Every year, universities in The Netherlands and the Dutch government provide scholarships for talented and motivated students from abroad. These scholarships are available for both Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and can fully or partially cover their tuition fees.
Scholarships that fully cover tuition fees
Several Dutch research universities support outstanding students by covering all the expenses of their education. For example, these are some of the Amsterdam University College bursaries, funded by the University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam.
Scholarships that cover part of the education cost
Many universities in Holland also offer grants that partially cover the tuition fees for undergraduate and graduate degree programmes.
Scholarships for undergraduate courses usually can make up to half of the programme’s cost and range from 500 to 3,500 euros per year. Such scholarships are usually offered by universities of applied sciences to non-EU/EEA students.
Scholarships for graduate programmes can cover up to 75% of all study and living expenses for selected candidates. They are usually offered by research universities.
You can search for available scholarships in our ‘programmes’ section by selecting your chosen programme (see example of scholarships). Descriptions of grants per university can also be found in our ‘blog’ section.
Grants from Dutch organisations
European and Dutch organisations
Nuffic logo
also offer several bursaries for foreign students who would like to come to study in Holland. For instance, in order to help foreign students fund their studies in The Netherlands, Nuffic, a Dutch governmental organisation, offers and manages several scholarship programmes for eligible and worthy candidates from all over the world.
Nuffic scholarships
China programme
The China Programme caters to meritorious Chinese candidates to help them carry out studies or research in The Netherlands. Up to 25 scholarships are awarded per year. This programme also helps in student exchange schemes between China and The Netherlands.
Erasmus programme
Designed to facilitate interaction and collaboration between academic institutes in the EU, the Erasmus Programme is a part of the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. An Erasmus scholarship can be used to sponsor a part of education in another EU country as well.
Erasmus Mundus programme
Also a part of the European Commission, this program is designed to enhance the quality of higher education in European states and encourage participation from non-EU countries through joint Master’s degree programmes that are available at partner institutions in other European states.
MENA Scholarship Programme
The MENA Scholarship Programme provides scholarships to one hundred and twenty working professionals each year. These scholarships are well distributed amongst partner countries. Female students are eligible for nearly half of the scholarships.
Netherlands Fellowship Programmes
These scholarships are meant to increase the capacity within organizations in 62 countries by offering financial help to train working professionals at a mid-career level. The funding for NFP is provided by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Orange Tulip Scholarship Programme
Initially launched for Chinese students in 2008, this programme is now also functioning in Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan. It helps bright students to pursue their Master’s level programmes.
Science without Borders Holland Programme
The Science without Borders Holland Programme provides two hundred scholarships annually to Brazilian students for studying a science subject in The Netherlands for one semester or one academic session at the undergraduate level.
StuNed Scholarships
This scholarship provides funding for Master’s programmes and short courses in the development-related fields for Indonesian professionals with two or more years of working experience in this area.
Tempus Programme
The Tempus Programme allows some universities from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Western Balkans, and the Mediterranean region to establish partnerships with the EU and to offer bursaries to exchange students within these partnerships.
IB-Groep Loans from the Dutch government
Students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland are eligible for the tuition fee loan (€ 266 a month) from the Dutch government. This student grant must be paid back within 10 years after graduation unless the student works 32 hours per month during their studies. See the duo.nl website for more information.
There are also grants for US citizens who want to study in Holland, such as the Fulbright U.S. Student Programme.