Scholarships to Study in the Netherlands for Indian Students: 2027 Intake Guide

Netherlands Scholarships at a Glance

The table below lists scholarships whose terms were checked on the official pages in October 2026. Universities set their own rules, so read the linked page before you apply.

At the EUR/INR rate of about 107.7, €5,000 is roughly ₹5.4 lakh and €19,000 is roughly ₹20.5 lakh. Convert at the current rate before you budget.

How Much Does a Master’s Cost for Indian Students?

StudyinNL states that the statutory fee for EU and EEA students is €2,694 for 2026-27, while non-EU and EEA students pay institutional fees that average between €12,000 and €30,000 for a master’s programme (StudyinNL tuition fees). A €5,000 award therefore covers only part of the fee, and living costs come on top. Most Indian students combine a scholarship with an education loan.

Also Read: Masters in the Netherlands: top universities, courses and fees

NL Scholarship: Eligibility and How to Apply

The NL Scholarship (earlier called the Holland Scholarship) is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with participating universities. These are the rules from the StudyinNL scholarship page:

• You must have a non-EEA nationality, which includes Indian passport holders.
• You must apply for a full-time bachelor’s or master’s programme at a participating institution.
• You must not already hold a degree from a Dutch institution.
• The amount is €5,000 in the first year, and it is not a full tuition scholarship.
• There is no central application. You apply through the institution, which sets its own requirements and deadlines.

The list of participating institutions changes every year. The page I checked names 11 research universities, including Eindhoven, Maastricht, Radboud, Groningen, Twente, Utrecht, VU Amsterdam and Wageningen, and several universities of applied sciences for 2026-27. Check the current list for 2027-28 before you shortlist.

Radboud example: Radboud University, for the 2027-28 round, asks you to submit your OSIRIS application by 31 January 2027 and complete it by 14 February 2027, with decisions around mid-April 2027. You must also apply for the Radboud Scholarship Programme, and you can receive both awards or the Radboud award alone, but not the NL Scholarship alone. Radboud lists up to 26 NL Scholarships for 2027-28, and Erasmus Mundus and joint-degree master’s programmes are excluded (Radboud NL Scholarship page).

University Scholarships for Master’s Students

Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

LExS gives one of five award levels towards tuition: €10,000, €15,000, €17,500, €18,500 or €19,000, for the full programme. It is not a full scholarship. The deadline is 1 December 2026, and Leiden gives about 25 awards a year to more than a thousand applicants. You need a non-EEA passport and results in roughly the top 10% of graduates, and you apply inside your admission application with a motivation letter of up to 500 words. Recipients are notified before the end of March, and the award cannot be combined with a full external scholarship (Leiden LExS page).

TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship

TU Delft offers 16 full scholarships, two per faculty, for regular two-year MSc programmes. It covers the first-year tuition plus a contribution to living costs, and the second year requires at least 48 of 60 ECTS. The deadline is 1 December 2026 (23:59 CET), and you need to upload the scholarship form, one reference letter and your English certificate. It cannot be combined with another partial or full scholarship (TU Delft scholarship page).

Also Read: Erasmus Mundus scholarships: complete guide, benefits and application tips

Eric Bleumink Fellowship, University of Groningen

The fellowship covers tuition, international travel, subsistence, books and health insurance for a one or two-year master’s programme starting in September. India is on the list of eligible countries. You cannot apply directly: complete your master’s application before 1 December and receive an admission offer before February, and the admissions office nominates suitable candidates. The number of awards is limited (Groningen fellowship page).

Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (UvA)

The MSc Business Administration page states the award as the tuition fee plus €5,000, for one year. It is a reimbursement, not a waiver, so you pay the fee and receive it back in 12 instalments. You need a non-EU nationality, top-percentile results and a complete application before 15 January, with a recommendation letter confirming you are in the top 10% and a motivation letter of up to 300 words. Last year, 12 scholarships were awarded from 150 applications. The amount and the 15 January deadline apply to this programme, and other UvA programmes and faculties run their own rounds, so check the scholarship page of your own programme (UvA scholarship page).

University of Twente Scholarship

The University of Twente Scholarship gives €3,000 to €22,000 for one year, and it can be renewed for the second year of a two-year programme if you reach an average grade of 7 and at least 50% of the credits. The form opens on 15 October 2026 and closes on 1 April 2027, and results come in the first week of May 2027. You apply for admission first and use your student number for the scholarship, and you should be in the top 5 to 10 percent of your class (Twente scholarship page).

Maastricht University and Utrecht University

Maastricht University lists its own awards on its scholarship page, so check the current amounts and deadlines there. Utrecht University has stopped the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship: it will not be offered for programmes starting in 2026-27, and awards already made continue unchanged (Utrecht University notice).

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EMJM)

The European Commission describes the EMJM scholarship as a contribution of €1,400 a month for the length of the programme, which covers travel, visa, installation and subsistence. Programmes run 12, 18 or 24 months, and scholarship holders are not charged tuition. The scholarship is open to students from anywhere in the world, with no more than 10% of awards going to a single nationality, and a student who has already received an EMJM scholarship cannot receive another. You apply to the programme consortium, not to the Dutch government, so read the instructions of each programme (Erasmus+ programme guide).

Scholarship Deadlines and Timeline for the 2027 Intake

Dates can change each year, so confirm them on the university page before you apply.

How to Improve Your Chances

• Apply for admission early. Most awards need a complete application or an admission offer first.
• Keep your grades strong. Leiden and Delft indicate the top 10%, Twente the top 5 to 10 percent and UvA asks for a letter confirming the top 10%.
• Respect the word limits: 500 words for LExS and 300 words for the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.
• Tailor each motivation letter to the scholarship instead of reusing one.
• Apply to several scholarships, but check the rules, because some cannot be combined.

For the letter, see how to write a motivation letter for a scholarship.

Also Read: Complete cost breakdown of studying in Europe

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Missing the December deadline: LExS and the Delft scholarship both close on 1 December 2026, and late applications are not considered.
• Applying for the scholarship before admission: Leiden shows the scholarship option only after you submit your admission application, and Twente needs an admission letter first.
• Ignoring combination rules: Leiden does not allow a full external scholarship with LExS, and Delft does not allow another scholarship with its award.
• Using outdated lists: Utrecht Excellence has ended and the NL Scholarship institution list changes every year.
• Treating a partial award as full funding: Most awards cover part of the fee, so plan for tuition, living costs and visa funds.

Plan the Rest of Your Funding

Scholarships rarely cover everything. Compare your options in loan vs scholarship: the best option for studying abroad and read how to secure scholarships for studying abroad.

Related Articles

• Masters in the Netherlands: Top Universities, Courses and Fees
• MBA in the Netherlands: Top Universities, Courses, Fees and More
• Best Cities in the Netherlands for International Students
• Erasmus Mundus Scholarships: Complete Guide, Benefits and Application Tips
• Complete Cost Breakdown of Studying in Europe

Planning to study in the Netherlands? Use GradRight’s scholarship guides to plan your applications, and compare funding options before you decide.