Radboud University - NL Scholarship at Radboud University (formerly Holland Scholarship)

NL Scholarship at Radboud University (formerly Holland Scholarship)

You get a one-off payment of 5,000 EUR, paid in your first year of study. This is a partial scholarship: it helps with your costs but does not cover your full tuition fees. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Dutch universities finance it. At Radboud University in Nijmegen, the NL Scholarship is always tied to the Radboud Scholarship Programme (RSP), a separate Radboud grant. You apply for both at once. You can get the RSP on its own, but you cannot get the NL Scholarship without the RSP. For the 2026-2027 cycle, Radboud planned 12 NL Scholarships.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You hold a passport from a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), and you do not qualify for the lower EU/EEA tuition rate for any other reason.
• Degree level: You are applying for a full-time, English-taught master's programme at Radboud, starting on 1 September.
• Field of study: Open across most faculties, including Law, Management, Arts, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Science, and Social Sciences.
• Previous study: You earned (or will earn) your bachelor's degree outside the Netherlands. You hold no Dutch degree and have not studied in the Netherlands before. An exchange that was part of your foreign bachelor's does not count.
• Admission: You have a full, formal admission offer for the master's programme.
• English: You meet the English language requirement of your chosen programme.
• Linked application: You also apply for the Radboud Scholarship Programme (RSP) for the same year.

How to apply

You apply through Radboud's OSIRIS application system as part of your master's application. You tick your interest in the NL Scholarship and the RSP, and you upload a CV and two reference letters. For the 2027-2028 cycle, apply by 31 January 2027 at 23:59 CET, with all documents in by 14 February 2027 at 23:59 CET. You hear the decision before mid-April. A faculty selection committee decides on your grades and your motivation. Admission to the programme does not guarantee the scholarship.

How realistic are your chances?

The target group is narrow: you need a non-EEA passport, no prior Dutch study, and full admission to an English-taught master's. Only around a dozen NL Scholarships go to Radboud each cycle. Selection rests on grades and a strong, relevant motivation letter, so a well-matched applicant with excellent results stands a real chance. Get your admission and documents in early, because the two deadlines are firm.