Funding guide · updated 2026-09-04

Scholarships in Netherlands for international students

In short

Global Admissions lists 40 scholarships open to international students in Netherlands, of which 19 cover tuition in full.
16 are government-funded and 21 come from universities themselves.
By level: Master's (38), Bachelor's (6), PhD (3).
17 of these are restricted to specific nationalities; 23 carry no nationality restriction we could verify.

Netherlands funding by the numbers

Scholarships listed: 40
Cover full tuition: 19
Pay a living stipend: 1
Distinct funders: 27

Every scholarship we list for Netherlands

Government awards (16)

Funded by a national government or its agencies. These carry the largest budgets and the earliest deadlines, and some require you to return home for a set period after graduating.

Indonesia·Government

Indonesia LPDP Scholarship 2026

Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP)

Full Ride

Master'sPhD

Open·Next: Runs in batches each year, typically with a Batch 1 registration window in January-February and a later batch following; confirm exact dates on the official LPDP portal.

Spain·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Artificial Intelligence (EMAI)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Closes mid-Nov–Dec for September entry

Belgium·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Big Data Management and Analytics (BDMA)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Closes ~Dec–Jan for September entry

Ireland·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in European Public Health (Europubhealth+)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Scholarship early Jan; self-funded open to late March

Austria·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Public Policy (Mundus MAPP)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Scholarship/early deadline ~10 December; later self-funded rounds follow

Denmark·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Journalism, Media and Globalisation (Mundus Journalism)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; opens ~1 Nov, deadline ~10 Jan, results by 1 March

United Kingdom·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Global Markets, Local Creativities (GLOCAL)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Scholarship applications close ~8–15 January; self-funded later

Netherlands·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Flood Risk Management (FRM)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Partner early Jan; Programme early Feb (Sept entry)

Germany·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Euroculture: Society, Politics and Culture in a Global Context (Euroculture)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Applications usually close December–January for September entry

Czech Republic·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in International Master of Science in Environmental Technology and Engineering (IMETE)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual call; scholarship deadlines in winter/spring via IHE Delft portal

Netherlands·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in European Master in Law and Economics (EMLE)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Non-European applicants ~31 December; European applicants ~15 January

Portugal·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Groundwater and Global Change – Impacts and Adaptation (GroundwatCH)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Non-EU early Jan; EU early Feb (Sept entry)

France·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Neuroscience (Neurasmus)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Applications usually close December–January for September entry

France·Government

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling (TCCM)

European Commission (Erasmus Mundus)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; scholarship applications generally due around February

Netherlands·Government

NL Scholarship

Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch higher education institutions (Nuffic)

EUR 5,000, paid once in the first year of study (not a tuition waiver)

Bachelor'sMaster's

Open·Next: Annual; institution sets deadline (often 1 February or 1 May)

Netherlands·Government

Holland Scholarship (NL Scholarship) 2026-2027

Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, in cooperation with Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences

EUR 5,000 (one-time grant in the first year)

Bachelor'sMaster's

Open·Next: February–May 2026

University awards (21)

Administered by the institution itself and usually assessed alongside your admission application, so you apply to the programme first.

Netherlands·University

Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship

Maastricht University (UM Scholarship Fund with the NL Scholarship)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; typically closes around 1 February for September intake.

Netherlands·University

Wageningen Africa Scholarship Programme

Wageningen University & Research

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual, invitation-based; MSc application by 1 February.

Netherlands·University

Eric Bleumink Fellowship

University of Groningen (University of Groningen Fund)

Full Ride

Master's

Open·Next: Annual, nomination-only; master's application before 1 December.

Netherlands·University

Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Full Tuition

Master's

Open·Next: Applications for the September intake are typically due around 1 December each year (23:59 CET).

Netherlands·University

University of Groningen Talent Grant (Faculty of Law)

University of Groningen

Monthly living allowance of about EUR 1,000 for up to 12 months

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; deadline 1 May after conditional LLM admission

Netherlands·University

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) 2026

Leiden University

Tuition waiver

Master's

Open·Next: For September-intake programmes the deadline is generally 1 February (the 1 February 2026 round has closed; next round expected 1 February 2027). Verify exact dates on the official Leiden University website.

Netherlands·University

RSM Non-EEA Scholarship of Excellence (MSc)

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Tuition waiver

Master's

Open·Next: Applications are due annually around 1 March (31 January for IM/CEMS), with decisions issued about six weeks later.

Netherlands·University

VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme (VUFP)

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

Tuition waiver

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; deadline for September entry is typically 1 February.

Netherlands·University

Tilburg University Waiver

Tilburg University

50% reduction of the institutional tuition fee (half-fee waiver). About 21 awards/year.

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; typically closes in spring for September intake.

Netherlands·University

HAN Honors Scholarship

HAN University of Applied Sciences

Up to EUR 7,500 (bachelor, EUR 2,500 in years 2-4) or EUR 2,500 (master); awarded automatically

Bachelor'sMaster's

Open·Next: No separate application; awarded by academic board after first year

Netherlands·University

Hanze Scholarship

Hanze University of Applied Sciences

EUR 10,000 per academic year, paid EUR 1,000/month toward living costs (does not reduce tuition)

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; apply 1 March-30 April after admission

Netherlands·University

Wittenborg MBA Scholarships

Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences

EUR 5,000 tuition-fee reduction each; 10 scholarships for the MBA across all specialisations

Master's

Open·Next: Applied for at admissions stage; limited to 10 awards

Netherlands·University

Saxion Talent Scholarship

Saxion University of Applied Sciences

EUR 2,500 one-time award for non-EEA bachelor's students with strong results

Bachelor's

Open·Next: Annual; deadline 1 May, conditional acceptance required

Netherlands·University

Inholland Knowledge Grant

Inholland University of Applied Sciences

Up to EUR 4,500 over three years: EUR 2,500 year 1, EUR 1,000 in years 2 and 3 (60 credits/year)

Bachelor's

Open·Next: Annual; deadline 31 August via Student Self Service

Netherlands·University

Anne van den Ban Fund

Wageningen University & Research (Anne van den Ban Fund)

Contribution toward tuition and/or living costs; amount set per awardee.

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; tied to the September MSc intake.

Netherlands·University

Radboud Scholarship Programme

Radboud University

Cuts tuition to ~EUR 2,694; covers visa, residence permit and insurance. Up to 33 awards/year.

Master's

Open·Next: Applications open annually, typically closing in late January.

Netherlands·University

Erasmus Trustfonds Scholarship

Erasmus University Rotterdam (Erasmus Trustfonds)

Up to EUR 17,500 for one year: tuition waiver plus EUR 1,200/mo living allowance and one-off EUR 249

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; the deadline for the following academic year typically falls at the end of January.

Netherlands·University

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

Leiden University

Tuition-fee reduction at a fixed level: EUR 10,000, 15,000, 17,500, 18,500 or 19,000

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; single deadline 1 December

Netherlands·University

Eindhoven University of Technology Scholarship for Excellence

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)

Merit-based award for excellent master's students; amount set per programme.

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; commonly around 1 February for September intake.

Netherlands·University

University of Twente Scholarship (UTS)

University of Twente

EUR 3,000-22,000 for one year toward study costs; renewable for a second year on progress.

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; 1 April (16:00 CET) for September intake.

Netherlands·University

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Set per faculty; a few thousand euros up to around EUR 25,000, sometimes tuition plus an allowance

Master's

Open·Next: Annual; varies by faculty, often January-February

Private awards (2)

Funded by a foundation, company or non-profit. Eligibility is often narrower — a nationality, a field, or a background — which makes competition lighter if you fit.

United Kingdom·Private

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation

Full Ride

masterphd

Open·Next: Applications open annually; the 2026 round closed with shortlisting in April and final interviews in Mumbai in May.

United States·Private

J. N. Tata Endowment Loan Scholarship

J. N. Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians

INR 2,000,000

masterphd

Open·Next: Applications ran from 5 January to 15 March in the 2026 cycle; interviews are held April to June.

NGO awards (1)

Funded by a foundation, company or non-profit. Eligibility is often narrower — a nationality, a field, or a background — which makes competition lighter if you fit.

Netherlands·NGO

Orange Tulip Scholarship

Nuffic (via Netherlands Education Support Offices) with participating Dutch universities and companies

Mainly partial tuition support, often a discount of roughly EUR 5,000-15,000; excludes living costs

Bachelor'sMaster's

Open·Next: Annual; deadlines vary by country office and institution

Who can apply

By level of study

Master's 38 Bachelor's 6 PhD 3

Awards reserved for specific nationalities

What this list does not tell you

40 of the 40 awards below have no single published closing date — most run on an annual cycle whose exact date the funder confirms each year. Always check the provider's own page before you plan around a deadline.
Nationality eligibility is recorded for 17 of 40 awards. Where we show no restriction it means we could not verify one, not that none exists.
Funding in Netherlands changes with government budgets and university intake targets. Programmes get suspended between cycles, and a fully funded award one year can become partial the next.

Find the programmes this money pays for

Universities in NetherlandsBrowse institutions, then check which of the awards above each one hosts.

Frequently asked questions

How many scholarships are available in Netherlands for international students?▾

Global Admissions lists 40 scholarships open to international students studying in Netherlands. 19 of them cover tuition in full, and 1 pay a living stipend on top.

Are there fully funded scholarships in Netherlands?▾

Yes. 19 of the 40 awards listed for Netherlands are recorded as covering full tuition or as a full ride including living costs. Fully funded awards are the most competitive category, and most require you to hold or be applying for admission to a specific university before you apply for the money.

Which government scholarships fund study in Netherlands?▾

16 government-funded awards appear on this page, including Indonesia LPDP Scholarship 2026, Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Artificial Intelligence (EMAI), Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Big Data Management and Analytics (BDMA). Government programmes usually carry the largest budgets and the earliest deadlines, and several attach a condition to return home for a set period after graduating.

Do universities in Netherlands offer their own scholarships?▾

Yes — 21 of the 40 awards listed for Netherlands are funded by the institution rather than by a government or foundation. University awards are typically smaller than national programmes but far less competitive, they are often assessed automatically from your admission application, and many can be combined with an external scholarship.

Do I need a university offer before applying for a scholarship in Netherlands?▾

It depends on the award. University-administered scholarships in Netherlands are usually assessed alongside or after your admission application, so you apply to the programme first. Government and foundation programmes vary: some require proof of admission at the point of application, others issue a conditional award you then take to a university. Each award page on Global Admissions records which applies.

Are scholarships in Netherlands restricted by nationality?▾

17 of the 40 awards listed here are limited to citizens of particular countries, often through a development or bilateral agreement. The remaining 23 carry no nationality restriction that we could verify, which usually means they are open to any international applicant who meets the academic criteria.

Funding in other destinations

Elsewhere in Europe

Scholarships in United Kingdom Scholarships in France Scholarships in Italy Scholarships in Germany Scholarships in Spain Scholarships in Sweden Scholarships in Switzerland Scholarships in Belgium Scholarships in Poland Scholarships in Portugal

Most-searched destinations

Scholarships in United States Scholarships in Canada Scholarships in Australia

Award details are compiled from each funder's own published material and refreshed weekly; tuition figures come from the Global Admissions programme catalogue as of 2026-09-04. Always confirm deadlines and eligibility on the funder's site before applying.