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

Netherlands September 2027 intake: scholarship applications close 1 March 2027; Master's applications close 1 April

Tilburg University Scholarship

The Tilburg University Scholarship offers partial tuition reductions of EUR 5,000, EUR 10,000, or EUR 15,000 (LKR 1.7M - 5.2M) to outstanding non-EEA Master's applicants. Tilburg is consistently top-ranked in Europe for economics, business, social sciences, and law — Tilburg's Economics faculty is ranked #1 in continental Europe (Tilburg University Economics ranking). With Master's tuition around EUR 16,000/year, the highest scholarship tier nearly covers full tuition. Sri Lankan applicants with strong economics, finance, business, or law backgrounds find Tilburg particularly suited to research-led careers — many alumni progress to PhD programmes or central bank / IMF roles. The scholarship requires a thoughtful motivation letter; pure academic excellence alone is not sufficient.

Tilburg University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

savings

Value

EUR 5k / 10k / 15k Tuition Discount

school

Duration

Each Year of Master's

description

Application

Separate Form Required

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

school

Tilburg Master's Admission

You must be applying to or admitted to an eligible Tilburg Master's programme. Most Master's qualify — Economics, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing Analytics, Data Science, Public Administration, Law and Technology, etc.

public

Non-EEA Nationality

Open to non-EEA international students paying overseas tuition. Sri Lankan citizens applying from Sri Lanka are exactly the target profile. EU/EEA students apply via separate Tilburg awards.

work

Strong Academic Record

First-class or strong second-upper Bachelor's degree from a recognised university (CGPA 3.3+/4.0 equivalent). Tilburg looks for academic excellence within the candidate's home-country context — so a top-decile Colombo Economics graduate is well-positioned.

task_alt

Maintain 3.0+ GPA

Scholarship is renewable into the second year (for 2-year Master's) subject to maintaining a Tilburg GPA of 3.0+/4.0. Falls below this threshold result in loss of scholarship for the second year.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to Tilburg Master's first

Submit your Tilburg Master's application via the online portal. Application fee EUR 100. Required: transcripts, IELTS/TOEFL, references, CV, motivation letter for the Master's programme. Most Master's deadlines for non-EEA students are 1 April.

Submit scholarship application

Complete the Tilburg University Scholarship application via the scholarship portal by 1 March (note: BEFORE the Master's deadline). Required: separate scholarship motivation letter (500 words explaining why you need and deserve the award) and confirmation of Master's application.

Selection by faculty + central office

Each Tilburg faculty (School of Economics and Management, Tilburg Law School, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, etc.) reviews scholarship applications and ranks candidates. Final awards confirmed in May-June.

Acceptance + Dutch student visa

Successful applicants accept the scholarship through the portal. Tilburg's International Office handles MVV entry visa and residence permit applications with IND. Tilburg housing service supports students with finding accommodation.

Why Tilburg?

Tilburg University was founded in 1927 and has grown into one of Europe's leading research universities for social sciences. Its Economics department is consistently #1 in continental Europe (TiSEM ranking); the Tilburg Law School is internationally respected; and the Tilburg School of Behavioural Sciences is particularly strong in organisational psychology and HR research. With around 20,000 students and a compact campus in the southern Dutch city of Tilburg, it offers an intimate research-led Master's experience.