Scholarships to Study in the Netherlands for International Students 2026

Introduction

Indian students across the table always pose the same question to me: Sir, can I afford to study in the Netherlands? Yes, with fair precision, I tell you with 15+ years of experience as a guide to students taking a trip overseas that yes, you might find. Netherlands scholarships can be considered as one of the least utilised possibilities among Indian applicants, just because the families are unaware of the existence of these sources of funds. Overall, we helped 23,000+ students at Gateway Educonnect develop their overseas education experience, and the Netherlands is rapidly becoming one of the most in-demand destinations. In this guide, I will take you on a tour of each of the Netherlands' largest scholarships in 2026, supported by actual figures, actual antiquity, and actual student accounts from our own counselling desk.

The Netherlands 2026: Why It Should Candidate Consider it?

Netherlands offers English degrees and internationally ranked education, and has lower standard of living than the UK and the US. That is just the combination that has led to upsurge in the demand of Netherlands scholarships among the Indian students becoming so acute in our counselling sessions.

Some of the rationale raised by parents and students during our counselling sessions:

• Dutch universities are always ranked at the top in terms of engineering, business and life sciences in international rankings.
• The cost of tuition is cheaper than in the US, UK or Australia, but the education is of the same quality.
• The English proficiency is prevalent, and thus, day-to-day life and part-time employment are easy to cope with.
• The post-study work opportunities enable the graduates to remain behind so as to develop overseas experience.
• The nation is small, and it is easy and cheap to travel around Europe.

Check out: AI in Study Abroad Counselling: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Student Guidance in India

Check out: Best Courses to Study in Japan in 2026: Engineering, AI, Business & Robotics

Types of Netherlands Scholarships Available to Indian Students

All scholarships are not similar. The students need to know the types of Netherlands scholarships available to Indian students before applying, as their eligibility and value vary drastically.

Government-Funded Netherlands Scholarships

They are centrally issued to all non-EEA nationals, including Indian applicants.

• The most popular entry point is the NL Scholarship, previously known as the Holland Scholarship.
• The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands and participating universities finance it.
• About 38 institutions are participating in this scholarship programme.

University-Specific Netherlands Scholarships

The Dutch universities provide a number of award schemes on top of the national schemes.

• Merit-based funding is provided in TU Delft, Leiden, Twente and Wageningen.
• Awards can be large or small, with values between a few thousand euros and complete tuition.
• Others are fully funded scholarships in institutions in the Netherlands, including tuition and living expenses.

Country-Specific Netherlands Scholarships

The Orange Tulip Scholarship belongs to this category and is designed for particular countries.

• India, too, is among the eligible nations for this scholarship scheme.
• The number of awards and the method of their selection in each of the participating universities are determined by the university.

Holland Scholarship as an International Student: What Matters.

International student scholarship: first on the list of our applicants is the Holland Scholarship, now officially renamed as the NL Scholarship. At least in my case, this is the scholarship that students read about but do not really get.

The following is what you should know beforehand to apply:

• The amount of the award will be a one-time payment of a sum of €5 000 in the initial year of study.
• It can also be undertaken as a bachelor's as well as a master's course at the participating institutions.
• Neither does it excuse full tuition, and thus students require a good funding strategy.
• The choices are primarily made according to academic merit, rather than financial need.

The deadline adopted by each university varies; hence, there is no national cut-off date.

It was simply put by one of our students, Riya, of Jaipur, when she made her final call to our counsellor just before she left: "I nearly skipped the application because I thought that I would not qualify, I was pushed to do it by my counsellor in Gateway Educonnect, who paid my deposit, books and accommodation in my first semester which was worth £5,000. It is precisely because of stories such as that of Riya that we are sure that every student who can get the scholarship to the Netherlands should apply regardless of the uncertain odds.

Check out: How to Choose the Best Ireland Student Visa Consultancy in Udaipur

Orange Tulip Scholarship: A Nation-specific Scholarship Among Indian Students.

Special attention should be paid to the Orange Tulip Scholarship due to the focus on a small number of countries, and India is one of those countries. This is in contrast to the NL Scholarship, which operates at the university level and is not a single, national scholarship.

The main details our counselling team informs all applicants about:

• This scholarship may be up to 25%, 50% or 100% of tuition, depending on the university.
• Other involved institutions also provide additional living-cost support in the form of tuition waivers.
• The candidates have to be Indian citizens and not students or employees of the Netherlands.
• Approximately 50 awards annually are given to Indian students in participating universities.
• Applications are usually accepted between February and May, although each university sets its own deadlines.

Fully Funded Scholarships in the Netherlands: What Fully Funded is all about.

Parents are asking me to find them a fully paid scholarship, without understanding that they are so rare and may only cover part of everything. Being open, that is how I would be during a one-on-one session.

In the institutions of the Netherlands, a fully-funded scholarship is generally offered with:

• Complete Tuition fee scholarship throughout the programme.
• Monthly living wage to pay rent, food and day-to-day expenses.
• Assistance with the cost of travel or a visa in limited instances.

Some of the cases our team is continuously following up on the 2026-27 intake:

  Check out: Top Scholarships in Dubai for International Students: Complete 2026 Guide

How do we Mentor Students through the Netherlands Scholarship Procedure?

The past years have seen me encountering the same three errors made in hundreds of applications in relation to the Netherlands scholarships. The simple fact that they are avoided may be what makes or breaks the rejection and offer.

The most typical errors of students that we prevent:

• Sending a generic letter of motivation which does not refer to either the programme or the university.
• Lacking the right timeframe, as the opportunity for a scholarship does not commonly occur on the same day in the country.
• Assuming that all the Dutch universities are involved, whereas eligibility actually differs between universities.

It is at this point that the services of Gateway Educonnect can help out immensely. We do not simply refer the students to Netherlands scholarships, but we accompany them all along the way:

• Home Counselling, where our team visits the family to explain how they can be financed at home.
• Video Counselling, in which students in smaller towns who are unable to visit our office can do so.
• Loan aid, thus the gap in scholarships will not prevent an admission from turning into an enrolment.
• Accommodation service: students arrive in the Netherlands with accommodation taken care of.
• Test training, such as IELTS advice, as English marks have a direct influence on whether you get a scholarship.

Our One-Click Apply allows students to begin their applications to the world's universities within 100 seconds without the stress of worrying about their application, and no confusion about paperwork.

An Actual Case at our Counselling Desk.

One day, I was talking with a parent in Rajasthan, and he said, "We do not require the scholarship to be big, we require it to be sincere. The comment has remained with me up to this point. We do not promise unrealistic amounts of funds; we just need to match the profile of every student with a real Netherlands scholarship that he/she can actually win. Such transparency is what has made us help 23,000+ students in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Dubai and is the same strategy that we are employing to our expanding Netherlands portfolio.

Check Out: Affordable PhD in Microbiology: Study in Germany with Scholarships

Steps to apply for Netherlands Scholarships

These are the steps that we would follow with students who are new to the counselling sessions.

1. Narrow down Dutch universities that meet your course and budget.
2. Evaluate type of Scholarship of the Netherlands, for any particular university you have selected.
3. Obtain conditional or full admission, as in the majority of cases, scholarships demand an active scholarship application.
4. Write a targeted motivation letter, which identifies the targeted programme as well as the institution.
5. Present the necessary documents, such as transcripts, English scores and financial evidence.
6. Learners are encouraged to keep to university-specific deadlines because no single deadline exists at the national level.
7. Along with your scholarship application, apply to a backup funding source, e.g. an education loan.

Final Thoughts

Netherlands scholarships hold the key, though only to students having the appropriate guidance and expectations. It can be the Holland Scholarship for international students, the Orange Tulip Scholarship or one of the specific scholarships of different universities, but again, depending on your profile, course, and budget, the best fit is different. With 15+ years of experience and 23000+ students mentored, we have experience of how a funding plan can transform a dream into an enrolment, as witnessed at Gateway Educonnect. Are you looking at the next step of Netherlands scholarships for Indian students and are unsure of which one would suit you? Our team is on the brink of finding out which one.

For more assistance, please visit our study abroad consultancy services and explore our wide range of offerings for students interested in Study in Australia, Study Abroad in Poland, Study in Canada, Study abroad UK, Study in germany, Study in New Zealand, Study Abroad in Ireland, Study Abroad in the USA, Study in Finland, Study Abroad in Italy, and many other countries

FAQs

Do they have Netherlands scholarships to learn the degree course master and bachelor?

Yes, the majority of awards in this category such as the NL Scholarship cover both the undergraduate and master programmes in the participating universities.

Are Holland Scholarship of international students equal to being a fully funded award?

No. International students get the Holland Scholarship of 1 time of 5,000 euro and in actual sense full scholarships are sponsored in the institutions of Netherlands in terms of both tuition fees and accommodation.

Is it possible to combine the NL Scholarship with the Orange Tulip Scholarship for Indian students? 

Yes, in most instances, because the NL Scholarship is centrally based, add to that, the remaining award is university-specific, but that is only to be confirmed by your institution of choice.

What are the requirements for Netherlands scholarships in terms of GPA or academics? 

Universities have varying criteria, but good sustained academic performance is a positive step toward your success in almost all the Netherlands scholarships in India.

Does Gateway Educonnect pay to provide scholarship advice? 

Our initial consultation is free. Our full counselling service includes guiding the students through the eligibility checks, documentation and applications of these scholarships.

But when do I need to apply for Netherlands scholarships? 

This is because due dates differ greatly according to different universities, and so we recommend that students should initiate research and shortlist at least 8 to 10 months prior to their desired intake.

Author Bio

Abhinav Jain - Founder, Gateway Educonnect and Director.

B.Tech, MBA, AI and Global Education Specialist.

More than 15 years of professional experience in leading students along international routes based on politics and innovation.

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinavedysor/