The Netherlands has no big government scholarship that pays everything for Indian students. Most funding comes from the universities themselves, plus one national award, the NL Scholarship, and EU-funded Erasmus Mundus programmes. Some well-known names have also changed or ended, so older lists online can mislead you. This guide covers only scholarships we could confirm on official university, Study in NL or EU pages at the time of writing, with what each one pays and how to apply.
- Study in NL currently lists the NL Scholarship of 5,000 euros with a list of participating institutions for the coming academic year
- Utrecht University says its Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is no longer offered for new students
- Nuffic closed its Neso India office, which used to run the Orange Tulip Scholarship for India.
Which Are the Main Scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian Students?
The main scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian students are the NL Scholarship of 5,000 euros, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships, and university awards such as TU Delft's Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship, the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship, the University of Twente Scholarship, Maastricht's NL-High Potential Scholarship and the UvA Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.
| Scholarship | Offered by | Level | What it pays (official page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL Scholarship | Dutch government with participating institutions | Bachelor's and master's | 5,000 euros in the first year |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters | European Union, through programme consortia | Master's | Participation costs plus travel, visa and living allowance |
| Justus and Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship | TU Delft | Two-year MSc | Full tuition plus a living-expenses contribution |
| Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS) | Leiden University | Master's | 10,000 to 19,000 euros off tuition |
| University of Twente Scholarship (UTS) | University of Twente | Master's | 3,000 to 22,000 euros for one year |
| NL-High Potential Scholarship | Maastricht University | Master's | Tuition fee waiver and monthly stipend |
| Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS) | University of Amsterdam faculties | Master's | Set by faculty each year |
Each award has its own deadline, and most need you to apply for admission first. Treat the table as a shortlist, then read the rules on each official page before you apply.
What Is the NL Scholarship and Is It Still Running?
Yes. Study in NL currently lists participating institutions for the coming academic year. The NL Scholarship, formerly the Holland Scholarship, pays 5,000 euros in your first year of a full-time bachelor's or master's. It is for non-EEA students who do not already hold a Dutch degree. It is not a full-tuition scholarship.
You apply to the participating institution, not to Study in NL, and each institution sets its own deadline and eligible programmes. The list changes every year. Research universities currently listed include Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University, Radboud University, the University of Groningen, the University of Twente, Utrecht University, VU Amsterdam and Wageningen University and Research, plus several universities of applied sciences.
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Most Dutch funding for Indian students comes from universities. Leiden offers LExS tuition reductions, TU Delft offers the van Effen Excellence Scholarship, Twente offers UTS awards, Maastricht offers NL-High Potential scholarships and UvA faculties offer the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship. All are merit based, and most target the top 5 to 10 percent of graduates.
- Leiden LExS: five levels from 10,000 to 19,000 euros off tuition for the whole programme, for non-EEA master's applicants; deadline 1 December; about 25 awards a year for over a thousand applicants
- TU Delft van Effen: full first-year tuition plus a living contribution, extended to year two with at least 48 of 60 credits; at least 16 awards, two per faculty; deadline 1 December
- Twente UTS: 3,000 to 22,000 euros for one year, renewable in year two with good grades; for the best 5 to 10 percent of your class; deadline 1 April
- Maastricht NL-High Potential: 18 full scholarships a year covering tuition, visa costs, insurance and a living stipend of 20,150 euros for a one-year master's; for applicants aged 35 or under with a GPA of at least 7.5 out of 10; deadline 1 February, with the programme application due by 10 December
- UvA Amsterdam Merit Scholarship: for non-EU/EEA master's students in selected programmes; the Law School awards it by lottery among eligible applicants with a 15 January deadline and announces the amount each year
Deadlines above are those on the official pages for the current cycle; check the page again before you apply, because universities can change them. Many awards are linked to your admission application, so you need to apply for the programme well before the scholarship deadline.
Is the Orange Tulip Scholarship Still Available for Indian Students?
We could not find a current official Orange Tulip Scholarship call for India. The scheme was run by Nuffic Neso India, and Nuffic's phase-out schedule lists the Neso India office for closure by the end of 2023. Its old website now redirects to Study in NL. Some universities may still offer similar awards, so check each one.
Many Indian guides still list the Orange Tulip Scholarship with old deadlines and amounts. Do not plan your funding around it unless a Dutch university's own page shows a current call with dates. Ask the university's admissions or scholarship office directly if you are unsure.
Is the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship Still Offered?
No, not for new students. Utrecht University says the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship is being phased out because of significant budget cuts and is no longer offered for programmes starting in the new academic year. Students who already hold the award keep it as agreed. Utrecht still takes part in the NL Scholarship.
Older articles also name the Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship. The University of Amsterdam's current faculty pages list the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship instead, and we could not find a current official page for the older award, so check UvA's scholarship pages for your programme.
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Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters are EU-funded programmes run by groups of universities in several countries, often including a Dutch university. The EU says scholarships cover participation costs and contribute to travel, visa costs and a living allowance, with full scholarships going to the best-ranked students worldwide. You apply directly to the programme consortium.
Search the Erasmus Mundus catalogue on the EU website for programmes with a Dutch partner. Each programme sets its own entry rules and deadline, and you usually apply for admission and the scholarship together. You need a bachelor's degree, or must be in your final year, before you apply.
Who Is Eligible and Which Documents Do You Need?
Most Dutch scholarships ask for a non-EEA passport, admission or an application to an eligible programme, excellent grades in a relevant degree, often the top 10 percent, and English test scores. You usually need a motivation letter, a CV, transcripts and one or two reference letters, submitted with or before your admission application.
- Passport and degree transcripts
- IELTS, TOEFL or other English test result, unless exempt
- Motivation letter; Leiden caps it at 500 words
- CV and, where asked, reference letters; TU Delft asks for one
- Scholarship application form where the university uses one
Read each list carefully. TU Delft says all documents must be uploaded with the master's application, and nothing can be added afterwards. Leiden says late applications are not considered.
How Can You Improve Your Chances of Winning a Dutch Scholarship?
Apply early, usually by December for the next September, and pick programmes that match your degree. Write a specific motivation letter that links your past study, the programme and your career plan. Apply for more than one award where rules allow, but check limits, because TU Delft bars other funding and Maastricht accepts one scholarship application only.
Competition is intense: Leiden alone receives over a thousand applications for about 25 LExS awards. Strong grades matter most, but a clear story about why this programme and why the Netherlands also helps. Keep a spreadsheet of deadlines, because they range from 1 December to 1 April.
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Rarely. The NL Scholarship and most university awards cover only part of tuition, and Leiden states plainly that LExS does not cover the full cost of study. Even with a scholarship, the IND still asks you to prove living funds, currently 1,130.77 euros a month for university students, unless your award covers that.
Plan your funding as a mix of scholarship, savings, family support and, if needed, an education loan. The Embassy of India in The Hague also advises Indian students to carry sufficient funds along with proof of tuition and accommodation payments.