Orange Tulip Scholarship — ENDED in 2024
Nuffic closed its international offices and discontinued the Orange Tulip programme. It no longer exists. Any website still listing it is outdated. Some scholarships previously offered through OTS may still exist as university-specific programmes — check directly with the university.
Scholarship Explorer
The NL Scholarship covers 10-25% of one year. Here is where to find the rest.
| Scholarship | Amount | Competition | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| NL Scholarship | EUR 5,000 (one-time) | Feb 1 | |
| Amsterdam Excellence | EUR 25,000/yr | Jan 15 | |
| Utrecht Excellence | Tuition + EUR 12,000 | Feb 1 | |
| Leiden Excellence | EUR 10K / 15K / full tuition | Feb 1 | |
| TU Delft | Tuition + EUR 13,750 | Dec 1 | |
| MENA Programme | Full (tuition+living+travel) | Varies | |
| Erasmus+ Mobility | EUR 350-500/mo stipend | Via home uni | |
| DUO Finance (EU only) | Up to EUR 475/mo grant | Ongoing |
Competition bars: green = moderate, yellow = competitive, orange = highly competitive, red = extremely competitive.
Full tuition, living, flights, insurance for master's/PhD in the U.S. The gold standard. Full guide
Zero tuition at public universities + EUR 934/mo stipend. Objectively better financial deal than NL for most students. Full guide
Full tuition, EUR 1,400/mo living, travel, insurance. Many consortia include Dutch universities. Full guide
Full tuition, living, flights for 1-year UK master's. Less than 1.5% acceptance rate. Full guide
Full tuition, ~EUR 900/mo stipend, round-trip flights. World-class STEM research. Full guide
The most financially successful students layer multiple sources. A realistic stack:
NL Scholarship (EUR 5,000) — Apply regardless. Highest acceptance rate among Dutch scholarships.
University-specific scholarship — Apply simultaneously at every university. Choose the best package.
Home country funding — LPDP (Indonesia), CAPES (Brazil), state scholarships (India), CONACYT (Mexico), etc.
Part-time work — EUR 200-500/mo (16h/week at EUR 13-15/hr for non-EU).
Personal savings + family — IND requires proof of ~EUR 13,000/year for your visa.
Check stackability. NL Scholarship usually allows combination. Some university scholarships prohibit stacking. Always read the fine print.
Funding Ladder
From smallest to largest, how Dutch and international scholarships compare visually.
Which Scholarship Fits You?
Answer 4 quick questions to get a personalized funding recommendation.
Your recommendation:
The Bottom Line
If you are committed to the Netherlands, apply for the NL Scholarship + every university-specific scholarship you qualify for + home country options. Budget realistically for the gap.
If you are flexible, seriously consider Germany (free tuition), Erasmus Mundus, or Fulbright. The Netherlands has excellent education, but "excellent at EUR 20,000+/year minus EUR 5,000" is a very different proposition than "excellent at EUR 0 tuition."