Financing your Masters in the Netherlands

Studying in the Netherlands proves to be relatively affordable. The annual tuition fee for Masters students from the EU/EEA countries, Switzerland or Surinam is €2,087 for the 2019/2020 academic year. Internationals from other than these countries should expect a yearly payment in the range from €8,000 to €20,000 for their postgraduate studies. There are a lot of different ways to finance your studies and stay in the Netherlands – scholarships, grants, financial aid from the Dutch government, student loans and accessible and well paid full-time or part-time jobs for international students.

Scholarship opportunities in the Netherlands

In terms of financing both your study and life in the Netherlands, there are various scholarship opportunities for students coming from all over the world. They imply different application requirement, such as writing an essay or demonstrating high academic performance. Here are some popular scholarship examples offered by non-university institutions:

• Holland Scholarship (is for international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA))
• Erasmus+ (a scholarship promoting student mobility in the EU – students can finance up to 12 months per academic cycle)
• Orange Knowledge Programme (53 eligible countries and available for Masters programmes with a duration of 12 to 24 months)
• MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) (a scholarship for students coming from Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia)
• NN Future Matters Scholarship (eligible countries are Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain or Turkey and students have to study a Masters degree in in the field of finance, risk management, economics, data science or entrepreneurship at one of the participating Dutch research universities)
• Orange Tulip Scholarship Programme (for students from Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Afrika and Vietnam)
• Sino-Dutch Scholarship (for research students from China)
• StuNed Scholarships (for students from Indonesia)
• The Desmond Fortes Scholarship

There are at least 50 more options for Masters students in different fields of study, expertise, companies or status. Have a look at the full list of financing options in the Netherlands.

Dutch government aid and student loans

The DUO provides different financing opportunities such as a regular loan, a student travel product, a supplementary grant and a tuition fee loan. Currently in the Netherlands, the interest on the tuition fee loan is 0% but this may change.  If you are over 30, you are not eligible for the financing above. However you can apply for the lifelong learning loan. To apply for financing, you have to be registered at the city hall and possess a residence permit. 

Rent assistance in the Netherlands

Finding housing in the Netherlands can be quite tricky and before you start looking for accommodation, you can read our article on finding student housing in the Netherlands. The good news is, that there are many different ways you can use to search for accommodation and the Dutch government can actually help you financially with the rent.

You may apply for assistance in paying your rent, huurtoeslag. To receive huurtoeslag, you will need to fulfill a list of requirements regarding the type of accommodation, prove of insufficient income and other. If you plan to apply, check the requirements before renting a place. 

Exclusive grants and scholarships from your university in the Netherlands

Many universities offer grants and scholarships independently from the governmental aid, which are often, but not always based on performance. It is worth requesting information in any case. Next to higher institutions, different associations and NGOs provide a diversity of grants and scholarships. 

Check out some of the scholarship finder web sites in the Netherlands. 

Finding a student job in the Netherlands

There are plenty agencies offering full-time, part-time and temporary jobs for students and student graduates. Studentenwerk, Undutchables.nl and isic are quite big agencies, but there are plenty more. Most likely, your university will advertise part-time and temporary jobs internally. 

Moreover, the huge plus is that you will be able to work only speaking English. The Netherlands is the country where up to 93% of the population speak English. Of course, if you are eager to learn Dutch, working can prove to be a fast way to get more acquainted with the language your new colleagues will be glad to help you.