Netherlands, Scholarships

HAN University Scholarship 2026 — Netherlands for Non-EU Students

Faseeh Sultan

August 16, 2026
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HAN University Scholarship 2026 — Netherlands Funding for Non-EU International Students

If you are planning to study in the Netherlands as a non-EU student, HAN University of Applied Sciences offers two scholarship pathways worth knowing about — and one of them requires no application at all. The HAN NL Scholarship provides up to €12,500 for bachelor’s students and up to €5,000 for master’s students from outside the EU/EEA. The HAN Honors Scholarship rewards students who perform exceptionally in their first year, without requiring a separate application.

Pakistani students are eligible for both. This guide goes beyond the official page to explain exactly how the two scholarships differ, who realistically gets shortlisted, what the video application involves, and — critically — the financial reality of studying in the Netherlands that every applicant needs to understand before applying.

Detail	Information
University	HAN University of Applied Sciences
Country	Netherlands
Scholarships Available	HAN NL Scholarship + HAN Honors Scholarship
Max Award (Bachelor’s)	€12,500 (HAN NL) / €7,500 (Honors)
Max Award (Master’s)	€5,000 (HAN NL) / €2,500 (Honors)
Degree Level	Bachelor’s and Master’s
Open To	Non-EU/EEA nationals only
Pakistani Students Eligible	Yes
IELTS Required	Yes — minimum 6.5
Application Deadline (Feb intake)	19 October 2026 (12:00 pm CEST)
Official Link	Apply Here

🎓 About HAN University of Applied Sciences

HAN University of Applied Sciences is one of the Netherlands’ larger applied sciences universities (hogescholen), with campuses in Arnhem and Nijmegen. It is distinct from research universities like Utrecht or TU Delft in one important way: HAN is explicitly practice-oriented, meaning its programs are built around professional competencies, work placements, and applied research rather than theoretical depth. For international students, this makes HAN a strong choice if the goal is employability in a specific field rather than academic research.

HAN’s scholarships are offered in collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and administered through Nuffic — the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. This gives them institutional backing that some university-only awards lack.

Unlike the Holland Scholarship (which is offered by multiple Dutch universities and covers €5,000 flat), HAN’s NL Scholarship scales over the full degree — meaning bachelor’s students can receive up to €12,500 across four years if they maintain the required credit load. This is a meaningful structural difference: most Dutch institution-level scholarships are one-time awards.

🎓 Benefits and Funding — What Each Scholarship Actually Covers

HAN NL Scholarship — Bachelor’s (up to €12,500 total)

Year 1: €2,500 in semester 1 + €2,500 in semester 2
Years 2, 3, and 4: €2,500 per year — conditional on earning at least 45 credits per academic year
Total possible across four years: €12,500

HAN NL Scholarship — Master’s (up to €5,000 total)

Semester 1: €2,500
Semester 2: €2,500
Total: €5,000

HAN Honors Scholarship — Bachelor’s (up to €7,500)

Available to students who were NOT awarded the HAN NL Scholarship in year one
Requires earning all credits in the first year (full propedeutic certificate)
€2,500 in year 2, plus €2,500 each in years 3 and 4 conditional on 45 credits per year
No application required — your academic board nominates you

HAN Honors Scholarship — Master’s (up to €2,500)

For students who did not receive the HAN NL Scholarship in semester one
Requires earning all credits in semester one
One-time payment of €2,500 in semester two
No application required

Critical financial context: HAN’s own FAQ states that living costs in the Netherlands run at least €1,250 per month, putting annual living costs alone at around €15,000. Add tuition fees — which for non-EU students are significantly higher than the EU/EEA rate — and the total annual cost reaches approximately €25,000. A scholarship of €2,500 to €5,000 per year covers roughly 10–20% of that. This is a partial award, not a full scholarship, and applicants should plan their funding accordingly before applying.

For Pakistani applicants converting figures: €25,000 annually is approximately PKR 7.7 million at current rates (verify current exchange rates before applying). The scholarship provides meaningful support but should be considered a supplement to other savings, sponsorship, or family support — not the primary funding source.

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

Nationality: Non-EU/EEA national — Pakistani students are explicitly eligible
Tuition fees: You must be paying the higher institutional (non-EU) tuition rate
No prior Dutch degree: You must not hold a degree from any Dutch institution
No prior Dutch enrollment: You must not have previously studied toward a degree at a Dutch university or university of applied sciences
Admitted to a full-time, English-taught programme at HAN
English proficiency: IELTS minimum 6.5, TOEFL iBT minimum 90 (new scoring), or Cambridge CAE/CPE
Dual nationality note: If you hold both an EU/EEA and a non-EU/EEA passport, your EU/EEA nationality takes precedence — you are ineligible for the scholarship, though you do benefit from the lower EU/EEA tuition rate

Pakistani students: Pakistan is outside the EU/EEA, meaning Pakistani nationals who meet the above criteria are eligible for both the HAN NL Scholarship and the Honors Scholarship. IELTS at 6.5 or above is required — there is no IELTS waiver for this program. Pakistani applicants with existing IELTS results sitting at 6.5 or higher are well-positioned to begin their HAN program application immediately.

🎓 Who Should Apply — and Who Probably Shouldn’t

✅ Strong fit:

Non-EU/EEA students with IELTS 6.5+ already in hand, applying to English-taught HAN bachelor’s or master’s programs
Students with a strong academic track record who can realistically earn 45 credits per year (maintaining the scholarship in years 2–4)
Applicants who have secured independent funding for the majority of living and tuition costs and are seeking supplementary support
Students interested in applied, practice-oriented programs in fields like engineering, business, health, or education — HAN’s core strengths

❌ Not a fit:

Students expecting a full scholarship covering all costs — HAN’s awards do not come close to covering total annual expenses of ~€25,000
Applicants without IELTS 6.5+ (or equivalent) — there is no waiver or alternative English requirement at HAN’s discretion
Students who have previously studied or enrolled in a Dutch degree program
EU/EEA dual nationals — the scholarship is explicitly unavailable regardless of primary residency

A note for Pakistani applicants: IELTS 6.5 is the most common barrier for Pakistani applicants to Dutch scholarships. If your score sits below this threshold, HAN’s scholarship is not accessible at this stage — but the Guidelines & Resources section on Gradualin covers IELTS preparation strategies worth consulting before applying to any Netherlands-based program.

🎓 Available Programs

HAN offers English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs across a wide range of fields including engineering, business administration, health sciences, social work, and education. Both September and February intakes are available — though not all programs run in February, so confirm your chosen program’s intake schedule directly with HAN before planning your application timeline.

For the full list of English-taught programs eligible for scholarship consideration, visit HAN’s Course Finder. The scholarship is attached to full-time, English-taught degree programs only — short courses, exchange programs, and language courses are not eligible.

🎓 Required Documents

For the HAN NL Scholarship application (submitted after receiving your invitation email):

Motivation letter — explaining why you will be a successful HAN student
Short video — maximum 3 minutes (see application process section for exact prompts)
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Most recent transcript of records or grade list

Note: the program admission itself requires additional documents — diplomas, English test results, and transcripts. These are evaluated by HAN’s admissions team before you receive your scholarship invitation. Ensure all credentials are submitted well ahead of the admission deadlines, as diploma evaluation takes time.

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

Apply for your HAN program — submit your degree application through HAN’s online portal well before the relevant admission deadline; diploma and certificate evaluation takes time, so apply early
Receive your admission offer — HAN reviews your application and, if accepted, confirms your place in a full-time English-taught programme
Receive your scholarship invitation — if you meet all scholarship requirements, HAN will email you an invitation to apply; this arrives on or around 1 April (for September starters) or 1 October (for February starters)
Prepare your scholarship application materials:
- A motivation letter explaining your suitability as a HAN student
- A 3-minute personal video addressing: your strengths, what teachers or friends would say about you, why you chose your HAN program, your team role based on personality, and your 10-year career vision
- Your CV
- Your most recent transcript
Submit via the scholarship application link in your invitation email — deadline is 1 May at 12:00 pm CEST (September starters) or 19 October at 12:00 pm CEST (February starters)
Receive outcome notification — by 1 June (September starters) or 3 November (February starters)
Accept the scholarship in writing by the date stated in your award email
Open a Dutch bank account — scholarship payments are processed to a Dutch bank account only; this is a mandatory step before disbursement

Practical tip: The 3-minute video is where most applications are differentiated. Generic answers about “following your passion” consistently underperform. Answers that are specific — naming a real professional scenario, referencing actual coursework, or describing a concrete team experience — read as more credible to selection panels. Script it, record multiple takes, and have someone review it before submitting.

Bookmark this page — we update deadlines as soon as changes are announced.

🎓 Important Dates

Milestone	September Intake	February Intake
Scholarship Invitation Sent	~1 April	~1 October
Application Deadline	1 May, 12:00 pm CEST	19 October, 12:00 pm CEST
Outcome Notification	By 1 June	By 3 November
Scholarship Payment (semester-based)	November + April	April + November
Scholarship Payment (annual)	November	April

🎓 Why Apply — Why the Netherlands and HAN

The Netherlands consistently ranks among Europe’s top destinations for English-medium education. HAN’s locations in Arnhem and Nijmegen — two mid-sized Dutch cities — offer lower living costs than Amsterdam or Utrecht while still sitting within an hour of major employment hubs. For students in engineering, logistics, health, or business fields, the Rhine-Waal region has a substantial professional ecosystem for internships and post-graduation employment.

HAN’s applied sciences model also means that students complete practical placements as part of their degree, which is meaningfully different from purely academic programs elsewhere in Europe. For international students aiming at careers rather than academia, this placement-integrated structure has real career value.

You can explore more Netherlands funding options in our Study in Netherlands 2026 — Guide for International Students, or browse the full Scholarships category for opportunities running in parallel.

Gradualin Editor’s Note: The HAN scholarship is worth pursuing — but applicants should go in with clear eyes. At €2,500–€5,000 per year, this is a meaningful contribution, not a financial solution. The strongest candidates are those who already have the bulk of their funding arranged and are applying to HAN because it’s the right academic fit, not primarily because of the scholarship. For Pakistani students with IELTS 6.5+ and a genuine interest in applied sciences programs in the Netherlands, this is a low-competition award relative to comparable European opportunities — and the Honors Scholarship provides a second shot without any application effort required.

🎓 FAQ

These questions are based on what students most commonly search about this program.

Can Pakistani students apply for the HAN University scholarship? Yes. Pakistan is outside the EU/EEA, so Pakistani nationals who meet the eligibility criteria — including IELTS 6.5, admission to a full-time English-taught HAN programme, and no prior Dutch enrollment — are fully eligible for both the HAN NL Scholarship and the Honors Scholarship.

Is IELTS required for the HAN University scholarship? Yes — IELTS 6.5 is the minimum required score. TOEFL iBT 90 (new scoring) and Cambridge CAE or CPE are accepted as alternatives. There is no IELTS waiver available for this scholarship.

Is the HAN scholarship a full scholarship? No. HAN’s own FAQ makes this explicit: the scholarship covers €2,500 per semester or year, while total annual costs (tuition + living) run to approximately €25,000. The scholarship covers roughly 10–20% of annual costs. It is a partial award intended to supplement, not replace, other funding sources.

What is the HAN Honors Scholarship and do I need to apply separately? The Honors Scholarship requires no application. Your study program’s academic board identifies students who have earned all their credits in year one (bachelor’s) or semester one (master’s) and did not receive the HAN NL Scholarship. If you meet those criteria, you will be notified and awarded automatically.

Can I combine the HAN scholarship with another scholarship? You cannot hold both HAN scholarships simultaneously, but you can combine a HAN scholarship with an external award — from your home country government, a private foundation, or another institution. This is a common and legitimate funding strategy for HAN international students.

Do I need a Dutch bank account to receive the scholarship? Yes. HAN pays scholarship funds only to a Dutch bank account held in your name. Opening a Dutch bank account requires registration at your local municipality (gemeente) after arrival — this is a standard step for all international students in the Netherlands, but worth planning for before your first disbursement date.

🎓 Official Source

HAN University Scholarships — Official Page
HAN Programs Finder
Contact HAN
Phone: +31 24 35 30 500 — Monday to Friday, 08:00–17:00

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Information
University	HAN University of Applied Sciences
Country	Netherlands
Scholarships Available	HAN NL Scholarship + HAN Honors Scholarship
Max Award (Bachelor’s)	€12,500 (HAN NL) / €7,500 (Honors)
Max Award (Master’s)	€5,000 (HAN NL) / €2,500 (Honors)
Degree Level	Bachelor’s and Master’s
Open To	Non-EU/EEA nationals only
Pakistani Students Eligible	Yes
IELTS Required	Yes — minimum 6.5
Application Deadline (Sep intake)	1 May 2026, 12:00 pm CEST
Application Deadline (Feb intake)	19 October 2026, 12:00 pm CEST
Official Link	Apply Here