Netherlands scholarships for African students
The Netherlands hosts more English-taught degree programmes than any other non-Anglophone country in Europe — paired with the national NL Scholarship and a deep bench of university-funded awards open to African students.
Browse the NL Scholarship (EUR 5,000 for non-EEA Bachelors and Masters students, formerly the Holland Scholarship), plus university awards including Leiden LExS, Utrecht Excellence, Radboud Scholarship Programme, Tilburg TUSP, VU Fellowship Programme, TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen, Eindhoven (TU/e) Amandus H. Lundqvist, Groningen Eric Bleumink, Wageningen Master’s scholarships and the IHE Delft water awards for the Sahel and Horn of Africa. Use the filters below to narrow by level, field and funding type.
Note on the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP): Nuffic’s flagship development scholarship ended in 2024 and has no further application rounds, so African applicants should plan around the NL Scholarship, university excellence awards and Erasmus Mundus joint Masters instead.
Loading…
Related pages
Read next
Dutch Scholarships for African Students Worth Checking Out in 2026
From the NL Scholarship to Nuffic NL Scholarship and the Wageningen Africa Scholarship — the Netherlands quietly funds more African students than most realise. Here's what's on the table and what it takes to win.
Read article
Fully Funded vs Partial Scholarships: What African Students Should Know
Understanding the real cost of 'partial' funding and how to combine awards into a fully funded package.
Read article
How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay (with Examples)
A step-by-step framework used by Chevening, Mastercard and Fulbright winners — including the exact opening lines that work.
Read articleGuides for this destination
Long-form pathways into the strongest awards in this country.
Frequently asked questions
Can African students get fully funded scholarships in the Netherlands?
Yes. The NL Scholarship, MENA Scholarship Programme, and university awards like Utrecht Excellence, Radboud, TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen and Wageningen Africa Scholarship fully or substantially fund African students.
What is the NL Scholarship?
The NL Scholarship is a EUR 5,000 one-off award for non-EEA Bachelors and Masters students at participating Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. It is paid in the first year of study.
Do I need to speak Dutch to study in the Netherlands?
No — the Netherlands offers more English-taught degree programmes than any other non-Anglophone country in Europe. Almost every Masters and many Bachelors are delivered fully in English.
What is the NL Scholarship?
NL Scholarship is a Nuffic-administered scholarship that funds professionals from selected African and Asian countries for short courses and Masters in the Netherlands, covering tuition, stipend, insurance and travel.
When do Dutch scholarship applications open?
The NL Scholarship opens in October and closes 1 February or 1 May depending on the university. NL Scholarship windows run February–March and August–September each year. Always confirm dates on the specific scholarship page.
Can African graduates stay in the Netherlands after studying?
Yes — graduates qualify for the Orientation Year (zoekjaar) residence permit, giving 12 months to find skilled work, after which they can switch to a Highly Skilled Migrant or EU Blue Card permit.
Don't miss the next deadlineGet Netherlands scholarships for African students straight to your inbox.
Join 87,000+ African scholars getting weekly funded opportunities, deadlines and application tips — free.