The Radboud Scholarship Programme is Radboud University’s partial scholarship for non-EU/EEA students starting an English-taught master’s degree in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in September 2027. It cuts your tuition from the international rate (around €19,000 to €25,000 a year, depending on the programme) to €2,771, the same fee Dutch and EU students pay. It also covers the costs of your visa, residence permit, health insurance and liability insurance. It does not pay living costs. There are at most 26 awards across six faculties.
You apply through your master’s application in Radboud’s OSIRIS Application system. The Radboud Scholarship Programme deadline is 31 January 2027 at 23:59 CET for the first submission, and your complete file must be in by 14 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. Final decisions are expected before mid-April 2027.
Radboud Scholarship Programme 2027-2028 in brief
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Radboud University, Nijmegen (funded by its Profiling Fund) |
| Who can apply | Non-EU/EEA passport holders with a bachelor’s from outside the Netherlands |
| Study level | Full-time English-taught master’s starting 1 September 2027 |
| Tuition after the award | €2,771 a year (amount still to be confirmed by Radboud) |
| Also covered | Visa, residence permit, health and liability insurance (Aon Student Insurance) |
| Not covered | Living and study costs |
| Number of awards | Up to 26 |
| Deadline | 31 January 2027, 23:59 CET (complete file by 14 February 2027, 23:59 CET) |
| Results | Before mid-April 2027 |
| Combine with | NL Scholarship (€5,000) |
What the Radboud Scholarship is worth
Radboud gives its own example: a programme with a standard international fee of €19,000 drops to €2,771. For some science programmes the saving is bigger. The 2027-2028 non-EEA fee for the MSc Information Sciences, for example, is listed at €25,118 (Radboud notes it may still change), so the award would take more than €22,000 off that bill each year.
The €2,771 is the Dutch statutory fee for 2027-2028, the rate EU students pay, so in practice the scholarship puts you on the same tuition as a European classmate. Radboud marks the figure “to be confirmed” until the Dutch government sets it formally.
On top of the tuition cut, Radboud pays your visa and residence permit costs and your health and liability insurance through Aon Student Insurance for your stay. On a two-year master’s, the scholarship continues into year two only if you pass all your first-year courses.
Costs you still have to pay
- Tuition of €2,771 a year: the reduced fee is still yours to pay.
- Living costs: rent, food, transport and books. For a study residence permit the IND asks students to show €1,130.77 a month (the 2026 figure, updated every January), about €13,570 for 12 months.
- Application handling fee: Student Admissions may ask you to pay one after reviewing your file.
- Flights and housing deposits: not listed as covered.
You can combine the Radboud Scholarship with the NL Scholarship, a one-off €5,000 government-backed grant for the first year. Our guide to Netherlands government scholarships explains how that award works now that the Orange Knowledge Programme has ended.
How many Radboud Scholarships are there, and in which faculties?
| Faculty | Maximum awards for 2027-2028 |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Science | 9 |
| Faculty of Social Sciences | 7 |
| Nijmegen School of Management | 5 |
| Faculty of Arts | 2 |
| Faculty of Law | 2 |
| Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies | 1 |
| Total | 26 |
Some listings, including Scholars4Dev, still show 33 awards with a different faculty split. Radboud’s own page gives the figures above for 2027-2028. The split tells you where your odds are better: science and social science applicants compete for 16 places between them, while a philosophy or theology applicant is competing for one.
Radboud Scholarship Programme eligibility
All seven conditions apply:
- Passport: you hold a non-EU/non-EEA passport.
- Fee status: you do not qualify for the lower EU/EEA fee for any other reason, such as a Dutch residence permit.
- Bachelor’s from abroad: you have, or will get, a bachelor’s degree from outside the Netherlands, with no Dutch degree or earlier Dutch education. An exchange semester in the Netherlands is fine if it was part of your non-Dutch bachelor’s.
- English: you meet the English requirement of your chosen programme.
- Full admission: your formal admission letter shows you are fully admitted to an English-taught master’s starting 1 September 2027.
- Visa: you can meet the conditions for a Dutch visa.
- Enrolment: you will study full-time at Radboud in the year and programme the award covers.
Excluded programmes and edge cases
- Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes and joint-degree master’s programmes are excluded.
- Dutch-taught programmes are outside the scheme; it covers English-taught master’s only.
- A pre-master’s or a Dutch bachelor’s rules you out, because the bachelor’s must come from outside the Netherlands.
- Final-year students can apply before graduating, since the rule says “have or will obtain” a bachelor’s degree. Your formal admission letter must still show full admission to the programme.
- Radboud publishes no age limit and no minimum grade. Selection is competitive on grades, so a weak transcript is a real handicap even without a fixed cut-off.
English test rules vary by programme. If you studied in English, check whether your programme exempts you; our guide to scholarships in the Netherlands without IELTS covers how Dutch universities handle exemptions. Radboud recommends submitting your proof of English before 14 February 2027.
Radboud Scholarship Programme deadline and timeline
| Stage | Date (CET) | GMT |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline (first submission in OSIRIS) | 31 January 2027, 23:59 | 22:59 |
| Fix missing documents and pay the handling fee if asked | As soon as possible after Student Admissions writes to you | |
| Complete application | 14 February 2027, 23:59 | 22:59 |
| Final decisions | Before mid-April 2027 (may change) | |
| Programme starts | 1 September 2027 |
Two dates, both binding
31 January is when your application must first reach OSIRIS. 14 February is the last day for a complete file. Radboud does not consider incomplete applications, so do not treat the two weeks in between as extra writing time.
How to apply for the Radboud Scholarship
There is no separate scholarship portal. The scholarship rides on your master’s application.
- Choose an eligible programme: an English-taught Radboud master’s that is not Erasmus Mundus or a joint degree.
- Start your application in OSIRIS: Radboud’s online application system for master’s programmes.
- Tick the scholarship option: indicate that you want to be considered for a Radboud Scholarship.
- Upload the admission documents: including your motivation letter, transcripts and English proof as your programme requires.
- Upload three extra documents: two reference letters and a CV. Documents you already uploaded for admission can be reused.
- Submit by 31 January 2027, 23:59 CET: then watch your email for any request from Student Admissions.
- Complete the file by 14 February 2027, 23:59 CET: pay the handling fee if asked and replace any illegible or missing document.
Admission and scholarship selection are separate. Being admitted does not mean you will be selected for the scholarship. Questions go to scholarships@ru.nl, though Radboud says not to send applications there. The university also runs scholarship Q&A sessions, listed on its events page.
How Radboud selects scholars
Each faculty has a selection committee that assesses applicants one by one and may add its own criteria, such as an interview. Radboud lists three groups of criteria:
| Criterion | What the committee looks at |
|---|---|
| Academic excellence | Grades, test scores, publications, how relevant your bachelor’s is, and the ranking of your previous university |
| Ambition | Quality and relevance of your motivation letter, past achievements and work, life experience, internships, volunteering |
| References | Quality of your two letters, preferably from academics |
Writing a motivation letter that fits these criteria
Your motivation letter is scored under “ambition”, so write it to that brief. I would use four short sections: the question or problem that drew you to the field, why this specific Radboud programme (name courses, a track or a research group), what you have already done that proves you can handle it, and what you plan to do with the degree. Keep it to one page unless your programme sets a different length.
A direct opening could be: “During my internship at a district hospital, I watched nurses re-enter the same patient data into three systems every shift. Radboud’s MSc in Information Sciences, with its focus on how people use information systems, is where I want to learn to design something better.” Use your own story; the point is to start with something real.
Getting strong reference letters
Radboud prefers academic referees and gives guidelines for the letters on its scholarship page. Ask a supervisor or lecturer who taught you in a small class or supervised your project, give them at least three weeks, and send them your CV and a short note on the programme. A letter that describes something you did is worth more than one that lists adjectives. Our recommendation letter guide has samples you can share with referees.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to tick the scholarship option in OSIRIS, which leaves you out of the selection.
- Uploading one reference letter instead of two.
- Choosing an Erasmus Mundus or joint-degree programme.
- Waiting until 14 February to sit an English test, then missing the complete-file date.
- Assuming the award is fully funded and having no plan for living costs, which also matters for your visa.
After you apply
Student Admissions checks your file first and may ask for corrections. Faculty committees then assess scholarship candidates, possibly with interviews. Radboud’s Student Life and International Mobility department expects to send final decisions before mid-April 2027. If you are selected, plan your living-cost funding straight away; the Dutch visa process needs proof that you can support yourself.
Radboud Scholarship vs other Dutch master’s awards
| Scholarship | What you get | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Radboud Scholarship Programme | Tuition cut to €2,771, visa and insurance | 31 January 2027 |
| VU Amsterdam Fellowship Programme | Tuition fee waiver | 1 February 2027 |
| Maastricht NL-High Potential | Tuition, living allowance, insurance and visa | 1 February 2027 |
| University of Twente Scholarship | €3,000 to €22,000 a year | 1 April 2027 |
Radboud’s deadline comes first, so prepare its documents by mid-January and reuse your CV and references for the February applications.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you have strong grades from a well-regarded university, two academics who know your work, and enough money (savings, family support or another grant) to live in Nijmegen for the length of the programme. Science, social science and management applicants have the most places.
Skip it, or treat it as a long shot, if you need a living allowance to travel at all, if your degree is from a Dutch institution, or if your preferred course is an Erasmus Mundus programme. Maastricht’s NL-High Potential award is the one to aim for if you need living costs covered too.
FAQ about the Radboud Scholarship Programme
Is the Radboud Scholarship fully funded?
No. It reduces tuition to €2,771 a year and covers visa, residence permit and insurance costs, but you pay that reduced fee and all living costs.
What is the Radboud Scholarship deadline for 2027?
The deadline is 31 January 2027 at 23:59 CET for your first submission in OSIRIS. Your complete application must be in by 14 February 2027 at 23:59 CET.
How many students get the Radboud Scholarship?
Up to 26 for 2027-2028, spread over six faculties, with the most places in Science (9) and Social Sciences (7).
Do I need a separate application for the Radboud Scholarship?
No. You tick the scholarship option in your OSIRIS master’s application and add two reference letters and a CV.
Sources and updates
Award value, coverage, places per faculty, eligibility, documents, selection criteria and dates come from the Radboud Scholarship Programme page. The €25,118 fee example comes from Radboud’s MSc Information Sciences tuition page for 2027-2028, the statutory fee of €2,771 from VU Amsterdam’s master’s fee page, and the living cost figure from the IND required amounts page. Scholars4Dev’s figure of 33 awards and its “CEST” deadline time were replaced with Radboud’s own figures. Information checked on 25 October 2026. I will update this post when Radboud confirms the 2027-2028 fee.
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.
