Scholarships in the Netherlands for International Students 2027: What Is Actually Funded

Last updated: October 27, 2026 | Category: Europe Scholarships | Study Tribune Team

Quick answer: Scholarships in the Netherlands for international students are mostly partial. The best-known fully funded route is the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship. TU Delft’s van Effen award and Wageningen’s Africa and Anne van den Ban scholarships also pay tuition plus living costs, and Groningen’s Eric Bleumink Fellowship covers a full master’s for students from a long list of countries, including Pakistan, India and Nigeria. The most widely available award, the NL Scholarship, is only €5,000. The nearest deadline is 1 December 2026 for TU Delft, Leiden and Wageningen.

If you are looking for scholarships in the Netherlands for international students, start with a reality check. Several well-known awards have ended or changed, and many older lists, including earlier versions of this page, are out of date. This guide to Netherlands scholarships 2027 shows which scholarships in the Netherlands are still open, what each award really pays and which deadlines come first. We checked official pages where we could and say plainly where sources differ.

In this guide: scholarships at a glance, what has ended, fully funded awards, partial awards, the NL Scholarship, region-specific programmes, the deadline calendar, how to apply, common mistakes and FAQs.

Scholarships in the Netherlands for International Students at a Glance

This table covers the main scholarships in the Netherlands and the Dutch scholarships for international students that we could confirm for 2027. Most pay only part of your costs, so read the details below before you shortlist.

What Has Changed: Scholarships in the Netherlands That Are Gone

If you read an older list, check this section first. These popular entries no longer work the way they used to:

• Holland Scholarship is now the NL Scholarship. The grant is the same one-time €5,000, under a new name. Pages that call it fully funded are wrong.
• The Orange Knowledge Programme ended in 2024. Study in NL states that there are no new application rounds, so pages about its fellowships and short courses are out of date.
• The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is no longer offered. Utrecht University says that, due to significant budget cuts, it will no longer be offered for programmes starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.
• The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship has been replaced. We found no current University of Amsterdam page for it. Faculties now run the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship instead.

The lesson is simple: funding for scholarships in the Netherlands can disappear between cycles, so confirm every award on the official page before you plan around it.

Fully Funded Scholarships in the Netherlands

There are not many. These are the options that come closest to fully funded scholarships in the Netherlands for 2027.

Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship

This is the best-known fully funded route. It pays a living allowance of €20,150 for a 13-month master’s, plus tuition, health and liability insurance, visa costs and pre-academic training. You must be admitted to a participating master’s programme, hold a nationality outside the EU/EEA, have a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher and be no older than 35 on 1 September 2027. For 2027-28, apply for admission first, then submit the separate scholarship form by 1 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. Sources differ on the number of awards (18 to 21) and the admission date (8 or 10 December 2026), so confirm both on Maastricht University’s scholarship page.

TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship

This award supports an excellent international applicant who is conditionally admitted to a regular two-year MSc at TU Delft. TU Delft lists 16 awards, two per faculty. Each covers full tuition for the first year plus a contribution to living expenses, and to keep it in year two you need at least 48 of 60 ECTS credits. Holders cannot receive any other partial or full scholarship alongside it, so it replaces other funding instead of adding to it. The deadline on TU Delft’s scholarships page is 1 December 2026 at 23:59 CET, although the page for the individual award still shows an older call, so confirm the date in the application portal. As an indication, Delft expects applicants to be among the top 10% of graduates in their previous programme.

Wageningen Africa Scholarship Programme

For citizens of African countries starting an on-campus MSc at Wageningen in September 2027. It covers travel to and from the Netherlands, a living allowance for the whole programme (24 months), tuition for 24 months, visa costs and health insurance. You need a first-class honours degree or a GPA of 80% or higher, and you must be unconditionally admitted. Preference goes to students who do not already hold a master’s degree.

Deadline: your complete MSc application, including English test results and bachelor’s diploma, must be submitted before 1 December 2026. Selected candidates are told around March–April 2027, a lottery decides the final recipients, and offers are made on 7 April 2027.

Wageningen Anne van den Ban Fund (ABF)

For students from a list of developing countries that includes Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Nepal, Pakistan, Egypt, Uganda and Tanzania, among others. It has the same package as the ASP: travel, living allowance and tuition for 24 months, plus visa and health insurance costs. It is by invitation only, and you cannot apply directly. The deadline for the complete MSc application is 1 December 2026, and results are announced to selected candidates in May 2027.

University of Groningen Eric Bleumink Fellowship

The Eric Bleumink Fellowship is a master’s scholarship for students from a long list of developing countries, including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam and Kenya. It covers tuition, international travel, subsistence, books and health insurance. You cannot apply for it directly: Groningen’s admission office and faculty boards nominate candidates. To be considered, your master’s application must be complete before 1 December, and you need provisional or unconditional admission before February. You also need to have no other means of financing your studies. Read the nationality list on Groningen’s fellowship page before you apply.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters

EU-funded joint master’s programmes with a monthly allowance of €1,400. Some include Dutch partner universities. You apply to each programme individually. See our list of 25 fully funded scholarships for developing countries for the full details.

Partial Scholarships in the Netherlands From Dutch Universities

Most scholarships in the Netherlands from universities cover only part of your costs. Plan for the rest before you accept.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

LExS gives five award levels, from €10,000 to €19,000, towards tuition for about 25 master’s students a year from outside the EEA and EFTA. Leiden states that it is not a full scholarship and that it cannot be combined with another full external scholarship. The deadline is 1 December 2026, and all applicants are told before the end of March 2027. Details are on Leiden’s LExS page.

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (University of Amsterdam)

The Amsterdam Merit Scholarship is run separately by each faculty, so the number of awards, amounts and rules differ. The Faculty of Science page we read lists one award of €24,875, paid in monthly instalments, which cannot be used as a tuition waiver. The Amsterdam Law School page lists one award chosen by lottery among eligible applicants, and the Research Master’s in Communication Science page says the award covers the first year’s tuition in full. The deadline on the pages we read is 15 January. The Faculty of Science page still showed a September 2026 start, so confirm the 2027 details on your own faculty page, such as the Faculty of Science scholarship page.

Radboud Scholarship Programme

The Radboud Scholarship Programme is a partial award for non-EU/EEA master’s students. Third-party listings for 2026-27 say it reduces tuition to about €2,771 and covers visa, residence permit and insurance costs, so confirm the 2027-28 terms with Radboud. At Radboud University the NL Scholarship cannot be awarded alone, so you must apply for the Radboud Scholarship Programme as well. Radboud’s page lists a maximum of 26 NL Scholarships, an application submitted in OSIRIS by 31 January 2027 at 23:59 CET and a complete file by 14 February 2027. The page mixes 2026 and 2027 references, so confirm the cohort on Radboud’s scholarship page.

TU/e Scholarship for Excellence (Eindhoven University of Technology)

TU/e offers about 35 scholarships of €7,500 a year for two years to excellent students who start a listed microchip-related master’s programme in 2027, such as Electrical Engineering, Embedded Systems, Applied Physics or Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. About 15 of the awards are for non-EEA students. You need a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher, the complete application is due by 1 January 2027 at 23:59 CET and results come by the end of March 2027. TU/e says these are not full scholarships, so plan for the rest. Check the programme list on the TU/e scholarship page.

Other awards to check

The Rotterdam School of Management and Erasmus University run their own awards for international students, and amounts and deadlines vary by programme. We did not confirm a current 2027 call for them, so check each programme page before you plan around them.

NL Scholarship (Formerly Holland Scholarship): The Short Version

Among Netherlands scholarships 2027, the NL Scholarship is the one most students find first. It is a one-time €5,000 grant for non-EEA students starting a full-time bachelor’s or master’s at a participating institution, paid in the first year, and it is not a full-tuition scholarship. Each university sets its own deadline and rules: Twente’s form opened on 15 October 2026 and closes on 1 April 2027, Radboud’s closes on 31 January 2027, Utrecht and Groningen usually close on 1 February, and Wageningen’s closes on 1 May 2027 for invited students. Study in NL says the 2026-27 application opened on 1 November 2025 and has not published a 2027-28 date, so check your university’s page for its own opening date.

The University of Amsterdam, TU Delft, Leiden and Erasmus University Rotterdam were not on the official 2026-27 research-university list, although they run their own awards above. For the participating universities, country lists and grade rules, read our full NL Scholarship guide.

Is €5,000 enough?

No. Wageningen’s own figure for a first-year invoice, even for a student whose tuition fee is waived, is about €16,500, and it pays the NL Scholarship only in October after you arrive. Treat the grant as a contribution, and show a plan for the rest, because scholarships in the Netherlands rarely cover every cost.

Region-Specific Scholarships in the Netherlands

Study in NL’s scholarship page lists only the MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP), Erasmus+ and the NL Scholarship. The MSP, run by Nuffic, funds short courses of 2 to 13 weeks in the Netherlands for working professionals up to 45 years old from Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman and Tunisia. It is not a degree scholarship, and Nuffic’s MSP page only refers to its 2025 rounds, so confirm the current status before you plan around it. We have not listed other region-specific programmes because we could not confirm that they are open. For funding beyond scholarships in the Netherlands, see our Europe scholarships hub.

Deadline Calendar for Scholarships in the Netherlands: October 2026 to May 2027

Deadlines for scholarships in the Netherlands differ by university, and where sources differ we say so. Always confirm the date on the official page.

Plan your admission application first, because almost every scholarship needs you to be admitted, or at least to have applied, before its deadline. Our scholarship deadlines hub tracks other closing dates.

How to Apply for Scholarships in the Netherlands, Step by Step

1. Check your nationality. Most awards are for students from outside the EEA, and some are limited to a region or a list of countries, so read the eligibility list first.
2. Shortlist programmes. Choose master’s or bachelor’s programmes at universities that offer the award, because some scholarships apply only to listed programmes.
3. Apply for admission first. Submit your programme application through Studielink and the university’s portal, and note the admission deadline, which can be earlier than the scholarship deadline.
4. Submit the scholarship application. Complete the separate scholarship form, usually with a motivation letter, a financial plan and sometimes reference letters.
5. Prove your English. Book the test your programme asks for, or collect proof that your earlier degree was taught in English where the university accepts it.
6. Plan your visa and funds. Non-EEA students need a Dutch residence permit, and universities ask you to show that you can pay costs the scholarship does not cover.

A strong motivation statement matters. See our guide to a personal statement for a scholarship, our recommendation letter samples if your university asks for references, and our explainer on the English proficiency certificate. If IELTS is a barrier, read our guide to scholarships in the Netherlands without IELTS. A Dutch student visa also affects your plans, so see our Schengen scholarships guide.

Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for Scholarships in the Netherlands

• Counting the award as your whole budget. A €5,000 grant does not pay tuition, let alone rent.
• Missing the early deadline. The fully funded awards at TU Delft, Leiden and Wageningen close on 1 December 2026, before most NL Scholarship deadlines.
• Assuming your nationality qualifies everywhere. Twente’s country list is long, while Wageningen’s NL Scholarship list is short, so read each list.
• Trusting old lists of scholarships in the Netherlands. Check the official page for any award you find on a blog, including ours.
• Matching the wrong programme. Some awards, such as Maastricht’s, apply only to listed master’s programmes.
• Paying an agent. Official applications go through university portals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Scholarships in the Netherlands

What are the best scholarships in the Netherlands for international students?

The strongest awards are the Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship, the TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship, Wageningen’s Africa Scholarship Programme and Anne van den Ban Fund, Groningen’s Eric Bleumink Fellowship, the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (partial) and the NL Scholarship (€5,000). Which one fits you depends on your nationality, programme and grades.

Are there fully funded scholarships in the Netherlands?

Yes, but only a few. Maastricht’s NL-High Potential Scholarship, TU Delft’s van Effen scholarship, Wageningen’s Africa Scholarship Programme and Anne van den Ban Fund, and Groningen’s Eric Bleumink Fellowship pay tuition plus either a living allowance or a contribution to living costs. Most other awards, including the NL Scholarship and Leiden’s LExS, cover only part of your costs.

Is the Holland Scholarship fully funded?

No. The Holland Scholarship is now called the NL Scholarship and is a one-time grant of €5,000, paid in your first year. Our NL Scholarship guide explains who qualifies at each university.

Which scholarships in the Netherlands have ended?

The Orange Knowledge Programme ended in 2024 and has no new application rounds, according to Study in NL. Utrecht University says the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship will no longer be offered for programmes starting in 2026-27, and the Holland Scholarship has been renamed the NL Scholarship.

When are the deadlines for scholarships in the Netherlands in 2027?

The first deadline is 1 December 2026 for TU Delft’s van Effen scholarship, Leiden’s LExS and Wageningen’s fully funded scholarships. TU/e’s Scholarship for Excellence closes on 1 January 2027, Radboud’s NL Scholarship round closes on 31 January 2027, Maastricht’s scholarship form closes on 1 February 2027, Twente’s NL Scholarship closes on 1 April 2027 and Wageningen’s on 1 May 2027.

Can Pakistani, Indian or Nigerian students get scholarships in the Netherlands?

Yes, for awards open to non-EEA nationals. Wageningen’s Anne van den Ban Fund includes Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana on its country list, and Groningen’s Eric Bleumink Fellowship lists Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Kenya, but both work by invitation or nomination, so you cannot apply to them directly. Twente’s NL Scholarship list includes all five countries. Some awards are limited by region, such as the Wageningen Africa Scholarship Programme, which is for African citizens, so read each eligibility list.

Do I need IELTS for scholarships in the Netherlands?

Each programme sets its own English requirement. Some accept other tests or proof that your earlier degree was taught in English, so check the programme page before you pay for a test. Twente’s NL Scholarship, for example, asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6.0 in speaking.

Is university free in the Netherlands for international students?

No. Students from outside the EEA pay the higher institutional tuition fee, which each programme sets, and they must also show they can cover living costs. That is why a €5,000 grant helps but does not remove the need for a funding plan, even when you win one of the scholarships in the Netherlands.

Can I combine scholarships in the Netherlands?

Sometimes. Leiden says LExS generally cannot be combined with another full scholarship, and some awards allow a partial external scholarship. Always ask the university’s scholarship team before you accept an award.

Do I need to be admitted before I apply for a scholarship?

Usually yes. Maastricht, TU Delft, Wageningen, Groningen, Radboud and Twente all link the scholarship to a master’s application, so apply for admission first and note that the admission deadline can fall before the scholarship deadline.

Conclusion

The best scholarships in the Netherlands for international students are competitive and mostly partial, so build a plan with several applications and a realistic budget. If you need fully funded scholarships in the Netherlands, apply early to Maastricht, TU Delft and Wageningen, and remember that Dutch scholarships for international students change every cycle. Add the NL Scholarship and one or two university awards that match your programme, and bookmark this page, because we update our Netherlands scholarships 2027 list as rounds open and close.

Official Sources

• Study in NL: scholarships
• Study in NL: NL Scholarship
• Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship
• TU Delft scholarships, including the Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarships
• University of Groningen Eric Bleumink Fellowship
• Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
• TU/e Scholarship for Excellence
• Wageningen University & Research master’s scholarships
• University of Amsterdam: Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Faculty of Science
• University of Amsterdam: Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Amsterdam Law School
• Radboud University NL Scholarship
• Utrecht University: Utrecht Excellence Scholarships notice
• Nuffic: MENA Scholarship Programme

Related Guides

NL Scholarship guide, scholarships in the Netherlands without IELTS, Europe scholarships for international students, Schengen scholarships, 50+ fully funded scholarships and scholarship deadlines.

Deadlines, amounts and eligibility change every year. Always confirm them with the university before you apply.