The Netherlands, a popular country in Western Europe, is an excellent place to pursue higher education. It has many well-regarded schools and universities, provides high-quality education, and attracts international students from around the world. Besides its academic institutions and quality of education, the country itself is a magnet due to its laid-back culture and high standard of living.
Its vibrant capital city, Amsterdam, is a popular place to experience Dutch culture. Cycling, taking a boat ride, and sightseeing in Dutch museums and architecture can be very enjoyable for students. Exploring its food culture, including cheese and local snacks, also makes the top of the to-do list while in the country. Lastly, the Dutch countryside offers a tranquil trip through its stunning landscapes, with windmills and tulips as the distinguishing sights.
With the right funding plan, international students can reduce the cost of studying in the Netherlands significantly, and some students can study with most or all of their tuition and living costs covered. However, the Netherlands is not automatically tuition-free for most foreign students. Students normally pay either statutory or institutional tuition fees, and non-EU/EEA students often pay institutional fees unless they qualify for an exception or receive scholarships, tuition waivers, or funded PhD employment.
The Netherlands has a strong network of scholarships that can reduce your total study cost when you combine tuition waivers, stipends, and smart budgeting. Programs like the NL Scholarship, university schemes such as the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, and fully funded offers like the NL High Potential Scholarship can help international students cover tuition and, in some cases, living costs. Real students like Duong Nguyen, Melina Coelho Garcia, João Pedro Rocha Oliveira, Alisha, and Afsana Mimi used Dutch and university scholarships to study in the Netherlands with reduced or fully covered tuition.
In this article, we list some tips you can explore if you’re planning to study in the Netherlands for free or at a very low cost. If you’ve decided to study in this country, make sure to start your preparation as early as possible. We hope that these tips will help you with your studies!
How to Study in the Netherlands for Free with Scholarships: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Learn How Funding in the Netherlands Actually Works
Before you choose a program, understand how Dutch scholarships are structured. Many awards either waive tuition fully or partially, while others add lump-sum support for living expenses. For example, at University of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship is awarded through specific faculties and programs, and the amount and conditions can vary by year. In her scholarship story, Melina Coelho Garcia reported combining an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship with an additional law school award to help cover her Master’s in International Trade and Investment Law. Meanwhile, the government-backed NL Scholarship is a €5,000 first-year contribution for eligible non-EEA students at participating institutions. When you read Dutch scholarship pages, always check whether they cover tuition only, tuition plus insurance and visa costs, or full tuition plus a monthly stipend. This will tell you exactly how close to “free” you can get and whether you still need savings or part-time work.
Step 2: Target Dutch Government and University Scholarships Strategically
Once you know the basic funding structure, build a shortlist of scholarships that match your degree level and profile. Start with national programs like the NL Scholarship, which is open to eligible non-EEA students applying for full-time bachelor’s and master’s degrees at participating Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. Then look at university-level offers. For partial funding that can still get you close to free tuition, the Radboud University scholarship offerings are key: the Radboud Scholarship typically reduces your tuition to the statutory tuition level and covers visa, residence permit, health insurance, and liability insurance costs, although it does not cover living costs. At Radboud, the NL Scholarship is awarded only in combination with the Radboud Scholarship for selected students, so this combination can reduce the tuition bill further for eligible applicants.
Step 3: Build the Academic and Language Profile Dutch Selectors Expect
Full or near-full funding in the Netherlands is very merit-based, so you need to look like the kind of student Dutch universities spotlight on their scholarship pages. Strong grades are almost non-negotiable. Melina Coelho Garcia finished her law degree in Brazil with a 9.7/10 GPA and a leadership role in a research group before winning the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship at the University of Amsterdam. João Pedro brought strong tax-law research and work experience when applying for scholarship funding at Tilburg University, and Afsana Mimi spent years strengthening her research profile in sociology before winning funded master’s opportunities in the Netherlands. Competitive Dutch scholarships also expect clear academic direction and research or project experience. Duong Nguyen combined a strong high school record with a clear interest in economics and data science, which fit her program at Utrecht University. On the language side, many Dutch universities require proof of English proficiency, and competitive recipients often exceed minimum scores. Duong, for example, submitted an IELTS score of 7.5. If your GPA or English scores are still average, use the time before the deadline to raise them; retaking IELTS/TOEFL or improving semester grades can make a real difference.
Step 4: Use Dutch Work and Visa Rules to Close Remaining Gaps
Even with strong scholarships, you may still need to cover some living expenses, and the Netherlands gives you several country-specific tools for that. Non-EU students with a study residence permit can usually work as employees only if their employer obtains a work permit. They may choose either to work up to 16 hours per week during the academic year or to work full-time in June, July, and August. Some scholarship students use part-time campus jobs, tutoring, or hospitality work to cover rent or groceries. Universities may also offer emergency or supplemental support in specific cases. In Duong’s case, when her part-time job vanished during COVID, Utrecht University gave her an extra €300 in short-term aid on top of her Utrecht Excellence Scholarship so she could continue paying rent. After graduation, the Dutch “orientation year” permit allows eligible non-EEA graduates to stay in the Netherlands for up to 12 months and work without a separate work permit. Several Radboud, UvA, and Tilburg scholarship recipients have gone on to work in the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe, showing that a funded Dutch degree can be both a way to reduce study costs and a launchpad for post-study career opportunities.
If you follow the same path as scholarship recipients like Duong, Melina, João Pedro, Alisha, and Afsana—researching Dutch scholarships early, choosing scholarship-rich universities, building an excellent academic profile, and using Dutch work and visa rules wisely—you can realistically study in the Netherlands with most or even all of your tuition costs covered, and in some cases with living costs supported as well.
Tuition-free Options for Bachelor’s Studies in the Netherlands
When it comes to affordable higher education, the Netherlands has many options. International students can reduce the cost of their undergraduate studies in the Netherlands by getting scholarships. A scholarship provider worth considering is the NL Scholarship. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, along with Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences, finances this scholarship. The award is a €5,000 contribution in the first year of study, so it can help with costs but should not be treated as a full-tuition scholarship by itself.
The HAN University of Applied Sciences scholarships target international students from countries outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), with some nationality and program restrictions. These scholarships include the HAN NL Scholarship, formerly called the HAN Holland Scholarship, and an Honors Scholarship for selected students who did not receive the HAN NL Scholarship. For bachelor’s students, the HAN NL Scholarship can provide up to €12,500 over several years if renewal conditions are met, while the Honors Scholarship can provide up to €7,500.
Meanwhile, the University of Amsterdam also offers the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship for selected undergraduate and graduate programs for excellent students from outside the EU/EEA. For bachelor’s students, availability depends on the faculty and program, and accepted students need to maintain satisfactory study progress for the scholarship to continue in subsequent years. These are some scholarships that can help undergraduate students study in the Netherlands with little or no out-of-pocket tuition.
Here are some of the students who were able to study a bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands for free!
- Duong Nguyen from Vietnam earned the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship at Utrecht University, a fully funded award covering full tuition and living expenses to study a Bachelor’s in Economics and Business Economics with a minor in Applied Data Science using R.
Here is what Bachelor’s Scholarship Recipients in the Netherlands Say:
“The scholarship fully covered the tuition fee and also living expenses.”
Duong Nguyen
“demonstrating your personality and traits is as important as having good grades.”
Duong Nguyen
Tuition-free Options for Master’s Studies in the Netherlands
The Netherlands also caters to prospective graduate students looking to lessen tuition costs through scholarships and subsidies. The Radboud University Scholarship Program attracts highly motivated and talented students from outside the EEA to complete an English-taught Master’s degree program at Radboud University. It is a partial scholarship that reduces the tuition fee to the statutory tuition level and covers visa, residence permit, health insurance, and liability insurance costs. It does not cover living and study costs, so students should still budget for housing, food, books, and personal expenses.
Meanwhile, the Eric Bleumink Fellowship at the University of Groningen supports students from selected countries who have outstanding academic performance. Besides tuition costs, it covers international travel, books, subsistence, and health insurance for eligible one-year or two-year master’s programs that start in September. Students cannot apply directly for this fellowship; the university nominates eligible candidates during the admissions process.
The Justus and Louise Van Effen Scholarship at the Delft University of Technology includes full tuition fees for the MSc program, as well as a contribution toward living expenses. In addition, the scholarship provides students with membership in scholarship clubs, giving access to personal development seminars, workshops, and activities. Looking through these options, studying a master’s in the Netherlands for free is certainly not an impossible dream, but students should always confirm the latest coverage and eligibility on the official scholarship page.
Here are some of the students who were able to study a master’s degree in the Netherlands for free!
Here is what Master’s Scholarship Recipients in the Netherlands Say:
“which provided full coverage of my tuition fees for the two-year duration of my Master’s in Sustainable Energy Technology.”
Aaradhya
“My advice to anyone applying to programs in the Netherlands is to start early and do your research thoroughly.”
Kathryn
“Applying for a scholarship and writing a motivation letter is mainly about knowing yourself and knowing how to tell your own story.”
Melina Coelho Garcia
Tuition-free Options for Ph.D. Studies in the Netherlands
Ph.D. students in the Netherlands are often employed as researchers at the university where they also study. In that case, they are usually paid through an employment contract rather than charged regular tuition like bachelor’s or master’s students. However, not every PhD candidate has the same funding model. Some candidates are funded by grants or external sponsors, and some institutions may charge fees to candidates who are not employed by the university. Fortunately, students have access to financing options, salaried PhD positions, and scholarships. At Erasmus University Rotterdam, if PhD candidates are appointed by the university, their finances are usually already taken care of.
However, if students need additional funding for their research, they can send grant proposals through the university to other funding categories, such as the government, industrial organizations, or private companies.
Ph.D. candidates at the University of Amsterdam may also be employed as doctoral researchers and, in that case, may not need to worry about regular tuition costs. Like the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the university assists some students in finding additional funding for fieldwork abroad. The university also offers certain grants for doctoral graduates to pursue their academic careers. For international students in the Netherlands, getting accepted for a funded or salaried PhD program can mean studying with tuition covered while receiving financial support, but students should always check the exact employment status, scholarship terms, and any possible fees before accepting an offer.
Here are some of the students who were able to study a PhD degree in the Netherlands for free!
- Hilal from Turkey earned the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Industrial PhD Fellowship for a joint doctoral program between the University of Bonn and Amsterdam UMC, providing a funded package with living and mobility allowances plus research, training, and networking support to complete a PhD in Experimental Medicine that included research time in the Netherlands.
- May Myat Thwe from Myanmar is pursuing a funded PhD in Electrical Engineering, focusing on cybersecurity for power systems, at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), with PhD-related coursework, project activities, and conference participation supported through her funding package in the Netherlands.
- Moses Ebere from Nigeria is doing a funded PhD in Cognitive Robotics at Delft University of Technology, supported through the Dutch “PhD as employee” model so he does not pay regular tuition while conducting his doctoral research in the Netherlands.
- Usman Awan from Pakistan earned the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) scholarship at Leiden University, providing a funded PhD package with doctoral support, mobility funding, and research and training support to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Sciences focused on liver-on-a-chip research in the Netherlands.
Here is what PhD Scholarship Recipients in the Netherlands Say:
“My Ph.D. is fully funded (this is common in the Netherlands as PhD are seen as employees on project contracts).”
Moses Ebere
“I studied intensively, reached out to potential supervisors, and carefully prepared my application materials to reflect my research interests and achievements.”
May Myat Thwe
FAQs: Studying in the Netherlands as an International Student
Can International Students Study in the Netherlands for Free?
International students can study in the Netherlands for free only when scholarships, tuition waivers, funded PhD employment, or other aid fully cover their costs. The Netherlands does not automatically offer free tuition to most foreign students. Students normally pay either statutory or institutional tuition fees, and many non-EU/EEA students pay institutional fees unless they qualify for an exception. Scholarships can reduce or cover tuition, and some awards also support living costs.
In addition to tuition, remember to budget for accommodation, food, travel, insurance, visa or residence permit costs, books, and other expenses. Look for scholarships that match your nationality, degree level, university, and program, and always confirm the latest amount and eligibility on the official scholarship page.
Although the Netherlands is not automatically tuition-free for most non-EU/EEA students, staying and studying in the country can become much more affordable with the right funding strategy. Numerous universities in the country offer lower tuition costs compared to some other study destinations in Europe. With careful research, prospective students can also apply for scholarships, tuition waivers, subsidies, and financial aid to help pay for their education.
We hope this article on how to study in the Netherlands for free was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Study in the Netherlands and Available Programs for International Students pages for more information.
