Radboud Scholarship Programme 2027

Who can apply

Non-EU/non-EEA passport, and not otherwise eligible for the lower EU/EEA tuition rate
A Bachelor's degree obtained outside the Netherlands, with no degrees or previous education completed in the Netherlands (exchange programmes that were part of a non-Dutch Bachelor's are excluded from this restriction)
Full admission to an eligible English-taught Radboud Master's programme (all are eligible except Erasmus Mundus and joint-degree Master's programmes) for the intake year of the current call
Meets the English-language proficiency requirement for the chosen Master's programme
Enrolls as a full-time student at Radboud University for the academic year and programme the scholarship covers
Selection weighs academic excellence (grades, test scores, publications, relevance of prior degree, ranking of the previous university), ambition (motivation letter quality, extracurricular activities and life experience), and the quality of two reference letters, ideally academic ones

Two separate decisions, not one

Admission to the Master’s programme and selection for this scholarship are two entirely separate decisions, and Radboud is explicit that being admitted does not imply you’ve won the scholarship. You indicate your interest inside the normal OSIRIS Master’s application itself rather than filling out a separate scholarship form, then upload two reference letters and a CV specifically for the scholarship review.

A real tuition cut, but not a living-costs scholarship

The tuition cut is real and substantial, from up to around 19,000 euros down to roughly 2,771 euros for the 2027/2028 cycle (Radboud itself flags this figure as still to be confirmed), but this is not a living-costs scholarship. Radboud’s own page says so directly: “the costs of living and studying in the Netherlands are not covered.” Budget for Nijmegen rent, food, and daily expenses entirely separately, the same as a self-funded student would.

Fewer places for 2027/2028 than the previous cycle

The number of places has actually shrunk for this cycle: 22 scholarships across six faculties for 2027/2028, down from 33 for 2026/2027, with every faculty’s individual allocation cut roughly in half. Selection itself weighs three areas: academic excellence (grades, publications, and even the ranking of the university where you got your previous degree), ambition (your motivation letter and relevant life experience or extracurriculars), and the quality of your two reference letters, ideally from academic referees.

The two-stage deadline structure is worth planning around

The two-stage deadline structure is worth planning around. The first submission date is not your final chance: Radboud checks your OSIRIS application, sends it back if anything is missing or incorrect, and gives you until a second, later completion deadline to fix it and pay the handling fee. Submitting close to the first date rather than the last minute gives you room to correct problems before the real cutoff.

Funded internally, and stackable with another scholarship

The scholarship is funded through Radboud’s own Profiling Fund rather than an external donor, which is part of why its eligibility rules follow that fund’s own regulations rather than a third party’s. If you’re weighing multiple Dutch scholarship options, know that this one stacks with the separate NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship), so it’s worth checking both rather than assuming you have to pick one. For the wider cost picture of living and studying in the Netherlands beyond what this scholarship covers, see the guide to studying in the Netherlands.

Radboud Scholarship Programme