The NL Scholarship (Ex Holland Scholarship): A Complete Guide

What Is the NL Scholarship?

The NL Scholarship is a national scheme designed to help ease the upfront cost of starting a degree in the Netherlands, paid once, during the first year of study. It's explicitly described by participating institutions as a contribution toward study and living costs rather than a tuition waiver, so it's worth budgeting for the remainder of your degree separately rather than assuming this covers your full costs.

Who Is Eligible for the NL Scholarship?

• Nationality: must hold non-EEA citizenship. EU/EEA nationals, Swiss nationals, and Surinamese nationals are not eligible
• Study level and format: must be applying for a full-time Bachelor's or Master's programme at a participating Dutch institution
• No prior Dutch degree: applicants must not already hold a degree from a Dutch higher education institution
• Institution specific requirements: each participating institution sets its own additional criteria, which may include academic qualifications, language proficiency, or relevant experience, published on that institution's own website

What Does the NL Scholarship Cover?

• A one-time grant of €5,000, paid during the first year of your study programme
• This is not a full-tuition scholarship. It functions as a contribution toward your overall study and living costs, not a payment that covers tuition directly on your behalf
• The grant can only be received once, and cannot be combined with other Dutch government funded scholarships or fee waivers, though it may be combinable with certain university specific scholarships depending on that institution's own policy

Which Universities Participate in the NL Scholarship?

The list of participating institutions changes every year, and each institution independently decides its own number of available scholarships, specific eligible programmes, and internal deadlines. Commonly participating Dutch research universities have included Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University, Radboud University, the University of Groningen, the University of Twente, Utrecht University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Wageningen University, alongside a number of universities of applied sciences. Because this list is genuinely reviewed and updated annually, always check the current official participant list rather than assuming a university that participated in a previous year is automatically participating again.

How Do I Apply for the NL Scholarship?

1. Choose a participating institution and eligible programme. Not every Dutch university participates, and not every programme at a participating university is necessarily eligible, so confirming both before you apply matters
2. Apply for admission to your chosen full-time Bachelor's or Master's programme through that institution's standard application system
3. Indicate your interest in the NL Scholarship during your admission application, typically through a specific checkbox, question, or separate scholarship application step within that same system
4. Submit a scholarship motivation letter, generally with a length limit set by the institution, alongside any other documents that institution requires
5. Wait for the institution to communicate results. Selection for the scholarship is a separate process from admission to the programme itself, so being admitted to your programme does not automatically mean you've been awarded the scholarship

What Is the Application Deadline?

There is no single national deadline. Each participating institution sets its own, and deadlines commonly fall between 1 February and 1 May, though this varies by institution and sometimes by application round within the same institution. For the 2026-2027 academic year, applications opened on 1 November 2025 across participating institutions. Always confirm the exact deadline directly on your specific target institution's own NL Scholarship page rather than relying on a general date.

FAQs About the NL Scholarship

Is the Holland Scholarship still available, or has it been replaced?

It hasn't been replaced, only renamed. The Holland Scholarship is now officially called the NL Scholarship, with the same eligibility, benefits, and application process.

Does the NL Scholarship cover my full tuition fees?

No. It's a one-time €5,000 contribution toward your overall study and living costs, not a full tuition waiver. You'll need to plan for the remainder of your costs separately.

Can EU citizens apply for the NL Scholarship?

No. It's exclusively for students holding non-EEA citizenship. EU/EEA nationals, Swiss nationals, and Surinamese nationals are not eligible.

Is there one central application system for the NL Scholarship?

No. You apply directly through your chosen participating institution as part of its own admissions process, not through a separate centralised national portal.

Can I receive the NL Scholarship more than once?

No. It's a one-time grant, paid only in the first year of your study programme.

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Sources: Official Study in NL website (studyinnl.org), and university specific NL Scholarship pages from Radboud University and the University of Twente.