NL Scholarship 2027 for Pakistani Students: EUR 5,000, Apply by 1 February

Pakistani students can apply for the NL Scholarship 2027-28, the Dutch award once called the Holland Scholarship. It pays EUR 5,000 in your first year of a bachelor's or master's degree in the Netherlands. You apply through the Dutch university, not centrally, and each university sets its own deadline. At the University of Groningen it is 1 February 2027.

Read the amount carefully. Study in NL, the Dutch government's study portal, says plainly that this is "not a full-tuition scholarship". It is a one-time help towards the first year, so you still need a plan for tuition, rent and living costs.

We read the NL Scholarship page on studyinnl.org, which lists the 2027-2028 call as open, and the University of Groningen's own NL Scholarship page. Pakistan is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), so Pakistani nationals meet the nationality rule.

The NL Scholarship pays EUR 5,000 in year one

The award is EUR 5,000, paid in the first year of study. It is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science together with the participating Dutch universities. It does not renew in the second year.

Who can apply, in short:

• You do not hold the nationality of an EEA country. The EEA is the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
• You are applying for a full-time bachelor's or master's programme at a participating Dutch institution.
• You meet that institution's own entry requirements.
• You do not already hold a degree from a Dutch institution.

Groningen adds that students from Switzerland and Suriname cannot apply, and that it wants excellent grades in your previous degree. Pakistani applicants are not affected by the Swiss and Surinamese exclusion.

Apply through one of the 33 participating institutions

Only some Dutch institutions take part, and the list changes each year. For 2027-2028, Study in NL lists 10 research universities and 23 universities of applied sciences. A university of applied sciences (hogeschool) teaches practice-based degrees, while a research university teaches academic degrees.

The research universities on the 2027-2028 list are Eindhoven University of Technology, Maastricht University, the Protestant Theological University, Radboud University, the University of Groningen, the University of Twente, Utrecht Theological University, Utrecht University, VU Amsterdam and Wageningen University and Research.

Applied sciences institutions include Amsterdam, Breda, Fontys, The Hague, Hanze, HAN, HU Utrecht, Rotterdam, Saxion and Zuyd, among others. If a university is not on the current list, it does not offer this scholarship this year. Leiden, Amsterdam and Delft, for example, do not appear among the 2027-2028 research universities.

How to apply from Pakistan, step by step

The order matters. At Groningen you need an admission offer letter before the scholarship is considered, so start your degree application well before the scholarship deadline.

1. Pick a full-time bachelor's or master's programme at an institution on the current NL Scholarship list.
2. Open that institution's own NL Scholarship page and note its deadline for your programme.
3. Apply for admission to the programme first, with transcripts and an English test score if asked.
4. Write the scholarship motivation statement the university asks for.
5. Submit the scholarship application through the university before its deadline, 1 February 2027 at Groningen.

Groningen ranks applicants on academic merit, such as grades and research work, and on the motivation statement. Your degree documents will usually need to be attested first. Our guide on HEC degree attestation covers that step, and the IELTS fee in Pakistan page covers the test cost.

Plan for the rest of the cost

EUR 5,000 covers only part of one year. Dutch universities charge non-EEA students their own tuition, which differs by programme, so check the fee on your programme's page before you apply. You will also need to show you can pay for your stay.

Many Pakistani students combine this award with another source of money. The full-cost alternatives have their own deadlines. The Erasmus Mundus scholarship covers joint master's degrees across Europe, including some Dutch universities, and our list of admission and scholarship last dates gathers what closes before the new year.

Common questions

Can Pakistani students apply for the NL Scholarship 2027?

Yes. The scholarship is for students without an EEA nationality, and Pakistan is outside the EEA.

How much is the NL Scholarship?

EUR 5,000, paid in the first year of study. It is not a full-tuition scholarship.

What is the NL Scholarship deadline for 2027?

Each university sets its own. At the University of Groningen it is 1 February 2027.

Is the NL Scholarship the same as the Holland Scholarship?

Yes. Study in NL now calls it the NL Scholarship, and its page still sits at the old Holland Scholarship address.

Can I apply if I already studied in the Netherlands?

Not if you already hold a degree from a Dutch institution. That rule is on the Study in NL page.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 5 November 2026. We read the NL Scholarship page on Study in NL and the University of Groningen NL Scholarship page. Deadlines at other universities may differ from Groningen's, so check your own university's page.