NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship)

€5,000, paid in your first year of study. It's not a full-tuition scholarship, and a few institutions can combine awards for one student (Wageningen gives up to three, €15,000 in total).

• You hold a non-EEA nationality.
• You are applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's programme at a participating Dutch institution (34 took part in 2026–27).
• You don't already hold a degree from a Dutch education institution.
• You meet the participating institution's own requirements, which can include a minimum grade average or a list of eligible nationalities.
• At some institutions (for example Groningen), you must not have received the NL Scholarship before.

For non-EEA nationals applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's at a participating Dutch institution, who don't already have a degree from a Dutch institution. The list of participating institutions changes every year (34 took part in 2026–27), so check the current list and each institution's own requirements.

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the participating institutions

   Look at the current list on Study in NL and follow the link to your institution's own NL Scholarship page. Not every programme at a participating institution is eligible.

2. 2

   Step 2: Apply for your programme

   Apply for admission to an eligible full-time bachelor's or master's programme. Most institutions only consider you for the scholarship once you've applied or been admitted.

3. 3

   Step 3: Apply through the institution

   Use the institution's own scholarship process: for example, Groningen asks you to apply after you get an admission offer, Utrecht uses a form in its online application system, and Wageningen invites eligible admitted students automatically.

4. 4

   Step 4: Submit before its deadline

   Send the scholarship application and every document the institution asks for before its own deadline. Incomplete applications may not be considered.

5. 5

   Step 5: Wait for the result

   The institution tells you whether you've been selected (Groningen aims to do this by 15 March, Utrecht by mid-April). The award is paid in your first year of study.

• Motivation letter
• Transcript of your previous studies
• Admission letter (conditional or unconditional)
• Proof you can pay your remaining costs (at some institutions)

Deadline

Each institution sets its own deadline: for 2027–28 entry, for example, Groningen's is 1 February 2027 (23:59 CET), and Wageningen's is 1 May 2027 for students it has invited to apply.

Applications usually open on 1 November for the following academic year (the 2026–27 round opened on 1 November 2025). Each institution sets its own deadline.