NL Scholarship 2027-2028: €5,000 for Non-EEA Students, Participating Universities and Deadlines

The NL Scholarship is a €5,000 grant for students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who start a full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree at a participating Dutch university. It is paid once, in your first year, and it is funded jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the universities themselves. Until recently it was called the Holland Scholarship, so older articles use that name.

There is no central application. You apply through the university you want to attend, and each one sets its own Deadline, most often 1 February 2027 at research universities and 1 May 2027 at universities of applied sciences for a September 2027 start. Applications for 2027-2028 open from 1 November 2026. Below is the full list of participating institutions and the rules at the ones that have published details.

NL Scholarship at a glance

Study in NL, the official information site run by Nuffic, states plainly that the NL Scholarship is not a full-tuition scholarship. Think of it as a contribution toward your first year’s costs.

Participating universities in the NL Scholarship

The list below is the current official one, published by Study in NL for the 2026-2027 academic year. It changes every year, and the 2027-2028 list had not been published when I checked, so confirm on your chosen university’s page before relying on it.

Research universities (11)

1. Eindhoven University of Technology
2. Maastricht University
3. Protestant Theological University
4. Radboud University
5. Theological University Apeldoorn
6. University of Groningen
7. University of Twente
8. Utrecht Theological University
9. Utrecht University
10. VU Amsterdam
11. Wageningen University & Research

Universities of applied sciences and arts schools (23)

1. Aeres University of Applied Sciences
2. Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
3. Amsterdam University of the Arts
4. ArtEZ Institute of the Arts
5. Breda University of Applied Sciences
6. Codarts Rotterdam
7. Design Academy Eindhoven
8. Driestar Christian University
9. Fontys University of Applied Sciences
10. Gerrit Rietveld Academie
11. The Hague University of Applied Sciences
12. Hanze University of Applied Sciences
13. Hotelschool The Hague
14. HAN University of Applied Sciences
15. HKU University of Applied Sciences
16. HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht
17. HZ University of Applied Sciences
18. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences
19. Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
20. Saxion University of Applied Sciences
21. Thomas More Hogeschool
22. University of the Arts The Hague
23. Zuyd University of Applied Sciences

Universities missing from the current list

Several big names are absent from the 2026-2027 list, even though many scholarship websites still include them: TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden University, the University of Amsterdam and Tilburg University. TU Delft’s NL Scholarship page now says its awards have already been given and describes an older cycle, and Erasmus University’s most recent page covers 2025-2026. If you are set on one of those universities, look at their own scholarships instead. Leiden, for example, runs the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship.

NL Scholarship eligibility

The national rules set by Study in NL are short. You must meet all four.

1. Nationality: you hold the nationality of a country outside the EEA (the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
2. Programme: you enrol in a full-time bachelor’s or master’s programme at a participating institution.
3. Admission: you meet that institution’s admission requirements for the programme.
4. No Dutch degree: you do not already hold a degree from a Dutch educational institution.

Extra conditions universities add

• Grades: Wageningen and Saxion ask for a GPA of 80% or higher; Groningen asks for excellent undergraduate results.
• Swiss and Surinamese nationals: Groningen excludes both from its NL Scholarship.
• Previous study in the Netherlands: Utrecht excludes anyone previously enrolled at a Dutch institution, though an exchange semester does not count. HU allows a prior Dutch preparatory language course.
• Dual nationals: Wageningen excludes anyone who also holds an EU/EEA nationality.
• English test: Saxion accepts only IELTS for the scholarship and asks for 7.0, higher than many programmes’ admission level.
• Other scholarships: Saxion and HU will not give the NL Scholarship to students who hold another scholarship for the same year.

One naming trap: some Dutch universities also run an “NL Scholarship” for their own students going abroad, for example to study outside Europe for a semester. Those pages show up in search results but do not apply to international students coming to the Netherlands.

NL Scholarship deadlines and rules by university

These are the participating institutions whose NL Scholarship pages I could check in October 2026. Where a university lists its date without a year, I have given the 2027 equivalent.

For the full HAN breakdown, including its Honors Scholarship and February intake, see our HAN University scholarships guide. For every other participant on the list, search the university’s site for “NL Scholarship” in November 2026, when most pages switch to the new year.

How to apply for the NL Scholarship

1. Choose a participating institution: check that your university is on the list above and that your programme is included, since some universities limit the scheme to certain programmes.
2. Register in Studielink and apply to the programme: Dutch universities use Studielink to start every application, then send you to their own portal (OSIRIS, a dashboard or similar).
3. Upload admission documents early: transcripts, diploma or proof of final year, passport, CV, motivation letter and English test or exemption proof.
4. Find the scholarship form: it may sit inside your applicant dashboard (Utrecht, VU), on a separate online form (Groningen, Saxion), or arrive as an invitation email (Wageningen, HAN).
5. Write a scholarship-specific motivation: say why this programme, why the Netherlands and what you will do next.
6. Add a financial plan if asked: Utrecht wants a Statement of Financial Resources showing how you will pay the rest of your costs.
7. Submit before the deadline and keep the confirmation: Utrecht, for example, does not let you correct forms submitted in the last days before 1 February.

English test or exemption

The NL Scholarship follows your university’s English rule, except where a university adds its own, as Saxion does with IELTS 7.0. Many Dutch universities accept proof of an English-taught degree or secondary education from certain countries instead of a test. Our guide to scholarships in the Netherlands without IELTS lists the exemptions university by university.

Writing the motivation letter

Selection at most universities rests on two things: your grades and your motivation. Since grades are fixed by the time you apply, the letter is where you can still move your ranking. Keep it to one page unless the university allows more, and build it around three questions.

1. Why this programme: name specific courses, a research theme or a practical project the programme runs.
2. Why the Netherlands and this university: Utrecht’s criteria ask how your time in the country and at the university fits your goals, so answer that directly.
3. What comes after: a realistic career step that uses the degree.

A sample opening for a water management applicant: “Two of the five boreholes my firm drilled in Turkana County in 2025 ran dry within a year, and nobody on the project could explain why. I want Wageningen’s hydrology courses so that next time I can.” Short, specific and tied to the programme. Avoid paragraphs about tulips, windmills and Dutch tolerance; selectors read hundreds of those.

What €5,000 covers, and what it does not

Non-EEA students pay the institutional tuition fee, which is much higher than the fee Dutch and EU students pay. At HAN it runs from about €9,320 to €10,940 a year; at research universities it is often far higher, and Radboud uses €19,000 as its own example of a standard international fee. On top of that, the Dutch immigration service (IND) requires students in higher education to show €1,130.77 a month for 2026, or €13,569.24 for twelve months, to get a study residence permit.

That is my own arithmetic on published figures, and it leaves out the visa fee, insurance, travel and books. If you cannot find roughly €20,000 for the first year from savings, family or another award, the NL Scholarship alone will not make the move possible. That is why universities such as Utrecht ask for a financial plan before they award it.

After you are selected

Universities email results between March and early June, depending on their deadline: Utrecht by mid-April, Saxion within 30 days of 1 May, HU within six weeks. Accept the award in writing, pay any tuition the university asks for and complete the residence permit process, which the university starts for you with the IND. Payment usually comes after you arrive and enrol. Groningen pays in instalments after arrival, and Wageningen pays in October for September starters once it has seen your enrolment and a Dutch bank account.

Common mistakes with the NL Scholarship

• Looking for a single national NL Scholarship portal. There is none; each university runs its own.
• Applying to TU Delft, Leiden or Erasmus expecting the NL Scholarship because an old list says so.
• Missing a 1 February deadline because you assumed every school uses 1 May.
• Treating €5,000 as enough to live on and arriving without the IND amount.
• Applying after an earlier full degree in the Netherlands, which makes you ineligible.
• Ignoring the invitation email at Wageningen or HAN, where you cannot apply without one.

NL Scholarship compared with other Dutch scholarships

Several universities let you combine the NL Scholarship with their own awards. Radboud pairs it with the Radboud Scholarship Programme and VU with its Fellowship Programme. Others, such as Saxion and HU, do not allow two scholarships in the same year. For the full picture of Dutch government funding, including what happened to the Orange Knowledge Programme, read our guide to Netherlands government scholarships.

Who should apply and who should not

• Apply if you are a non-EEA national with strong grades, already admitted or applying to a participating institution, and you have most of your first-year budget covered.
• Apply if you are aiming at a university of applied sciences, where tuition is lower and €5,000 covers a bigger share.
• Look elsewhere if you need full funding. Pair the NL Scholarship with a university award or look at fully funded options instead.
• Skip it if you hold an EEA passport, already have a Dutch degree, or want a PhD.

FAQ about the NL Scholarship

Is the NL Scholarship the same as the Holland Scholarship?

Yes. The Holland Scholarship was renamed the NL Scholarship. The rules and the €5,000 amount carried over.

What is the NL Scholarship deadline for 2027?

Each university sets its own. Research universities such as Groningen, Utrecht and VU use 1 February 2027, while HAN, Saxion, HU and Wageningen use 1 May 2027.

Is the NL Scholarship fully funded?

No. It is €5,000 for your first year, though some universities give more, such as up to €15,000 at Utrecht and Wageningen. You pay the rest of your tuition and living costs.

Can Nigerian or Indian students get the NL Scholarship?

Yes. Any non-EEA national can apply, including students from Nigeria, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Brazil or the United States, provided they meet the university’s own conditions.

Sources and updates

Checked on 25 October 2026. The national rules, the €5,000 amount and the participant list come from the Study in NL NL Scholarship page (2026-2027 list). University details come from the NL Scholarship pages of the University of Groningen, Utrecht University, VU Amsterdam, Radboud University, Wageningen University & Research, HAN, Saxion and HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, plus the TU Delft and Erasmus University pages for their past participation. The living cost figure is the 2026 amount from the IND. The 2027-2028 participant list was not yet published; this guide will be updated when it is.

Jude Chinecherem

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.