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Government scholarship, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science with participating Dutch institutions, via Nuffic

NL Scholarship

A EUR 5,000 first-year award for non-EEA students starting a full-time bachelor's or master's at a participating Dutch institution.
Official page for the NL Scholarship (opens in a new tab)

What it pays

EUR 5,000 paid in the first year of study. It is not a full-tuition scholarship.

Fields: Any field

Who can apply

Open to most nationalities

  • You must be a non-EEA national and apply for a full-time bachelor's or master's programme at a participating Dutch institution.
  • You must meet the institution's own admission requirements.
  • You must not already hold a degree from a Dutch institution.

Deadline

Applications opened on 1 November 2025 for 2026/27. Deadlines are set by each institution, so check its website. A new round is expected to open around 1 November each year.

Deadlines move a little every year and some close early. Confirm the date on the official page before you plan around it.

Documents you will need

  • Each institution sets its own documents, so check the scholarship page of your chosen university.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Step 1: Check the participating institutions

    Find your programme at a Dutch institution that offers the NL Scholarship. The list changes every year.

  2. Step 2: Apply for admission

    Apply to the programme through the institution's own application route.

  3. Step 3: Apply for the scholarship

    Follow the institution's NL Scholarship instructions and meet its deadline.
Official page for the NL Scholarship (opens in a new tab)

Conditions if you accept

  • Only paid in the first year of study.

Tips for a stronger application

  • Treat this as a small top-up, not full funding. Plan how you will pay tuition and living costs.
  • Some Dutch universities have bigger scholarships for African students, so ask each university about them as well.
  • Apply early for admission, since the scholarship requires you to be admitted first.

Student visa guides

Winning the award does not include the visa. Plan your application with our guide for the host country.

Common questions

Sources

Checked against these official pages on 17 Oct 2026.

What we can and cannot promise

Jandify Global gives guidance and prepares documents. We do not decide visas, admissions or scholarships, and we cannot promise an outcome. Those decisions belong to embassies, universities and funders. Read the no guarantee policy.

This result uses the general rules. Your own documents, finances and history can change it. Have an advisor check your exact case.

  • UniversityPartly funded

    Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)

    University of Amsterdam (UvA)

    Merit scholarship from the University of Amsterdam for outstanding non-EU/EEA students, run separately by each faculty or graduate school. It is the university's current main merit award for international students and the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship is no longer listed.

    Where
    Netherlands
    Level
    Bachelor's, Master's
    Pays
    Set per faculty each year. Example: the Faculty of Science awards one AMS of EUR 26,125 for the September 2027 master's start, paid in monthly instalments. It is a grant, not a tuition waiver, so you still pay full tuition.
    Deadline
    Deadlines differ per faculty. The Faculty of Science and Economics and Business both use 15 January for the September 2027 start; Economics and Business says applications open at the beginning of October. Check your faculty page for its exact date.
    Full details on Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)
  • UniversityFully funded

    Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship

    Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

    TU Delft's flagship merit scholarship for excellent international students admitted to a two-year regular MSc, with about 16 awards (2 per faculty).

    Where
    Netherlands
    Level
    Master's
    Pays
    Full tuition fees for the first year plus a contribution to living expenses; second-year support depends on progress. TU Delft does not publish the living allowance figure on the page, so check the current amount with TU Delft.
    Deadline
    1 December 2026, 23:59 CET, for the 2027 intake. Late applications are not reviewed. Results are emailed by the end of March 2027.
    Full details on Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship
  • UniversityTuition only

    Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

    Leiden University

    Partial tuition scholarship for excellent non-EEA students admitted to a full-time Leiden master's programme starting in September.

    Where
    Netherlands
    Level
    Master's
    Pays
    A fixed reduction of the tuition fee at one of five levels: EUR 10,000, 15,000, 17,500, 18,500 or 19,000, for the duration of the programme. It is not a full scholarship.
    Deadline
    The deadline for September 2027 programmes is 1 December 2026. Late scholarship applications are not considered. All applicants hear by email before the end of March.
    Full details on Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)
Find more with the scholarship matcher