The NL Scholarship is the Dutch government's (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science) co-funded scholarship for non-EEA students starting an international Master's at Utrecht University. It awards a one-off €5,000–€15,000 grant in the first year — a meaningful contribution, not a full ride. It is a separate application inside your OSIRIS admissions account after you apply for an eligible Master's programme.
Why it is notable: This is a DIFFERENT programme from the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship (UES), which UU discontinued from the 2026–27 academic year due to budget cuts — stale aggregators still advertise UES. The NL Scholarship is live, open, and has a fixed recurring deadline of 1 February 23:59 CET each year.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
One-off cash grant of €5,000, €10,000 or €15,000 (amount decided by UU at award), paid during the first year of studies — may be applied toward tuition fees and living expenses
Financed jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Utrecht University
NOTE (honest math): this is a partial contribution. Recipients must demonstrate — via the Statement of Financial Resources — that they can cover all remaining tuition + living costs for the full nominal programme duration.
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Graduationfor Masters
This scholarship is offered for international Master's programmes at Utrecht University that specifically list the NL Scholarship.
Who can apply
All non-EEA nationalities (EEA = EU countries + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway). You must NOT hold an EU/EEA passport, must NOT be eligible for support under the Dutch study grant and loan system, must NOT be eligible for statutory tuition fees, and must NEVER have been enrolled at an educational institution in the Netherlands (prior exchange participation does NOT disqualify you).
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
Course-dependent — English requirements are set by the chosen Master's programme's admission rules (typically IELTS/TOEFL; exact scores vary by programme)
Other Certificates
Bachelor's degree certificate + transcripts, as required for Master's admission to the chosen programme
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Tools that may help
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Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
Eligible = all non-EEA nationalities. Excluded = EU/EEA passport holders and anyone eligible for Dutch student finance or statutory tuition fees…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Nationality
non-EEA nationality; no EU/EEA passport; not eligible for Dutch study grant/loan system or statutory tuition fees.
02
Programme admission
applied for (and meeting admission requirements of) an international Master's at UU that lists the NL Scholarship; never previously enrolled at a Dutch institution (exchange participation is fine).
03
Financial plan
complete the Statement of Financial Resources — a realistic plan covering the full nominal duration of the Master's, since the grant is partial (personal savings or other funding sources may be included).
04
Motivation answers
explain the relevance of your time in the Netherlands and at Utrecht University to your future goals.
05
Language
programme-dependent English certificate (IELTS/TOEFL per programme admission rules).
06
Documents
degree certificate, transcripts and all programme admission documents; the scholarship form is submitted inside OSIRIS, so the admission file underpins the scholarship assessment (academic background is a selection input).
Document checklist
01Statement of Financial Resources (official UU PDF — mandatory; shows how you will fund the full programme duration)
02Motivation answers (relevance of your time in the Netherlands and at UU to your future goals)
03All documents required for the Master's programme admission itself (degree certificate, transcripts, English test, etc.)
Application fee
No fee is stated for the NL Scholarship application form itself on official pages — confirm before publishing (the Maste
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: MVV (entry visa) + residence permit for study (VVR), arranged by Utrecht University on your behalf via the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
Application Procedure
9 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Submit an application for an NL Scholarship-eligible
international Master's programme at UU (Studielink + OSIRIS Online Application).
→
02
Log in to your OSIRIS Online Application
account.
→
03
Under your dashboard
locate "NL Scholarship".
↓
06
Answer all required questions (academic background
motivation, financial plan), complete the Statement of Financial Resources, and submit.
←
05
Locate the NL Scholarship application form.
←
04
Click "View/Edit" for the NL Scholarship linked
to your chosen programme.
↓
07
Statement of Financial Resources (official UU PDF —
mandatory; shows how you will fund the full programme duration)
→
08
Motivation answers (relevance of your time in
the Netherlands and at UU to your future goals)
→
09
All documents required for the Master's programme
admission itself (degree certificate, transcripts, English test, etc.)
Application milestones
1 Feb 2027
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Utrecht University platform.
Is the NL Scholarship a fully funded scholarship? A: No. It is a one-off €5,000–€15,000 grant paid in the first year. You must prove you can cover all remaining tuition and living costs for the full pIs this the same as the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship? A: No — the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship was discontinued from the 2026–27 academic year due to budget cuts. The NL Scholarship is a separate,Do all Utrecht Master's programmes offer it? A: No. Only programmes that mention the NL Scholarship under "Tuition fees and financial support" on their programme page participate.I did an exchange semester in the Netherlands — can I still apply? A: Yes. Exchange-only participation does not make you ineligible; full prior enrolment at a Dutch institution does.How and where do I apply? A: Apply for the Master's programme first, then find "NL Scholarship" in your OSIRIS Online Application dashboard, click View/Edit, complete the form and submit before 1 FebrWhen will I hear back? A: Selection starts only after the deadline; UU aims to publish results by mid-April.Can I fix my application after submitting close to the deadline? A: No — applications submitted between 27 January and 1 February with incomplete or incorrect information cannot be updated or supplemeIs there an age limit? A: No age limit is stated on the official pages.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Netherlands · Utrecht University