The glass-walled European Parliament Paul Henri-Spaak building facade in Brussels.

Netherlands September and February intakes; apply by 1 May for September, 1 November for February

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.

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

savings

Award

Partial Tuition Reduction

work

Paid Placements

€600-900/month, Built Into the Degree

public

Campuses

NL + Qatar, South Africa, Thailand, Bali

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

public

Non-EU/EEA Applicant

The scholarship targets tuition-liable students from outside the EU/EEA. Sri Lankan passport holders qualify.

school

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.

edit_note

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.

translate

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.