected number of prospective international students to pursue a complete English-taught Master’s degree programme.
Application Deadline: 1st March
Number of Awardees: 30
Value of Scholarship: The scholarship consists of a partial tuition waiver and pays for costs for visa and insurance.
Duration of Scholarship: 1 year. In the case of a two-year programme: to qualify for the grant during the second year, you need to have passed all courses in the first year.
Each year, Utrecht University in Netherlands offers the Utrecht Excellence Scholarships for international students to undertake Masters degree programmes. The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship offers a number of graduate scholarship awards to highly talented prospective international students, with the opportunity to pursue a degree in a selected number of fields at Utrecht University.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Scholarships: 20-25 scholarships are available, divided over the 6 Graduate Schools.
Scholarship Value: The Utrecht Excellence scholarships can be awarded as tuition fees or tuition fees plus 11.000 euro living expenses
Duration of Scholarship: The scholarship is awarded for the duration of the degree programme, which is one or two years, depending on the degree programme. The scholarship will only be renewed for the second year if the student is making satisfactory progress towards the degree.
Maastricht University High Potential scholarships are offered by the Maastricht University Scholarship Fund in order to encourage talented students from outside the EU/EEA to undertake a Master’s programme at the University. The Holland High Potential Scholarship consists of a High Potential Scholarship combined with a Holland Scholarship.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Awardees: Not specified.
Value of the Program: Living expenses: € 12,350 (13 months) or € 23,750 (25 months), Insurances: € 710, Visa costs: € 317, Tuition fees: € 13,000 € 15,000 or € 17,500 depending on the tuition of your study programme and Pre-Academic Training Costs: € 825
Duration of Scholarship:
The Kipaji Scholarship Fund was founded by a couple of alumni and relations of the University of Twente and is also supported by the staff and alumni of the University of Twente. With an annual fundraising campaign alumni and employees are asked to support this scholarship fund.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Scholarship: up to €12,000
Duration of Scholarship: two years
The University Twente Scholarship (UTS) is a scholarship for excellent students from both EU/EEA as well as non-EU/EEA countries, applying for a graduate programme (MSc) at the University of Twente.
Application Deadlines: 1st February (round 1) and 1st May (round 2)
Value of Scholarship: €3,000 – €25,000 for one year. If you have applied for a two-year programme, make sure you read the information about two-year study programmes (link below).
Duration of Scholarship: one or twoyears
The Erasmus Mundus Master’s in Journalism, Media and Globalization welcomes applications from graduate students around the world. You can apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, or as a self-funded student. Each year around 500 applications are received and 80-90 students admitted. 25% will be offered admission as scholarship students, while 75% will be offered admission as self-funded students. A consortium of eight universities from Europe, North and South America, and Australia run the Erasmus Mundus Journalism Master’s.
Application Deadline: 10th January
Number of Scholarships: Up to 25% of admitted students will be offered scholarship
Value of Scholarship: Category A scholarships (for international students) are expected to be worth €47,000 | Category B scholarships (for European students) are expected to be worth €34,000.
Duration of Scholarship: for the duration of the program
The Delft University of Technology offers a number of excellence scholarship programs for international students. The Justus & Louise van Effen Scholarship is one of those programs and it aims to financially support excellent international MSc students wishing to study at TU Delft.
Application Deadline: 1st December
Number of Awards: 3 per faculty
Value of Award: Full fee waiver for a TUDelft MSc programme and living expenses and Membership to the Scholarship club giving access to personal development, workshops, seminars, etc..
Duration of Program: for 2 years.
These scholarships give talented, motivated and broadly interested students from Sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to study at the Delft University of Technology. The Global Initiative of the university aims to work together with scientists and entrepreneurs in developing countries to make an impact and improve people’s lives.
Application Deadline: 1st February
Number of Awardees: 4 per faculty
Value of Scholarship:
Duration of Scholarship: 2 years
A number of partial scholarships are available from the ITC Excellence Scholarship Programme, which will be awarded to applicants with a very good academic track record.
Application Deadline: 22nd April
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: As this is a partial scholarship, admitted applicants must be able to show that additional funding is available to complement the funding through this scholarship (i.e. covering all remaining fees and costs in full before the payment deadline).
Extra facilities: Next to the standard study programme in which the applicant will be enrolled:
Duration of Program: 2 years
In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) has launched a new Master of Science Programme in Sanitation. It is a unique, internationally recognized programme, designed for completion in 12 months. Fifteen top talents will be admitted to the first edition of the MSc in Sanitation and will receive a scholarship. The programme with scholarships available for top talents, is based at IHE Delft in the Netherlands, with thesis work abroad, while, in the near future, the programme will also be available at universities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Application Deadline: 15th November
Number of Awards: 15 (In the subsequent editions, starting from the class 2019-2020, the programme will be open to more students (up to 50))
Value of Award:
Duration of Program: 1 year
The University of Twente through the Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship offers Masters to students from World Bank member countries. The mission of the World Bank Group is to reduce poverty and improve living standards through sustainable development and investment in people. The World Bank Institute (WBI) is at the forefront of the Bank’s efforts to promote learning and deliver to the stakeholders, the best thinking and experience emerging from around the world on issues crucial to reform and socio-economic development.
Application Deadline: 10th March
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Scholarship:
Duration of Scholarship: 2 years
The VU Fellowship Programme (VUFP) offers talented prospective students the unique opportunity to pursue a degree in a selection of Master’s programmes at VU University. VU University has committed to providing approximately 1 million euro towards attracting highly motivated, excellent students.
Application Deadline: 1 February
Number of Scholarships: Not specified
Value of the Program: The VUFP scholarship is a tuition fee waiver.
Duration of Scholarship: One or two years of Masters degree programme
WWF Prince Bernhard Scholarships (PBS) are Postgraduate Scholarships in Nature Conservation awarded to students from developing countries to study in Netherlands or their home country. The aim of the WWF Prince Bernhard Scholarships is to provide financial support to individuals who wish to pursue short-term professional training or formal studies that will help them contribute more effectively to conservation efforts in their country. To date, 379 Scholarships have been awarded to individuals from more than 60 countries.
Application Deadline: 6th January
Number of Scholarships: Not specified
Value of the Program: The maximum amount for any one scholarship under this scheme is CHF 10,000, and preferential consideration is given to requests for less than CHF 10,000.
Duration: Up to a maximum of one year
A number of partial scholarships are available from the ITC Foundation Scholarship Programme, which will be awarded to applicants for the Master’s Spatial Engineering. Applicants must be residing in and being a national of a country listed on the OECD approved List of Recipients of Official Development Assistance.
Application Deadline: 22nd April
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award:
Duration of Program: 2 years
The University of Groningen, through the Eric Bleumink Funds, offers research grants to students from developing countries wishing to undertake their master’s programme in Holland.
Application Deadline: It is not possible to actively apply for an Eric Bleumink Fund Scholarship. Suitable candidates will be informed about a nomination. Only applicants that have received a (conditional) admission offer for a master programme before February can thus be considered. To allow for enough time to process the application by the Admission Office, such a master application should be completed by the applicant before 1st of December.
Number of Awardees: Limited
Value of Scholarship: The grant covers tuition fee, costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance. Please note that a considerable number of students apply for this scholarship each year, whereas the University can issue only a limited number of grants.
Duration of Scholarship: The grant is awarded for a 1 year or 2 years Master’s degree programme.
Rotary and the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education have teamed up to tackle the world’s water and sanitation crisis by increasing the number of trained professionals to devise, plan, and implement solutions in developing and emerging countries. Through this partnership, The Rotary Foundation will provide grants to Rotary clubs and districts to select and sponsor a limited number of students each year.
Application Deadline: 15th June
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Scholarship: TRF awards scholarships of approximately €34,000, paid directly to UNESCO-IHE. Funding to cover additional costs (including international travel) related to participation in the academic program will be coordinated by UNESCO-IHE.
On 1 July 2017 the Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) entered a new phase as a new programme under the name Kennisontwikkelings programma (KOP) or The Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP). KOP aims to advance the development of the capacity, knowledge and quality of both individuals and institutions in higher and vocational education.
Application Deadlines: Deadlines vary by choice of institution
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: Fellowship is intended to supplement the salary that you should continue to receive during the study period in the Netherlands. The allowance is a contribution towards your costs of living, the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research.
The SBE International Business Scholarship is intended for talented students from South Africa, Brazil or Mexico, who want to follow the three-year bachelor’s programme International Business at the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE). One grant is available each year.
Application Deadline: 1st April
Number of Awardees: 1
Value of Scholarship:
Duration of Scholarship: You will receive the grant for the duration of the bachelor’s programme and for a maximum of three years. The grant is awarded per year. To be eligible for the grant in the next year, you must satisfy several conditions during the academic year.
Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University offers scholarships for international students to study for full-time MBA Programme. If you think that your profile or aspects thereof (such as your nationality, cultural background, gender, experience, upbringing etc.) will add to our RSM MBA diversity, then this is the scholarship for you.
Application Deadlines: ongoing
Number of Scholarships: 1
Value of Scholarship: One scholarship will be awarded as a €10,000 tuition fee waiver.
Duration of Scholarship: for the period of study
Visiting research fellows use their time in Leiden for data analysis and/or writing, often on a joint project with one or more ASCL staff members and with Africanists at other institutes or faculties of Leiden University.
Application Deadline: 31st March
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of the Program: A research fellowship includes:
Duration of Fellowship: A visiting research fellowship is for a maximum of 90 days.
Universities of the Coimbra Group offer short-term visits to young African researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa. The main aim of this scholarship programme is to enable scholars to undertake research in which they are engaged in their home institution and to help them to establish academic and research contacts.
Application Deadline: 16th March
Eligible African Countries: ALL African countries are eligible EXCEPT Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia
Number of Awardees: Limited
Value of the Program: Excellent academic knowledge in quality facilities including financial support for tuition, living costs, airfares etc.
Duration of Program: From 1 to maximum 3 months.
The Graduate School for the Humanities offers 5 PhD positions (for 4 years) in the Groningen Research Institute for the Study of Culture (ICOG).As a PhD candidate, you are committed to conducting independent and original scientific research, to report on this research in international publications and presentations, and to present the final results of the research in a PhD dissertation.
Application Deadline: 13th May
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: The amount of the scholarship is set so that students receive approximately €1750 net per month.
Duration of Program: Four years.
The CLIFF-GRADS program invites applications from students from developing countries currently enrolled in PhD programs for short-term scientific training and research stays on topics related to measurement and management of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage in agricultural systems.
Application Deadline: 31st December.
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: Selected students will be sponsored in the amount of 10,000-12,000 USD for short-term (4-6 month) scientific training and research stays. The grants will be used to support living and research costs at the host institution.
Duration of Program: 4-6 months
This fellowship is jointly offered by IIAS and the African Studies Centre in Leiden to attract researchers whose work is informed by current theoretical debates in the social sciences and humanities over global connectivities and who are able to critically engage with shifting paradigms in “area studies” beyond the ways in which these have traditionally been conceived in the West. .
Application Deadlines: 15th March and 15th September
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of the Program: Fellows will receive a monthly grant to cover the cost of living and housing
Duration of Fellowship: Fellowship has a maximum period of 6 months
This is a 4-year fully-funded PhD fellowship is available from the Language Development Department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Research on the origins and effects of individual variations in language acquisition in early childhood, with an emphasis on sociogenomics (behavioral genetics), is part of the job description. Participate in a cooperative project overseen by Professor Caroline Rowland and an interdisciplinary group of scholars.
Application Deadline: 22nd February
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: Selected students will have a starting gross monthly salary of approx. €3,008 based on full-time employment (TVöD). The grants will be used to support living and research costs at the host institution.
Duration of Program: 4 years
The aim of the KIT Scholarship Fund is that with what they learn they can contribute to improving the health care situation in their country or around the world. This scholarship is made possible thanks to alumni, foundations, and friends of KIT and the KIT Scholarship Fund who want to support better health around the world.
Application Deadline: 15th March
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: The scholarship is worth €18,500 and is intended as a contribution to the tuition fees of the master’s programme for a maximum period of 12 months. The grants will be used to support living and research costs at the host institution.
Duration of Program: 12 months
The Excellence Programme is initiated by Wageningen University & Research to attract excellent students for a Master’s programme, and who might have the potential to do a PhD after their MSc graduation. In Wageningen or elsewhere
Application Deadline: 1st February.
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Award: A tuition fee waiver for the duration of the programme (24 months) and a budget for one seminar in Europe (travel, stay, registration fee)
Duration of Program: 1 year
See more ongoing scholarships in Netherlands
This post was last modified on May 30, 2024 4:43 pm