full ride scholarships in netherlands

6 Full-Ride Scholarships in Netherlands for International Students (2021)

Scholarships in Netherlands

Famous for its legendary canals and ancient stories, the country of Netherlands is packed full of excitement and adventure. This small country is well-known for its beautiful tulips, clacking wooden shoes, and straight roads that are used for frequent cycling around the countryside.

Being a popular destination for many tourists, the Netherlands might be a good place to go to as an international student. Also known as Holland by its native people, this country is well-renowned for its many full-ride scholarships in Netherlands for international students.


Do Universities in Netherlands Practice Free Tuition?

The answer is no. Even though universities in the Netherlands are free to Dutch citizens, they still charge tuition fees for any incoming international students. Make sure to choose one of the institutions with a relatively low tuition fee if you still want to study in Holland.


How Many Universities in Holland Award Full-Ride Scholarships to International Students?

Nearly 5 universities in Holland offer full-ride scholarships to international students, and they are the Delft University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, Institute for Water Education, Radboud University, and Maastricht University.

In addition to academic institutions, there is one organization that is offering a full-ride scholarship to international applicants, which is the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Government of Netherlands is also offering to fund aspiring students from foreign soil.


Full-Ride Scholarships in Netherlands for International Applicants

Without further ado, let’s jump straight into our list that contains 6 full-ride scholarships in Netherlands for international students. Please remember that another name for the Netherlands is Holland, so if I do refer to the latter one, I’m still talking about the same thing.


1. Justus & Louise Van Effen Excellence Scholarship

The Delft University of Technology is also known as TU Delft for short, and this institution is offering this full-ride scholarship program to international students who meet the highest standards. As you can see above, you need to apply for a Master’s Program in TU Delft in order to be considered.

To be eligible for this scholarship, each scholarship recipient must meet the admissions criteria set by the TU Delft’s Master’s Admissions. If you meet the academic requirement and the admissions requirement, you will get the chance of receiving this full-ride scholarship for yourself.

  • 2 ~ 3 Awards Per Faculty (Department)

Since it has a limited amount of awards per faculty, you need to probably aim for the department with the lowest amount of international students. Make sure that you choose your field of study, and make your application count with your share of experience.

The financial side of this scholarship is pretty stable since this award will cover the entire cost of tuition fees. However, the monthly stipend might fall short since it states that the award will offer a “contribution towards living expenses.”


2. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship

  • Source – University of Amsterdam
  • Educational Level – Master’s Programs
  • Scholarship Benefits – Free Tuition, Living Expenses

This scholarship program is open to all international students, and by their definition, international students are citizens from non-EU/EEA countries. There is an academic restriction attached to this scholarship since eligible applicants must apply for Communication Science.

The application procedure is pretty simple, and the first step should be applying for a Master’s Program in Communication Science. If you are selected as one of the potential scholarship recipients, you will receive a mail that contains various instructions for scholarship submissions.

  • Only Two Students Will Be Selected for Final Round

Due to its high competition, academic performance will be taken into serious consideration, and if you can’t prove your academic rank, you will be disqualified from taking part in this scholarship program. Make sure to turn in your academic transcripts before the application deadline.

Last but not least, this scholarship will cover your tuition fees and your living expenses, which means that you don’t really have to worry too much about your bills. However, you need to pay for your own airplane tickets to and from your native country.


3. Rotary Scholarships for Water and Sanitation Professionals

  • Source – Institute for Water Education
  • Educational Level – Master’s Program
  • Scholarship Benefits – Tuition, Insurance, Monthly Stipend, More

Offered by IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, this scholarship program was established to train professionals in the area of water and sanitation. The application requirements and procedure can be very easy if you take a look at the steps in the link above.

There is an academic restriction that is attached to this scholarship since the eligible academic programs are Water Management and Governance, Urban Water and Sanitation, and Water Science & Engineering. You need to be applying for one of the Master’s Program in order to be eligible.

  • Most Prestigious Scholarship Among Our Awards

After applying for admissions, you need to search out the nearest Rotary club around you, and you need to ask them if they are willing to nominate you for a Rotary Scholarship. If they are willing and able, you should be able to complete the scholarship application with their help.

In addition to the tuition coverage, this scholarship award will cover the insurance cost and your living expenses. Last but not least, this fund will also pay for your traveling expenses, which means that your airplane ticket to and from your country is covered through this scholarship.


4. Radboud Scholarship Program

  • Source – Radboud University
  • Educational Level – Master’s Program
  • Scholarship Benefits – Tuition Coverage / Living Expenses

Offered specifically for international applicants, this scholarship program has been geared to attract talented internationals into Radboud University. The master’s program offered by Radboud University is completely taught in English, so don’t worry too much about learning a different language.

This scholarship program is split into partial and full scholarships, so make sure to get the fully funded one since you want the full-ride benefits. Before you start the application process, make sure that you meet the eligibility requirements, and also check the application deadlines.

  • 12 Full-Ride Scholarships and 25 Partial Scholarships

The application procedure for Radboud Scholarship Program splits into two different phases, and you can start by starting your admissions application. During the admissions application, you can choose to be considered for Radboud Scholarship Program, and if so, you will be shown to the next step.

If you have selected yes for this full-ride scholarship program, you will be asked to submit a separate scholarship application. After completing your submission, the scholarship committee will let you know whether or not you have been accepted, and whether or not it is full-ride or partial.


5. Maastricht University Scholarship

  • Source – Maastricht University
  • Educational Level – Master’s Program
  • Scholarship Benefits – Tuition Waiver, Monthly Stipend

Aimed at international students who want to complete their Master’s degree in Holland, the Maastrict University Holland – High Potential Scholarship is awarded to talented applicants who show great potential in future growth and maturity.

Being our fifth one among our full-ride scholarships in Netherlands for international students, this award program doesn’t have any academic restrictions, and prospective applicants can apply to any Master’s program that is available to study at Maastricht University.

  • Check the Application Deadline (Opening / Closing Dates)

The application procedure for this scholarship is pretty similar to our previous award since it is split into two sections. First, you need to apply and be admitted to one of the Master’s programs offered by MU, and then, you need to file for a separate scholarship application on top of that.

This scholarship award covers your tuition fees and your insurance costs. In addition, it also covers any fees related to making your visa, and it also gives you a monthly stipend to cover your living expenses.


6. Orange Knowledge Programme

  • Source – Dutch Government
  • Educational Level – Master’s Programs
  • Scholarship Benefits – Contribution

Finally, we have reached the end of our full-ride scholarship list, and this program is also offered to students who are trying to get a Master’s Degree. Unfortunately, there is a nationality restriction that is included in this program, so make sure to check those requirements before moving on.

If you meet the nationality restrictions, you are now ready to start the application process. First, check the application deadline, and then, check the list of courses and institutions that are approved by the Orange Knowledge Programme.

  • Open to Students From Third-World Countries

If you have chosen the course and the institution, you need to contact that particular institution and ask for the scholarship application procedure. The application process will be different for each college, so make sure to email them individually.

The scholarship benefits awarded by this program only gives a contribution towards tuition fees, living fees, insurance, visa, and traveling fees. This means that whatever the contribution doesn’t cover, you have to pay on your own. Keep this fact in the back of your mind as you look into this one!


Conclusion: Check the Deadline!

As I have mentioned before, you need to check the application deadline to see whether or not the scholarship is still open for application. In addition, you need to determine if that scholarship award is a one-time deal or it gets renewed every year.

If it is only offered that one time and it doesn’t state anything about next year, you can probably assume that the scholarship is temporary. However, if it states that the application deadline is renewed annually, you need to mark it in your calendar so that you can apply for it next time.

If it is a one-time thing and the application deadline has already passed, don’t worry about it since there are so many more scholarships out there. Search the ones that you are eligible for, and aggressively apply for those scholarships as early as you can.

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