The Eric Bleumink Scholarship is a fully funded award for international students who want to do a Master's degree in the Netherlands. It pays tuition, a monthly living allowance, international travel and health insurance for the length of the approved program. That is the whole package most students from developing countries need, and it is why the award attracts strong competition.
This guide explains how the scholarship works, who it is meant for and where applicants usually go wrong. You can also see the full scholarship details on our scholarship listing.
A Master's award tied to your home country's development
The scholarship is aimed at talented students from developing countries. The stated purpose is to remove the financial barriers to studying in Europe, and the program wants recipients who intend to contribute to the development of their home countries after graduating. Keep that second point in mind. It shapes what a good application looks like, especially the motivation letter.
It suits a student who already has a clear academic record, a realistic Master's plan and a believable idea of how that degree will be used back home. It is a poor fit for someone who wants a general route to Europe with no specific plan, or for anyone looking for Bachelor's or PhD funding, since the listed level is Master's only.
On nationality: the award is open to international students from an eligible developing country. The source information does not publish a list of eligible countries, so Pakistani students should check that Pakistan is on the current eligibility list on the official website before investing time in an application.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Study level | Master's |
| Fields | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Deadline | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Provider | Bright Scholarship / host institution |
| Official site | official scholarship website |
What full funding means here
The funding has four parts:
- A full tuition fee waiver.
- A monthly living allowance for day-to-day costs.
- International travel costs, including airfare.
- Health insurance for the duration of the program.
The monthly allowance amount is not published in the information we have, so do not plan a budget around a figure you saw on a forum. Check the current amount on the official site, and work out whether it covers rent in the city where your university is located. Arriving with a small personal buffer is sensible even on a full award.
The health insurance is described as mandatory, so it helps that the scholarship pays for it rather than leaving it to you.
Admission comes before the scholarship
This is the single most important thing to understand about the Eric Bleumink Scholarship. You cannot apply with a plan to study. You need an academic offer of admission to a Master's program first. The scholarship application follows the admission offer, not the other way round.
The full eligibility conditions are:
- You are an international student from an eligible developing country.
- You hold an offer of admission for a Master's program.
- You have a strong academic record in your previous studies.
- You meet the English language requirements of the host university.
The phrase "strong academic excellence" is not converted into a minimum GPA or CGPA in the source information. In practice, a merit-based fully funded award will compare you against other admitted students, so a grade that only just clears the university's admission bar is unlikely to be enough on its own. Check the official criteria and be honest with yourself about where your transcript stands.
Eligible fields of study also vary. Do not assume every Master's program at the host university qualifies. Confirm that your chosen program is on the eligible list before you apply for admission.
The paperwork for a Dutch Master's scholarship
The application asks for five sets of documents:
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- A curriculum vitae (CV)
- A statement of purpose or motivation letter
- Letters of recommendation
- Proof of English language proficiency
Transcripts should be officially translated where needed and certified. For Pakistani students, that usually means getting degrees and transcripts verified through the proper channels before the deadline crunch. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains the process, and the documents checklist for international scholarships covers the rest of a typical file.
On English: is IELTS required? The answer is that English proficiency is required, but the specific test and score depend on the host university's admission rules. Double check the exact test score requirement for your program before you book a test date.
How the application moves from admission to results
- Apply for and secure admission to an eligible Master's program at the host university.
- Check that you meet the scholarship's own eligibility criteria, including nationality and field.
- Submit the scholarship application with all supporting documents through the designated portal.
- Wait for the selection committee to announce the results.
The step people underestimate is the first one. A university admission application can take weeks to prepare and longer to be decided. If you start the admission process late, you may get your offer after the scholarship window has closed.
Why you should not guess the deadline
The opening date, the scholarship deadline and the results date all vary from cycle to cycle, and none of them is fixed in the information available to us. The order is clear, though: admission application first, scholarship application after you receive an admission offer, then results from the committee.
Work backwards. Once the official site shows the current scholarship deadline, find the admission deadline for your Master's program and make sure you apply for admission well before it. Treat any date you see on a third-party site, including older listings, as a starting point only, and confirm it on the official scholarship website.
Where applicants lose this scholarship
A weak motivation letter is the most common problem in development-focused awards. This scholarship explicitly wants students who will contribute to their home country after graduation. A letter that talks only about career growth abroad, or that stays vague about what you will do back home, misses the point of the award. Name the problem in Pakistan you want to work on, explain how this specific Master's program prepares you for it, and connect it to what you have already done.
Other mistakes to avoid:
- Applying for the scholarship before you hold an admission offer.
- Assuming your field is eligible without checking.
- Submitting uncertified or untranslated transcripts.
- Booking an English test before confirming what score your program needs.
- Choosing referees who barely know you. A detailed letter from a supervisor who taught you closely is worth more than a short letter from a senior name.
Even with full funding, you will still go through a visa process. Reading up on common student visa rejection reasons early can save you trouble later. For other Dutch options to apply to alongside this one, see all Netherlands scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Eric Bleumink Scholarship cover?
It covers tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, international travel costs and health insurance for the duration of the approved Master's program.
Can Pakistani students apply?
The scholarship is for international students from eligible developing countries. The list of eligible countries is not given in the information we have, so confirm on the official website that Pakistan is included for the current cycle.
Do I need admission before applying?
Yes. You must hold an academic offer of admission for a Master's program, and the scholarship application is submitted after you receive that offer.
Is IELTS required?
English proficiency is required, but the accepted tests and minimum scores depend on the host university's admission guidelines for your program.
Can I use it for a Bachelor's or PhD?
No. The listed eligible level is Master's only.
When is the deadline?
It varies by cycle. Check the current opening date and deadline on the official portal, and apply for university admission well before that.
Before you apply, confirm the current cycle on the official scholarship website and review the full Eric Bleumink Scholarship page.