Radboud Scholarships 2027 Open in the Netherlands — Application Guide
Radboud University’s scholarships for September 2027 entry are open to eligible students from outside the EU/EEA who want to pursue an English-taught master’s degree in the Netherlands. The Radboud Scholarship Programme can substantially reduce your tuition bill, while an accompanying NL Scholarship offers additional financial support.
Perhaps you want to turn a promising undergraduate project into deeper research, explore how people make decisions, or develop the expertise to tackle environmental or social challenges. Radboud offers room to pursue those ambitions—but your funding choice needs to work alongside your academic choice.
How much would you still need to pay? And do you apply for admission first, then request a scholarship separately? This guide explains the two awards, helps you identify a suitable degree, and takes you through the application in the right order.
01 How much can the two scholarships cover?
The main award reduces tuition and covers immigration and insurance costs; the NL Scholarship adds a one-time grant. Together, they can make a substantial difference to your study budget, but neither promises a cost-free master’s.
| Award | Published support | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Radboud Scholarship Programme | Tuition reduced to €2,771, subject to confirmation; visa, residence permit, health and liability insurance covered. | You pay the reduced tuition and fund your living and other study expenses. |
| NL Scholarship | €5,000 in the first year, received once. | At Radboud, it is awarded only alongside the main scholarship. Request consideration for both. |
Radboud currently advertises a maximum of 26 main scholarships for this intake. For a two-year master’s, renewal requires passing every first-year course.
Before committing, build a budget for accommodation, food, transport and study materials. A large tuition reduction is valuable when you can also sustain the everyday life that makes your studies possible.
02 Which students and degrees fit this opportunity?
Your passport, education history and academic preparation must fit the award and your chosen master’s. You must be ineligible for the lower EU/EEA tuition rate, have no Dutch degree or previous Dutch education apart from the permitted exchange exception, and meet admission, English and visa conditions.
The participating faculties cover Arts, Law, Management, Philosophy/Theology/Religious Studies, Science and Social Sciences. English-taught master’s programmes qualify, except Erasmus Mundus and joint-degree programmes.
Use the official master’s catalogue to find a direction that builds on your strengths. Computing Science offers routes into cyber security and data science; Biology explores subjects including ecology and microbiology; Economics and Business Administration develop analytical and organisational expertise. Arts and social science options include cultural management, global communication, anthropology and behavioural research.
For direct admission, your bachelor’s must be equivalent to a Dutch research-university degree and relevant to your intended master’s. A degree from a university of applied sciences does not automatically provide direct entry; a pre-master’s may be required.
English preparation should follow your course choice. Many programmes require IELTS Academic 6.5 overall, writing 6.5 and other components at least 6.0. Artificial Intelligence and Behavioral Science, among others, require 7.0 overall and every component at least 6.5. The official score guide maps programmes to their thresholds and alternative tests.
Selection considers academic results, degree relevance, motivation and achievements. Give your ambitions substance: explain a question you want to investigate, the preparation you already have, and how the programme would help you take that work further.
03 How do you submit admission and scholarship requests?
Start in Studielink, then complete your academic and NL scholarship or Radboud scholarship requests in OSIRIS. You request funding during the admission application rather than waiting for an offer.
- Choose your programme and specialisation. Match its admission requirements to your transcript and course content. This gives your motivation letter a clear academic foundation.
- Create your enrolment request in Studielink. Enter your previous education and select the Radboud master’s you intend to study.
- Use the emailed OSIRIS login to build your dossier. Prepare your passport, diploma or current degree status, transcript, course descriptions, motivation statement, education/experience overview and English evidence. Supply sworn translations where required; Dutch, English and German documents do not need them.
- Select scholarship consideration. Indicate your interest in the Radboud Scholarship and, if wanted, the NL Scholarship. Upload your CV and two reference letters. Choose referees who can describe your abilities through work they have actually assessed.
- Submit, pay and complete any corrections promptly. Follow the university’s payment email and fee instructions. Scholarship applicants still pay unless an exemption applies. Upload the requested payment confirmation and resubmit any returned application before the completion deadline.
- Read your admission and funding decisions separately. If admitted, fulfil your offer conditions and follow the enrolment instructions. Admission alone does not secure a scholarship.
04 Questions that can change your application plans for NL
Can I apply while finishing my bachelor’s?
Yes. Declare your unfinished degree in OSIRIS and provide your latest signed and stamped transcript plus descriptions of remaining courses. You must subsequently fulfil the degree conditions in your admission offer.
Does an English-taught bachelor’s automatically waive IELTS?
No. A fully English-taught bachelor’s can qualify when it meets Radboud’s degree-level and institution-country rules, including qualifying EU/EEA institutions and specified countries elsewhere. Use the diploma exemption rules; an English-medium degree from every country is not automatically accepted.
Does a previous exchange in the Netherlands disqualify me?
No, if that exchange formed part of your bachelor’s obtained outside the Netherlands. This exception does not remove the restriction on having a Dutch degree or other previous Dutch education.
Can I use an employer as a referee?
Yes, when the employer can explain how your work relates to the master’s. Academic references are preferred, and some programmes accept only academic referees. Choose someone able to demonstrate your readiness with specific examples.
05 When must your 2027 application be submitted and complete?
The last date to submit your OSIRIS application for the Radboud Scholarship Programme and accompanying NL Scholarship is 31 January 2027 at 23:59 CET (UTC+1). Applications for the next academic year opened on 1 October 2026.
Your application must then be complete, including required corrections and handling-fee payment, by 14 February 2027 at 23:59 CET (UTC+1). Radboud also recommends submitting English proficiency evidence by this completion deadline.
The main scholarship decision is expected before mid-April 2027, subject to change. The award concerns the master’s intake starting on 1 September 2027.
