het Cultuurfonds – HBO/WO beurzen

What you get

You get up to 50% of your total budget, capped at 25,000 EUR, to study or research abroad for at least one academic year. The grant covers your rent, living costs, tuition (collegegeld) and one return trip. The exact amount depends on your real costs and how long you stay. The money comes from het Cultuurfonds, a Dutch cultural foundation. It awards these grants once a year in four fields: visual arts, music, theatre/dance/film, and science/PhD. The grant does not cover study materials, conference or competition fees, internships, online programmes, or (for science) MBA/MPA courses.

Who can apply

• Where you go: You apply for a study or research programme abroad, and you will live in that country during your stay.
• Degree: You have finished, or are about to finish, a Dutch hbo bachelor or wo master (or a recognised equivalent foreign diploma). For music you finished a Dutch conservatory in the last 3 years; for visual arts, an art academy.
• Field of study: Open to all fields, from fine art, photography, design, architecture, fashion and music to sciences like maths, archaeology or medicine, and PhD research abroad. Film applications are deprioritised when there are too many.
• What it leads to: A master's degree abroad, a full PhD abroad, or a research stay abroad of at least 3 months as part of a Dutch PhD.
• Nationality or residence: You have Dutch nationality, or you have lived in the Netherlands for at least 5 years.
• Timing: Your programme still runs for at least one academic year from July onwards. You may have already started, but the grant does not cover time already past.
• First time: You have never received a Cultuurfonds grant before.
• Grades (science master only): You are expected to have an average mark of 8, though exceptions are possible.

How to apply

You apply through the foundation's online portal between 1 February and 1 April, with the final deadline at 23:59 on 1 April. Only complete applications are reviewed, but you may send diplomas and admission proof later. A field-specific advisory committee decides based on your written application in late May or June. Everyone hears the result in writing about three weeks after that meeting. There is no interview.

How realistic are your chances?

The foundation states it receives more applications than its budget allows, so not everyone who qualifies gets a grant. The requirements are fairly specific: a Dutch degree background, a concrete plan to study abroad for a full year, and, for a science master, strong marks. A well-matched application with a clear budget and motivation, submitted well before the 1 April deadline, has solid prospects.