The NL Scholarship is one of the most searched Dutch awards among Pakistani students, and also one of the most misunderstood. Many people assume it is a full ride. It is not. It is a single payment of 5,000 euros toward your first year of a bachelor's or master's degree in the Netherlands. That is useful money, but it will not carry you through a Dutch degree on its own. If you go in knowing that, it can be a sensible part of your funding plan. You can see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page before you read on.
The award used to be called the Holland Scholarship, and you will still see both names used. It is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with participating Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. There is no national application portal. You apply through the university you want to study at, and each university runs its own process.
The NL Scholarship in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Amount | 5,000 euros, paid in the first year of studies |
| Funding type | Partial funding (not full tuition) |
| Study level | Full-time bachelor's or master's programmes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Provider | Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating higher education institutions |
| Deadline | Varies by participating institution |
| Fields | Varies by participating institution |
| Official site | Study in NL: NL Scholarship |
Why 5,000 euros is a top-up, not a full plan
The award is a one-off contribution of 5,000 euros, received during your first year. The official description treats it as a partial contribution toward tuition or living costs. It does not continue into your second year or beyond, and it is not a tuition waiver.
For a Pakistani family, this matters a lot. Dutch universities charge non-EEA students higher fees, and you still have rent, food, insurance and travel to cover. The NL Scholarship reduces the first-year bill. It does not remove the need to show you can fund the rest of your degree. If your plan only works if this scholarship covers everything, the plan needs rethinking before you apply.
Where it works well is in combination. A student who already has family savings, a sponsor, or a separate university fee reduction can use the 5,000 euros to close a gap in year one. Check with your chosen university whether its own awards can be held alongside the NL Scholarship, since that is decided at institution level.
Pakistani students and the non-EEA rule
The scholarship is for students who hold non-EEA nationality. Pakistan sits outside the European Economic Area, so Pakistani passport holders fit this condition, provided they meet the other national and university criteria.
The full set of conditions is short:
- You must be a non-EEA national.
- You must be applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's programme at a participating Dutch higher education institution.
- You must meet the specific requirements set by your chosen university.
- You must not already hold a degree from an educational institution in the Netherlands.
Two of these trip people up. The first is "participating". Not every Dutch university takes part, and the list of participating schools changes every year. A university that offered the NL Scholarship last year may not offer it for the 2026-2027 intake, and the reverse is also true. The second is the Dutch degree rule. If you already completed a degree at a Dutch institution, you are out, even if you are now applying for a different level.
Part-time programmes are not covered. If you are looking at a part-time or online route, this award is not the right fit.
Each university sets its own rules
This is the part most applicants underestimate. The national scheme sets the broad frame, but the detail sits with each university. That includes:
- the application deadline for the scholarship
- which programmes or fields are eligible
- any extra academic or selection criteria
- the documents you need to send
So "Am I eligible for the NL Scholarship?" has no single answer. The real question is "Am I eligible for the NL Scholarship at this university, for this programme?" You have to read each target university's scholarship page separately. Some may only offer it for selected programmes. Others may tie it to your admission application. Do not assume one university's rules apply at another.
What to prepare before you apply
There is no single national document list. The official guidance is to check the requirements of each participating institution. In practice, that means you build your file around the university's admission requirements plus whatever its scholarship page asks for.
Since you will be applying from Pakistan, start early on anything that needs attestation or official copies. Our documents checklist for international scholarships is a good starting point, and if your transcripts or degrees need verification, read the IBCC and MOFA attestation guide so that paperwork does not hold you up near a deadline.
Keep a simple spreadsheet for each university: programme name, scholarship deadline, admission deadline, required documents, and whether they want anything extra like a motivation letter. Because every university is different, this is the easiest way to avoid sending the wrong file to the wrong place.
How the application actually works
- Pick a participating research university or university of applied sciences for the 2026-2027 academic year. Confirm it is on the current participating list, not last year's.
- Check that university's own deadline and eligibility criteria for the NL Scholarship on its website, and note which programmes qualify.
- Apply directly through that university's application system. There is no central national form to fill in.
Read the university's page carefully to see whether the scholarship application is part of the admission form or a separate step. This varies, and missing a separate step is an easy way to lose the chance.
Timing for the 2026-2027 intake
Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year opened on 1 November 2025. After that, each participating university sets its own closing date. There is no single national deadline, so confirm the exact deadline on the official portal and on the website of each university you are targeting.
Scholarship deadlines can fall earlier than general admission deadlines, so do not plan around the admission date alone. If you are reading this for a later intake, check the official site for the new opening date and the updated list of participating schools before doing anything else.
Mistakes Pakistani applicants make with this award
The most common one is treating it as fully funded. It is a 5,000 euro first-year payment. Budget for the full degree without it, then treat the award as a bonus that lowers year-one costs. When you get to the visa stage, you will still need to show proof of funds, and our guide to bank statements and proof of funds explains what that usually involves.
The second mistake is choosing a university first and only later checking if it participates. Do it the other way round, or at least check both at the same time. A great programme at a non-participating school means no NL Scholarship.
The third is relying on old information. The participating list changes annually, and so do the institutional deadlines. A blog post, a senior's advice, or a screenshot from a previous year is not a reliable source here. Go to the official NL Scholarship page and each university's own site.
Finally, some applicants spread themselves too thin, applying to many universities with copy-paste documents. Because each school sets its own criteria, a tailored application to a few well-chosen programmes is usually a better use of your time.
Who this suits, and who should look elsewhere
The NL Scholarship suits a Pakistani student who already has a realistic funding plan for studying in the Netherlands and wants to reduce first-year costs. It works for both bachelor's and master's applicants and covers research universities as well as universities of applied sciences, so it is broader than many Dutch awards.
If you need full tuition and living costs covered, this alone will not get you there. You should still apply if you are going to the Netherlands anyway, but keep searching for larger awards in parallel. Our list of all scholarships for Pakistani students is a good place to compare options.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NL Scholarship fully funded?
No. It is a partial award of 5,000 euros, paid during the first year of your studies. It does not cover full tuition or your whole degree.
Can Pakistani students apply?
Yes, as long as you hold non-EEA nationality, do not already hold a Dutch degree, and meet the national and university criteria. Pakistani nationals are non-EEA.
Where do I submit my application?
Directly to your chosen participating Dutch research university or university of applied sciences, through its own application system. There is no central portal.
Is the Holland Scholarship the same as the NL Scholarship?
Yes. The NL Scholarship was formerly known as the Holland Scholarship. Older articles and university pages may still use the old name.
Which subjects are eligible?
It varies by participating institution. Check each university's website to see which programmes or fields it offers the scholarship for.
When is the deadline?
Each participating university sets its own deadline. For the 2026-2027 academic year, applications opened on 1 November 2025. Confirm the exact closing date with your chosen university.
Before you start, check the current participating list on the official Study in NL website and keep the NL Scholarship page handy for the key details.