Higher education in Holland is subsidized by the government. This means that tuition fees are kept relatively low in comparison to the fees in other countries such as the United Kingdom or the United States. By subsidizing the education system, the Dutch government makes higher education easily accessible to students and mid-career professionals from countries all over the world.

International students do not generally qualify for normal undergraduate student grants from the Dutch government, but there are many other sources of funding available to them. These range from private scholarship programmes to scholarships and funds provided by universities and other higher education institutions. Some sources of funding are made available through government departments, such as the Netherlands Fellowships Programme that awards grants to students from developing countries.

Depending on your type of study there are several possibilities for you to fund your stay. An exchange programme is the easiest and cheapest way to study in Holland. Many Dutch higher education institutions engage in partnerships with other institutions in countries throughout the world. Check at your own university if there are any partnerships with Dutch institutions.

If you are looking for funding opportunities to fund your undergraduate or postgraduate study programme, www.grantfinder.nl is the easiest way to see what possibilities you have. The website is aimed at international students and research staff who are looking for sources of funding for their studies in the Netherlands. Grantfinder is an initiative of Nuffic, the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education. It is the first search engine specifically designed to bring together all sources of funding available to international undergraduate and postgraduate students looking to study in the Netherlands.

You can also visit www.studyinholland.nl to see which scholarships are available for your part of the world.