Scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian Students 2026-27: Full List, Real Deadlines, and What Changed This Year

Quick Summary: 

For the 2025-26 academic year, the total number of international students at Dutch universities fell for the first time in two decades, dropping to 129,764, according to Nuffic, the Dutch government's official agency for internationalisation in education. But buried in the same data is a number moving in the opposite direction: the count of Indian students in Dutch master's programmes jumped 16.5%, making India one of the very few countries of origin still growing while Germany, China, and most others shrank.

Read those two facts together and you get the real story behind scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian students in 2026-27. More Indian applicants are competing for Dutch funding at the exact moment the country is cutting education budgets and universities are quietly pulling scholarships off the table. That combination changes the math on which awards are worth your time, and it is the part almost no scholarship listicle bothers to explain.

This guide gives you the full, verified list of Netherlands scholarships for Indian students, with real 2026-27 deadlines and amounts checked against official university and government pages. It also tells you the uncomfortable things: which scholarships were discontinued this year, why most of them will not cover your costs, and the application mistakes that quietly cost students their shot.

What Changed for Netherlands Scholarships in 2026-27 (Read This Before the List)

The funding landscape for scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian students does not look the way it did even a year ago. Names have changed, at least one major award has disappeared, and Dutch budget cuts are quietly reshaping what international students can actually get. Four shifts matter most for 2026-27.

• 
  The Holland Scholarship is now the NL Scholarship: The flagship government scholarship most Indian students first hear about, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with participating universities, is now officially called the NL Scholarship. It is the same €5,000 one-time grant for non-EEA students. Applications for 2026-27 opened on 1 November 2025.
• 
  Utrecht pulled its flagship scholarship entirely: Utrecht University's own admissions page now states plainly that, due to significant budget cuts, the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship will no longer be offered for programmes starting in 2026-27, and no new applications will be accepted. Several third-party scholarship aggregators are still promoting it as a "fully funded 2026" opportunity. They are wrong, and a student who builds a funding plan around it will be stranded. When a well-funded university like Utrecht cuts its signature international scholarship, treat every other "excellence" award as something to verify on the official page before you rely on it.
• 
  The centralised Orange Tulip Scholarship for India ended: For years, the OTS ran through Nuffic Neso India as a single coordinated programme. That central route was discontinued in 2024. Several Dutch universities still offer their own OTS-branded scholarships, but you now apply directly through each institution's international office, not through one India-wide portal.
• 
  Why the budget cuts matter even if your tuition does not change: Since 2024, the Netherlands has been in political turmoil over international students. The Internationalisation in Balance Act (WIB), roughly €300 million to over €1 billion in proposed higher-education cuts, and new powers for universities to cap enrolment on English-taught tracks all landed in a short span. A new coalition partly reversed course in 2026 and restored significant funding. Here is the nuance that matters for you: most of the political anger targets EU and EEA students, because the Dutch government subsidises each of them heavily. As a non-EEA student from India, you already pay the higher institutional tuition and are not subsidised, so you are largely insulated from the tuition side of this fight. Your real exposure is different. If universities cap the English-taught track you want, or convert it toward Dutch, the programme your scholarship was meant to fund may shrink or become harder to enter. The risk for Indian students is availability and competition, not a sudden tuition spike.

This is where working with an advisor who tracks these shifts helps. Across the 35,000+ students GyanDhan has supported on study-abroad planning, the pattern is consistent: the students who lose money are rarely the ones who picked the wrong scholarship. They are the ones who planned around information that was a year out of date.

Top Scholarships in the Netherlands for Indian Students 2026-27

Every entry below was checked against official university or government sources for the 2026-27 cycle. Amounts and deadlines change yearly, so always confirm on the awarding body's own page before you apply, especially given how many awards moved this year.

1. 
   NL Scholarship (Formerly the Holland Scholarship)

This is the most widely available and accessible scholarship in the Netherlands for Indian students, funded jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and participating universities.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EEA students, including Indians, applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's at a participating Dutch institution. You must not already hold a degree from a Dutch institution.
• 
  Deadline: Applications for 2026-27 opened 1 November 2025. Each institution sets its own deadline, most commonly 1 February 2026 or 1 May 2026.
• 
  Award: €5,000, paid once, in the first year only.

The honest read: This is a first-year contribution, not a full ride. At the current euro-rupee rate of about ₹110 per euro, €5,000 works out to roughly ₹5.5 lakh, enough to take a real bite out of your first-year costs, but nowhere near your full tuition and living expenses. Its stacking potential with university-specific awards at some institutions is where its bigger value lies.

1. 

   Orange Tulip Scholarship (OTS)

Historically the flagship India-specific route, now restructured. The single central programme run through Nuffic Neso India was discontinued in 2024.

• 
  Eligibility: Indian students, criteria set by each participating university. Typically you must hold Indian citizenship and not already be studying or working in the Netherlands.
• 
  Deadline: Varies by university, commonly clustered between February and April 2026. There is no longer one central India deadline.
• 
  Award: Ranges from partial tuition waivers to full tuition plus living costs, depending entirely on the university.

The catch most guides miss: Because OTS is now decentralised, two "OTS" awards at two universities can be completely different in value and rules. Do not assume the version you read about at one university applies anywhere else.

1. 

   University of Twente Scholarship (UTS)

A merit award for high-achieving non-EU/EEA master's students at the University of Twente.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EU/EEA students provisionally admitted to a qualifying UT master's programme, typically in the top 5 to 10% of their class, meeting IELTS 6.5 (with 6.0 in speaking) or equivalent.
• 
  Deadline: Two rounds for 2026-27, 1 February 2026 and 1 May 2026.
• 
  Award: €3,000 to €22,000 for one year, around 50 scholarships awarded annually. Two-year programmes may receive a matching second-year award subject to progress.

Twente is unusually clear that this does not cover the full cost of study and living. Treat the top of that range as rare, not typical.

1. 

   Amsterdam Merit Scholarship (AMS)

The University of Amsterdam's flagship award for non-EU/EEA master's students. Note the name: UvA's current official pages use Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, not the older "Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship" that many outdated blogs still list.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EU/EEA passport holders admitted to an eligible UvA master's, not eligible for Dutch study finance, with strong academic results (broadly top 10%).
• 
  Deadline: Set per faculty or graduate school, commonly 15 January or 2 February 2026.
• 
  Award: Varies significantly by faculty. Verified 2026-27 figures include €25,900 at the Law School, €24,875 at the Faculty of Science, and tuition plus a €5,000 allowance at Economics and Business. The Humanities faculty runs a related award (LLAMS) worth €37,500 to four students.

A critical practical point from UvA's own pages: The AMS is usually paid on a reimbursement basis, meaning you must still pay your tuition upfront yourself and receive the scholarship in instalments. It is not a tuition waiver. Plan your cash flow accordingly.

1. 

   Maastricht University NL-High Potential Scholarship

Jointly funded by Maastricht University's Scholarship Fund and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, this is one of the few genuinely full scholarships on this list.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EU/EEA (and non-Swiss, non-Surinamese) students admitted to a participating full-time Maastricht master's, aged under 35, with a GPA of 7.5 out of 10 or higher (roughly 75%). No prior degree-level study in the Netherlands.
• 
  Deadline: The admission application must be in by 8 December 2025, and the scholarship application by 1 February 2026, for the 2026-27 intake.
• 
  Award: A full package, tuition fee waiver plus a monthly living stipend (living support of roughly €15,925 over 13 months for a one-year programme, or €30,625 over 25 months for a two-year programme), plus insurance and visa costs. For 2026-27, 21 full scholarships are available.

The reality check Maastricht itself publishes: Only about 2% of applicants are awarded this scholarship. It is one of the most generous and one of the hardest to win on this entire list.

1. 

   Radboud Scholarship Programme

Offered by Radboud University to talented international master's applicants.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EU/EEA students admitted to an eligible English-taught Radboud master's, with a bachelor's earned outside the Netherlands and no prior Dutch degree.
• 
  Deadline: 31 January 2026 for September 2026 intake.
• 
  Award: A partial scholarship that reduces your tuition fee to €2,694 (down from roughly €18,000, depending on the programme) and also covers visa, residence permit, and health and liability insurance. For 2026-27, a maximum of 33 scholarships are available across six faculties.

1. 

   Utrecht Excellence Scholarships (Discontinued for 2026-27)

Included here specifically so you do not waste time on it. Utrecht University has confirmed on its own admissions pages that, due to significant budget cuts, the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship will not be offered for programmes starting in 2026-27, and no new applications are being accepted. Existing awarded scholarships continue unchanged.

1. 

   Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS)

A selective award for non-EEA master's students at Leiden University.

• 
  Eligibility: Non-EEA/non-EFTA students applying for an eligible Leiden master's (with some exceptions such as certain Law programmes), broadly the top 10% of their previous programme.
• 
  Deadline: 1 February for programmes starting in September.
• 
  Award: Five fixed award levels set by the university. Leiden states clearly that the LExS is not a full scholarship and cannot be combined with another full external scholarship, so a significant personal contribution is still required.

One overlooked rule: if you later receive a full scholarship from another source, you are obliged to notify Leiden, and it can affect your LExS. Read the terms before you stack awards.

1. 

   TU Delft Excellence Scholarships (Justus and Louise van Effen)

The flagship award at Delft University of Technology for outstanding international master's students in engineering and technology.

• 
  Eligibility: Talented international students admitted to an eligible TU Delft MSc, with strong academic records, two reference letters, and a scholarship-specific motivation letter.
• 
  Deadline: Early, typically around 1 December for September intake, well before most other Dutch scholarships. Confirm the exact 2026-27 date on TU Delft's site.
• 
  Award: Full support, covering tuition and living costs, for the strongest candidates.

TU Delft states something most applicants get wrong: you must submit the scholarship application before you have an admission decision, and if the programme deadline and scholarship deadline differ, the earlier one governs. Do not wait for your admit to apply.

1. 

   Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's

Not Netherlands-specific, but highly relevant because the Netherlands is an EU member state and many Dutch universities participate in Erasmus Mundus consortia. These are EU-funded joint programmes usually spanning two or more countries.

• 
  Eligibility: Open to students worldwide, including Indians, applying to a specific Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree consortium.
• 
  Deadline: Set by each consortium, commonly between December and February for the following intake.
• 
  Award: Among the most generous available, typically full tuition plus a monthly living stipend and travel or installation allowances.

If a Dutch university is one of your target's partner institutions, this is often the single best-value route on this entire list. The trade-off is mobility: you will usually study in more than one country, not only the Netherlands.

1. 

   GyanDhan Scholarship

GyanDhan runs its own merit-based scholarship for Indian students studying in India or abroad, including the Netherlands.

• 
  Eligibility: Students holding a letter of acceptance or application acknowledgement, applying for a diploma, bachelor's, or master's programme. It is a test-based scholarship.
• 
  Deadline: Announced each cycle. Check the current window on the GyanDhan scholarships page.
• 
  Award: A one-time cash award toward tuition and living expenses for selected students.

The 2025 edition awarded four winners: Anish Chandrakant More (Rank 1), Laukik Salunkhe (Rank 2), Kaushik Alaguvadivel Ramya (Rank 3), and Kumari Sejal Shah (Rank 4). Because the award is need- and merit-aware and open to any citizenship, it can be combined with university awards to help close the funding gap the Dutch scholarships leave behind.

Fully-Funded vs Partial: Why Most Netherlands Scholarships Won't Cover You

The NL Scholarship is €5,000, once. The LExS explicitly is not full and cannot stack with another full award. The Amsterdam Merit Scholarship is often paid as a reimbursement after you have already paid tuition. Twente tells you outright it will not cover your full costs. The genuinely full packages, Maastricht NL-High Potential, TU Delft's van Effen, Erasmus Mundus, exist, but they are few and brutally competitive, with top-10% academic bars and application deadlines months before you know your admission result.

Run the real numbers. A non-EEA master's in the Netherlands typically runs anywhere from €15,000 to €20,000 or more in annual tuition, plus roughly €12,000 to €15,000 a year in living costs. A €5,000 NL Scholarship covers a slice of year one and nothing after. Even a "good" partial award of €10,000 to €12,000 still leaves a substantial gap across a one- or two-year degree. Treating a partial scholarship as your whole funding plan is the most common and most expensive mistake Indian students make with the Netherlands.

The realistic plan for most students is a stack: One or two scholarships to reduce the burden, plus an education loan sized to cover the verified gap, not the imagined one.

Mistakes Indian Students Repeat With Dutch Scholarship Applications

These are the errors that quietly cost students their funding, drawn from how the Dutch system actually works. Avoid them, and your shot at Netherlands scholarships for Indian students improves before you have written a single application.

• 
  Waiting for admission before applying for the scholarship: Most Dutch scholarships require you to apply for the programme and the scholarship together, before any admission decision. TU Delft says it plainly: do not wait for your admit. Students who assume they will "apply for funding once I get in" often find the scholarship deadline already closed.
• 
  Assuming the scholarship deadline follows the programme deadline: It frequently comes first. When the two differ, the earlier one governs your scholarship eligibility. Diarise both, and work to the earlier date.
• 
  Relying on outdated names and dead programmes: Chasing the "Holland Scholarship" (now the NL Scholarship) or the old centralised "Orange Tulip Scholarship via Nuffic Neso India" wastes time on routes that no longer work the way they once did. OTS still exists, but only through individual universities now, not the central India programme. Worse, planning around the Utrecht Excellence Scholarship, discontinued for 2026-27, leaves a hole in your budget.
• 
  Underweighting the motivation letter: For awards like the AMS and LExS, selection leans heavily on a short, specific motivation statement, often capped at a few hundred words. A generic letter is where strong candidates lose to slightly weaker ones who wrote a sharper case.
• 
  Ignoring the "no prior Dutch degree" clause: Several awards, including the NL Scholarship, require that you have not previously studied or earned a degree in the Netherlands. Students who did an exchange or pre-master's sometimes discover too late that this disqualifies them.
• 
  Budgeting on a stale exchange rate: At about ₹110 per euro, a €5,000 award is roughly ₹5.5 lakh and a €15,000 tuition bill is roughly ₹16.5 lakh. The euro-rupee rate moves, so size your funding gap on the current rate, not a figure you saw a year ago.

Sources and References

• 
  Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. Incoming degree mobility and international enrolment data, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
• 
  Study in NL (studyinnl.org), official NL Scholarship pages, 2026-27 cycle.
• 
  University of Amsterdam (uva.nl), Amsterdam Merit Scholarship pages, 2026-27.
• 
  University of Twente official scholarship pages, UTS 2026-27.
• 
  Utrecht University (uu.nl), Utrecht Excellence Scholarship discontinuation notice, 2026-27.
• 
  Leiden University (universiteitleiden.nl), LExS pages.
• 
  Delft University of Technology (tudelft.nl), Excellence Scholarship pages.
• 
  Radboud University (ru.nl) and Maastricht University (maastrichtuniversity.nl), scholarship programme pages, 2026-27.
• 
  Universiteiten van Nederland and Dutch government sources on the Internationalisation in Balance Act and higher-education funding, 2024-2026.

How Indian Students Actually Fund the Gap (Scholarship + Loan Reality)

Once you accept that most Netherlands scholarships for Indian students are partial, the planning gets clearer, not scarier. The workable structure for most Indian students is straightforward: apply for every scholarship you genuinely qualify for to shrink the total, then use an education loan to cover the verified remaining cost of tuition and living.

The mistake is sizing the loan around a scholarship you have not won yet, or around a full award that is statistically unlikely. A cleaner approach is to model the gap assuming a realistic partial scholarship or none, secure loan sanction for that figure, and treat any scholarship you win as reducing your borrowing rather than as the foundation of your plan.

This is the practical side of what GyanDhan does. Having facilitated over ₹11,000 crore in education loans across a network of more than 1,800 universities, lenders, and counsellors, the recurring lesson is the same: scholarship and loan planning work best done together, not one after the other. Map your funding gap before you commit to a programme, and you will borrow for the real number rather than a guess.

Check your loan eligibility to see what you can borrow against your profile in minutes, or connect with a verified study abroad consultant for guidance on shortlisting Dutch universities and matching your scholarship and loan plan to them.

Frequently Asked Questions