The NL Scholarship — known until recently as the Holland Scholarship — is a partial award for non-EU/EEA students starting a bachelor’s or master’s degree at a Dutch university. Both Nigerian and Indian nationals qualify, since eligibility is based on non-EEA nationality rather than a country list.
What it covers and when to apply
Recipients get €5,000 during their first year of study. This is explicitly not a full-tuition scholarship — it’s a contribution toward tuition and living costs, so budget for the remainder separately. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year opened November 1, 2025 through each participating institution, with individual universities setting their own closing dates (commonly falling between January and mid-February). That window has passed; based on this pattern, the 2027-2028 cycle should open around November 1, 2026 — just weeks from now.
Who is eligible?
- Hold a non-EU/non-EEA passport
- Be admitted to a full-time bachelor’s or master’s programme at one of the participating institutions (11 research universities and 24 universities of applied sciences for 2026-2027)
- Have no prior degree obtained in the Netherlands
- Meet the specific institution’s own additional requirements — these vary by university
How to apply
- Get admitted to your chosen Dutch bachelor’s or master’s programme first — the NL Scholarship application is submitted alongside or after your programme application, not separately.
- Check your specific university’s international office page for its NL Scholarship deadline and any required scholarship-specific form or motivation statement, since the process differs by institution.
- Submit before your university’s closing date. Most institutions notify recipients in the spring ahead of the autumn intake.
Choose your university before the scholarship: because the process runs through the institution, not a central portal, your choice of Dutch university determines your exact deadline and required documents.
Status checked 24 September 2026. Confirm your target university’s 2027-2028 deadline once applications reopen.