Information in English
May 12, 2009
Scholarships and grants
The Dutch government is attempting to make Dutch higher education as accessible as possible to students and mid-career from other countries. Higher education is subsidized, which means that tuition fees can be kept relatively low, especially compared with countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.
Funding
With the exception of students from EU member states wishing to study certain subjects, foreign students are not eligible for the student grants and loans that the Dutch government provides for permanent residents. There are, however, several possibilities for obtaining funding. These are described here in brief. For more information you can also look at www.grantfinder.nl, an online search engine which brings together a range of Dutch scholarships for international students who wish to come to Holland. The information contained in the Grantfinder is not exhaustive, so other scholarships not listed may be available to you.
Exchange programmes
The easiest and cheapest way to study in Holland is through an exchange programme. For European students there are several programmes. American students can apply either to the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) or to the Fulbright programme, both of which are administered in their own country. Many Dutch higher education institutions have exchange agreements with partner institutions in countries throughout the world. Exchange programmes and agreements are often limited to specific fields or disciplines. Ask at your own university or college about the possibilities.