NHL Stenden Talent Scholarship
NHL Stenden is one of the larger Dutch universities of applied sciences, teaching English-language Bachelor's degrees in international hospitality management, international business, tourism management, creative technologies, logistics and IT across campuses in Leeuwarden, Emmen and Groningen, plus international sites in Qatar, South Africa, Thailand and Bali that students can study at within the same degree. Non-EU tuition runs around €10,500 a year and the Talent Scholarship reduces that further for strong applicants. The structural feature that matters most for Sri Lankan students is the compulsory paid placement — Dutch applied-science degrees build in internships that typically pay €600-900 a month, which meaningfully offsets living costs and produces a CV with documented international work experience before graduation.
September and February intakes; apply by 1 May for September, 1 November for February. Dates follow the same annual pattern — confirm the current round before applying.
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Award
Partial Tuition Reduction
Paid Placements
€600-900/month, Built Into the Degree
Campuses
NL + Qatar, South Africa, Thailand, Bali
info How this award actually works
Who awards it
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.
How you are considered
Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.
What it covers
Partial Tuition Reduction for Non-EU Bachelor's Applicants. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.
Where we come in
We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Non-EU/EEA Applicant
The scholarship targets tuition-liable students from outside the EU/EEA. Sri Lankan passport holders qualify.
Sri Lankan A-Levels or Equivalent
Three A-Level passes or the International Baccalaureate. Applicants with a relevant Sri Lankan diploma — SLITHM for hospitality, for example — should request a credit assessment for possible advanced entry.
Motivation Letter Is Assessed
The award weighs the motivation letter alongside grades. Write about the specific programme and what you intend to do with it, not about the Netherlands in general.
English Proficiency
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) or TOEFL iBT 80. Waived where you completed Sri Lankan A-Levels or the IB in the English medium — the standard route for most applicants.
account_tree Application Process
Apply through Studielink and NHL Stenden
Dutch higher education uses the national Studielink portal alongside the institution's own application. Submit by 1 May for a September start; non-EU applicants should aim considerably earlier for visa processing.
Complete the study-choice check
NHL Stenden runs an intake interview or study-choice check to confirm programme fit. It is advisory rather than a rejection mechanism, but take it seriously — it also informs the scholarship assessment.
Submit the scholarship documentation
- Certified A-Level or IB results
- Motivation letter tied to the specific programme
- CV including any relevant work or volunteer experience
- English proficiency evidence or Medium of Instruction letter
Apply for the Holland Scholarship in parallel
The Holland Scholarship — €5,000 in the first year, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education — is open to Sri Lankan students at participating institutions and is applied for separately by 1 May. The two can often be held together; confirm with the institution.
Entry visa and residence permit
NHL Stenden applies for your MVV entry visa and residence permit as your sponsor. You must show proof of funds covering tuition and roughly €12,000 in living costs for the year.
Why NHL Stenden?
NHL Stenden teaches around 22,000 students across campuses in the northern Netherlands and internationally, and is built on Design Based Education — students work in multidisciplinary teams on live briefs from industry partners. Its hospitality school operates a working four-star hotel on the Leeuwarden campus, and its international campuses allow a semester abroad within the same tuition fee.
~22,000
Students
1 Year
Orientation Year Permit After Graduation
€10.5k/yr
Non-EU Tuition Before Scholarship
Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?
Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.
Work out your real number
Tuition, living costs, visa funds and flights for your destination — so you know the gap you are actually trying to close.
Open the cost calculator arrow_forwardSort courses by lowest fee
The full catalogue, cheapest tuition first. Changing course or country saves far more than most awards are worth.
Browse lowest-fee courses arrow_forwardWhat NL actually costs
Tuition, living costs and the total first-year figure for NL, in LKR as well as local currency.
See the cost breakdown arrow_forwardCheck your proof of funds
Every student visa requires you to show funds. Find out what you need before you commit to an application.
Check the requirement arrow_forwardSimilar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
The Hague University of Applied Sciences World Citizen Talent Scholarship
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Talent Scholarship
Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
HU Talent Scholarship
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht