Holland Scholarship

The Holland Scholarship is financed jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. It gives students from outside the European Economic Area a one-time contribution in the first year of a bachelor's or master's programme in the Netherlands.

It is honest to describe it as a welcome contribution rather than full funding — Dutch institutional and national living costs remain the student's to plan — and each participating institution selects its own recipients, so availability and criteria vary by university and programme.

Financed jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education and participating institutions, for students coming to the Netherlands from outside Europe for the first time.

• Nationality outside the European Economic Area.
• An application for a full-time bachelor's or master's at a participating Dutch research university or university of applied sciences.
• First-time enrolment in Dutch higher education — this is a first-year award and cannot be held by continuing students.
• The institution's own selection criteria, since each participating institution chooses its own recipients from its own allocation.
• Meeting the programme's admission requirements, including English proficiency.

The participating list changes annually and not every Dutch institution takes part. Checking the current list before shortlisting is worth doing, because it may shift which universities are worth applying to.

A one-time contribution in the first year, and it is important to read it as exactly that.

• A single grant at the amount the scheme publishes, paid in the first year of study.
• Paid at the start of the year in most cases, which helps with the initial costs of moving.
• Can generally be held alongside other institutional awards, though this is for the institution to confirm.

It is honest to call this a welcome contribution rather than funding. Dutch tuition for non-EEA students and the cost of living — particularly Amsterdam and Utrecht housing — remain substantially yours to plan for, and the plan must work without this award.

Handled by the host institution alongside the admission application, so its list governs.

• The institution's scholarship application, submitted with or shortly after the admission application.
• Transcripts and degree certificates.
• A motivation letter, where the institution's call asks for one.
• Proof of nationality and, where relevant, evidence that this is your first enrolment in the Netherlands.
• English proficiency evidence.

Each institution publishes its own call with its own documents and deadline. There is no central application, so the institution's page is the only reliable source.

Applied for through the institution, never centrally.

• Confirm the institution participates for the current year.
• Apply for the programme at that institution.
• Apply for the Holland Scholarship through the institution, by its own deadline — commonly earlier in the year than the course deadline.
• Institutional selection from its allocation, and notification.

Dates move every cycle, so treat the Study in NL pages and the institution's own scholarship page as the authority on them rather than any second-hand summary — including this one. We will confirm the current timeline with you before you commit to a plan built around it.