Registration for the new Dutch grant programme Holland Scholarship begins today. Every year, this grant gives 768 talented international students the chance to take a Bachelor's or Master's programme in the Netherlands. In addition, 768 Dutch students are also given the chance to spend a minimum of three months in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in order to study, complete an internship or conduct research. The aim of the Holland Scholarship is to put Dutch higher education on the map and to encourage student mobility (both incoming and outgoing).

National grant
The Holland Scholarship is the key Dutch grant for both Dutch and international students. The grant is made possible by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the VSNU (Association of Universities in the Netherlands), Vereniging Hogescholen (Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences) and EP-Nuffic (the expertise and service centre for internationalisation in Dutch education). The driving force behind the grant is the Collective International Vision (written by the VSNU and Vereniging Hogescholen) and the Minister of Education, Culture and Science's Vision of Internationalisation letter (June 2014). Forty-eight Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences participated in the programme. They also provided half of the funding.

Minister Jet Bussemaker: "Foreign experiences are of great value. It is a highly enriching experience for a student to leave their familiar surroundings for a time to study or be an intern within a different cultural setting."

Importance of internationalisation
The Holland Scholarship boosts the quality of education at universities by establishing an international classroom. This also maintains the Netherlands' status as an attractive country in which to study.

For Dutch students, this grant makes it easier to complete an internship or a period of study abroad. Also, experience abroad is important for the development of international competencies, which will give the students greater opportunities on the job market following graduation. The students themselves often describe their study periods abroad as a life-changing experience.

The Holland Scholarship
Every year, a total of 1,536 grants are available. Students living in the Netherlands can gain more information via www.wilweg.nl/hollandscholarship and from their own university. International students can access this information via www.studyinholland.nl/hollandscholarship, the Study in Holland campaign and the Netherlands Education Support Offices (NESOs), which promote and support Dutch higher education in 10 different countries.

Dutch students are awarded a sum of €1,250 for a study period, internship or research position in a country outside the EEA. For international students outside the EEA, grants of €5,000 are available for a complete Bachelor's or Master's programme. At the beginning of the next academic year, the first Holland Scholarship students will be welcomed/seen off.