Holland Scholarship (NL Scholarship)
The NL Scholarship (formerly the Holland Scholarship) is funded jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and a network of participating Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. It's designed to make Dutch higher education more accessible to non-EEA students — and the Netherlands is one of the most affordable English-taught Master's destinations in Western Europe, with most programmes lasting just 1 year. The award is a one-off €5,000 contribution towards first-year tuition.
Dutch Ministry of Education / Nuffic
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Award Value
€5,000 (one-off, first year only)
Eligible Levels
Bachelor's + Master's
Participating Institutions
70+ in the Netherlands
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Non-EEA Nationality
You must be a non-EEA national. Sri Lankan citizens qualify. You cannot already hold an EU residence permit through other routes (work, family).
No Prior Dutch Degree
You must not already hold a degree from a Dutch educational institution. The Holland Scholarship is for students new to Dutch higher education.
Full-Time Programme
Apply for a full-time Bachelor's or Master's degree programme at a participating Dutch research university (university) or university of applied sciences (hogeschool).
Meet Institution Admission Bar
You must meet the regular academic and English-language admission requirements of your chosen Dutch programme. The scholarship does not lower the admission bar.
account_tree Application Process
Apply to a participating Dutch university
Pick a participating institution from the Study in NL website and apply for admission to a full-time programme through Studielink or the university's direct portal.
Submit the Holland Scholarship application
Each institution runs its own Holland Scholarship application. You typically apply via a separate scholarship form on the university's website — usually a short motivation letter plus your admission application reference.
Meet the deadline
Institutional deadlines vary. Most close on 1 February 2026 (early decision) or 1 May 2026 (regular) for September 2026 entry. Check each university's page.
Receive your award
The €5,000 is paid in your first year — usually directly to the university to offset tuition, or as a stipend depending on the institution. Selection criteria vary by institution.
Why Study in the Netherlands?
The Netherlands has Europe's second-largest English-taught higher education offering after the UK — over 2,100 programmes are fully taught in English. Tuition for non-EEA Master's ranges €12,000–18,000/year, far below UK/US levels. Graduates qualify for the 1-year Orientation Year (zoekjaar) post-study visa.
2,100+
English-Taught Programmes
€14k
Avg. Master's Tuition (1 year)
1 Year
Post-Study Search Visa
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German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters
European Commission