HAN University scholarships are four partial awards for students from outside the EU/EEA who enrol in a full-time, English-taught degree at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem and Nijmegen. The main one is the HAN NL Scholarship, part of the Dutch government’s NL Scholarship scheme: up to €12,500 over four years for a bachelor’s student, or €5,000 for a master’s student. HAN also gives an Honors Scholarship to strong first-year students who did not get the NL Scholarship.
You cannot apply on your own initiative. HAN emails an invitation to eligible admitted students, and the window for the February 2027 intake closed on 19 October 2026. For a September 2027 start, the invitation arrives on 1 April 2027 and the deadline is 1 May 2027, so the real task now is getting admitted before 1 April. Here is what each award pays, who qualifies, what it leaves you to pay, and how to time it.
Deadline status
The February 2027 round closed on 19 October 2026 at 12:00 CEST. The next round is for September 2027: invitations on 1 April 2027, applications due 1 May 2027 at 12:00 CEST (10:00 GMT). You must be admitted to your programme before 1 April to be invited.
The four HAN University scholarships and what they pay
HAN lists four awards on its official scholarships page. You can hold only one of them, though you may combine it with funding from an outside organisation.
| Scholarship | Level | Maximum | How it is paid | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAN NL Scholarship | Bachelor’s | €12,500 | €2,500 in each semester of year 1, then €2,500 a year for 3 years | Invitation email, then application |
| Honors Scholarship | Bachelor’s | €7,500 | €2,500 a year in years 2, 3 and 4 | Chosen by the programme’s academic board; no application |
| HAN NL Scholarship | Master’s | €5,000 | €2,500 in each semester of year 1 | Invitation email, then application |
| Honors Scholarship | Master’s | €2,500 | One payment in semester 2 | Chosen by the academic board; no application |
For bachelor’s students, every payment after the first year depends on passing at least 45 credits in the year before. The bachelor’s Honors Scholarship goes to students who did not get the NL Scholarship and passed all first-year credits (the propedeutic certificate). The master’s Honors Scholarship goes to students who passed every first-semester credit and did not get the NL Scholarship.
How the NL Scholarship at HAN works
The NL Scholarship (formerly the Holland Scholarship) is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with the participating universities. Nationally it is a €5,000 first-year grant. HAN pays that same €5,000 to master’s students, and for bachelor’s students it spreads extra money across the later years, which is why the bachelor’s total reaches €12,500.
Demand is higher than the number of awards, and HAN says meeting every requirement does not guarantee you one. It does not publish how many it gives each year.
Who is eligible for HAN University scholarships
All four awards share the same base rules. You must:
- Nationality: hold the nationality of a country outside the EU/EEA. Citizens of Suriname are excluded.
- Fee status: pay the higher institutional tuition fee, not the statutory fee.
- No earlier Dutch study: have no Dutch higher education degree and never have enrolled in a degree at a Dutch university or university of applied sciences.
- Admission: be accepted into a full-time, English-taught degree programme at HAN, before 1 April for a September start.
- English: have IELTS Academic 6.5, TOEFL iBT 5.0 on the new scale (90 on the old scale), or a Cambridge CAE or CPE certificate.
Watch the English score. Some HAN bachelor’s programmes admit students with IELTS 6.0, such as Automotive Engineering and Communication, but the scholarship needs 6.5. If you are sitting the test anyway, aim for 6.5 so you are not admitted and then ruled out of the award.
Programmes and tuition fees at HAN (2026-2027)
HAN’s institutional fees for non-EU/EEA students are set in two bands. The 2027-2028 fees were not yet on HAN’s site when I checked, so treat these 2026-2027 figures as a guide.
| Level | Programmes | Annual fee (non-EU/EEA) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | Automotive Engineering, Chemistry, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Embedded Systems Engineering, Life Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Biosciences (joint degree) | €10,940 |
| Bachelor’s | Communication, International Business, International Social Work | €9,320 |
| Master’s | Engineering Systems, Molecular Life Sciences | €10,940 |
| Master’s | Circular Economy, International Social Work | €9,320 |
What a HAN scholarship leaves you to pay
HAN says plainly that its scholarships are not full scholarships. The Dutch immigration service (IND) also wants proof that you can cover living costs: €1,130.77 a month for university and hbo students in 2026, or €13,569.24 for twelve months. HAN collects a financial guarantee from non-EU students as part of the visa process.
| First-year cost | Bachelor’s (€10,940 band) | Master’s (€9,320 band) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | €10,940 | €9,320 |
| IND living cost requirement (12 months, 2026 rate) | €13,569.24 | €13,569.24 |
| Less HAN NL Scholarship in year 1 | minus €5,000 | minus €5,000 |
| Left for you to fund | €19,509.24 | €17,889.24 |
The scholarship is paid after you enrol, in November and April for September starters, into a Dutch bank account in your name. You will usually have paid tuition and shown your living funds before the first instalment arrives, so you need the full amount at the start.
How to apply for HAN University scholarships
- Apply for your programme on Studielink: the general non-EU/EEA admission deadline is 1 May, but for the scholarship you must be admitted before 1 April, so apply in the autumn or early winter before.
- Complete admission: upload your diplomas and English test, and take part in Matching if your programme requires it (Communication does, for example).
- Wait for the invitation: eligible admitted students receive an email on 1 April for a September start, or 1 October for a February start.
- Submit four items: a motivation letter, a video of up to 3 minutes, your CV and your most recent transcript or grade list.
- Meet the deadline: 1 May at 12:00 CEST (September start) or 19 October at 12:00 CEST (February start).
- Accept the award: results come on 1 June (September start) or 3 November (February start). Accept by the date in your award email.
For the CV, a clear one-page format works well; our Europass CV guide walks through one. In the video I would talk about one concrete project or problem you solved and how it links to your HAN programme, since three minutes goes quickly.
HAN University scholarships timeline for 2027
| Step | February 2027 start | September 2027 start |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation email | 1 October 2026 | 1 April 2027 |
| Scholarship deadline (CEST) | 19 October 2026, 12:00 (closed) | 1 May 2027, 12:00 |
| Outcome | 3 November 2026 | 1 June 2027 |
| First payment | April 2027 | November 2027 |
If HAN’s partial award is not enough, compare it with larger master’s awards elsewhere in the Netherlands, such as the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, which takes €10,000 to €19,000 off tuition.
FAQs about HAN University scholarships
Is the HAN NL Scholarship fully funded?
No. It pays up to €12,500 over a bachelor’s or €5,000 for a master’s, against tuition of €9,320 to €10,940 a year plus living costs.
Can I apply for the HAN scholarship before I am admitted?
No. HAN only invites students who have been admitted, before 1 April for a September start, so apply for your programme early.
What IELTS score do I need for the HAN scholarship?
IELTS Academic 6.5, or TOEFL iBT 5.0 (90 on the old scale), or a Cambridge CAE or CPE certificate, even where your programme admits students with a lower score.
Can I combine a HAN scholarship with another scholarship?
You can hold only one HAN award, but HAN allows you to combine it with a scholarship from another organisation.
Comparing options? Our guide to Netherlands government scholarships explains what replaced the Orange Knowledge Programme and which other Dutch universities run the NL Scholarship.
Sources and updates
Award amounts, eligibility, required documents, dates and payment schedules come from HAN University of Applied Sciences’ scholarships page, checked on 24 October 2026. Tuition fees come from HAN’s tuition fee page for 2026-2027, and English requirements from HAN’s programme admission pages. The 2026 living cost requirement comes from the IND’s page of required amounts. HAN had not published 2027-2028 fees when I checked; I will update the fee table once it does.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
