Quick Summary
NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship), administered by Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch higher education institutions, is one of the funding options available to international students from outside the european economic area (eea) in Netherlands. The award covers €5,000 and is open to bachelor's, master's students studying all fields offered by participating institutions. The scholarship runs for 1 year (one-time payment). Eligibility is generally based on open only to non-EEA nationals applying for full-time bachelor's or master's study at one of the scheme's 34 participating institutions, provided they have never previously earned a degree in the Netherlands. Each institution layers on its own additional admission and scholarship criteria on top of the national nationality and grant rules, so the effective bar to clear depends on which of the 34 schools an applicant targets. The application deadline is 1 February or 1 May, depending on the host institution. Competition for this scholarship varies year to year, so early preparation of required documents is recommended.
✨ Should I Apply for NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship)?
Instant AI-powered application intelligence
🌍 Overview
⏳
Duration
1 year (one-time payment)
📅
Deadline
1 February or 1 May, depending on the host institution
🎨
Fields
All fields offered by participating institutions
🌏
Study Country
Netherlands
🏛️
Provider
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch higher education institutions
Renamed from the Holland Scholarship, the NL Scholarship is a one-time €5,000 grant paid only in the first year of study, explicitly not designed to cover full tuition. It runs through 34 participating institutions for 2026-2027 — 11 research universities and 23 universities of applied sciences — but each institution sets and administers its own eligibility rules, essay requirements, and deadline within the scheme's two fixed dates. A student who already holds a degree from a Dutch institution is excluded outright, which keeps the scholarship targeted at genuinely first-time entrants to Dutch higher education.
👥 Who Should Apply
Open only to non-EEA nationals applying for full-time bachelor's or master's study at one of the scheme's 34 participating institutions, provided they have never previously earned a degree in the Netherlands. Each institution layers on its own additional admission and scholarship criteria on top of the national nationality and grant rules, so the effective bar to clear depends on which of the 34 schools an applicant targets.
🏛️ Host University
34 participating institutions for 2026-2027: 11 research universities (including Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University, Radboud University, University of Groningen, University of Twente, Utrecht University, VU Amsterdam, Wageningen University & Research) and 23 universities of applied sciences
🤝 Sponsor
Nuffic (The Netherlands Organisation for Internationalisation in Education)
🎨 Fields of Study
All fields offered by participating institutions
✨ Key Benefits
A one-time €5,000 payment is made in the first year of the bachelor's or master's program, intended as a contribution toward tuition or living costs rather than as full funding, since the amount is fixed regardless of the actual tuition charged by the host institution. That fixed structure means the scholarship covers a larger share of costs at lower-tuition institutions than at more expensive ones.
🎯 Target Students
International students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
🏷 Tags
Netherlands
International Students
Non-EEA
Bachelor
Master
Merit-based
✅ Eligibility Requirements
🌍 Eligible Nationalities
Non-EEA nationality; applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's program at a participating institution; must not hold a previous degree from a Dutch educational institution; must meet the specific requirements set by the chosen institution
🎓 Academic Level
Bachelor's, Master's
💼 Work Experience
Not required
💰 Financial Need
No, merit-based
🎯 Target Students
International students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
📝 Application Requirements
Documents Required
- Academic Transcripts
- Passport / National ID
- Recommendation Letters
- CV / Resume
- Personal Statement / Essays
📋 Application Process
Confirm your specific program and institution are actually listed as NL Scholarship participants for the current academic year before applying, since the list changes annually and not every Dutch university takes part. Apply directly through the chosen institution's own admission system rather than through Nuffic, since Nuffic sets the scheme but does not process individual applications.
💡 Insider Tip: Check whether your target institution uses the 1 February or 1 May deadline, since the two dates split the participating schools and missing the earlier one can mean missing the scholarship even if program admission is still open. The two deadlines are not interchangeable between institutions, so applying to a February-deadline school after that date forfeits the award regardless of the May date elsewhere.