AAC Guidebook
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Imagine you have found the perfect graduate program – a school in a great location, with brilliant professors and an excellent curriculum. You meet the requirements, and have a good chance of getting in. But then there's always that inevitable worry: can you afford it?
First, you need to figure out what will be the total costs of your graduate program. Second, you should look into financial resources. On top of your own savings, you can obtain scholarships (grants) or loans.
First, you need to figure out what will be the total costs of your graduate program. Second, you should look into financial resources. On top of your own savings, you can obtain scholarships (grants) or loans.
Costs
One of the most important costs that vary among the different graduate programs is the tuition fee. This can range from nothing to tens of thousands of euros. This cost is quite straightforward, and you will be able to find information about this on the website of the university.
A second significant cost is housing. Especially housing in crowded areas (cities) can be very expensive. Sometimes universities offer housing, but it is often also possible to rent via private housing. Often private housing is cheaper, but this also depends on the university and the town/city in which it is located. Furthermore, there is a big difference in rent between single, double, triple, etc. rooms. It also saves a lot of money if you have the possibility to share the bathroom. These are just a few things to take into consideration when deciding on your accommodation.
Thirdly, the cost of living differs a lot between locations. This has to do with the price level of the country and the location of your graduate university. For example, Sweden is known for having no tuition fee, but the cost of living is very high. Finally, there are a lot of smaller costs, like books, visa, and furniture. You should also reserve money for traveling costs and insurance.
A second significant cost is housing. Especially housing in crowded areas (cities) can be very expensive. Sometimes universities offer housing, but it is often also possible to rent via private housing. Often private housing is cheaper, but this also depends on the university and the town/city in which it is located. Furthermore, there is a big difference in rent between single, double, triple, etc. rooms. It also saves a lot of money if you have the possibility to share the bathroom. These are just a few things to take into consideration when deciding on your accommodation.
Thirdly, the cost of living differs a lot between locations. This has to do with the price level of the country and the location of your graduate university. For example, Sweden is known for having no tuition fee, but the cost of living is very high. Finally, there are a lot of smaller costs, like books, visa, and furniture. You should also reserve money for traveling costs and insurance.
Financial Resources
As has already been noted, financial sources consist of three parts: savings, scholarships/grants, and loans. Savings are quite straightforward; hopefully, you have some savings yourself, or your parents are able to contribute. However, we understand that not all students have the privilege to do this - sadly, education is often still massively expensive.
Scholarships and grants can be the solution to a big shortage. All Dutch students who receive a governmental study loan ('leenstelsel') can take this loan, under certain conditions, with them if they would like to study abroad. Check the website of DUO for these conditions and more information. If you go abroad, you will no longer need your OV-card, so there are also options for applying for travel reimbursement with this in mind.
There are many scholarships available. A lot of research has to be put into finding the scholarships, because universities themselves offer most. Take some time to investigate whether potential programs have any scholarships available for students, as it could save you tens of thousands of euros. Good places to start looking for scholarships are the websites Nuffic, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Erasmus Mundus, Fulbright, and Suave. You can also search for more scholarships on websites with overviews, such as (for Dutch students) Beursopener. Many non-university scholarships/grants are gender-, region-, or discipline-specific. Private donors often make funds available for people with the same background as them. For instance, a successful Turkish scientist could open a scholarship fund for Turkish science students. When browsing the internet for scholarships, be sure to keep this in mind when you decide on keywords – do not simply search for "postgraduate scholarship", but include variations of some of your specific qualities (area of study, nationality, etc.). Keep searching and apply for multiple! You never know what could happen.
Ample government loans are not always available for foreign Master programs because the amounts you can borrow are tailored to Dutch programs. For students who can borrow from DUO and need the money to obtain a graduate degree, it could be a good idea to borrow toward your Master's in your undergraduate years at UCR. While borrowing money is not ideal, it is often necessary. Private loans are risky, and often disadvantageous in terms of interest rates and other conditions – we recommend using bank loans or other private loans only as a last resort.
Scholarships and grants can be the solution to a big shortage. All Dutch students who receive a governmental study loan ('leenstelsel') can take this loan, under certain conditions, with them if they would like to study abroad. Check the website of DUO for these conditions and more information. If you go abroad, you will no longer need your OV-card, so there are also options for applying for travel reimbursement with this in mind.
There are many scholarships available. A lot of research has to be put into finding the scholarships, because universities themselves offer most. Take some time to investigate whether potential programs have any scholarships available for students, as it could save you tens of thousands of euros. Good places to start looking for scholarships are the websites Nuffic, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Erasmus Mundus, Fulbright, and Suave. You can also search for more scholarships on websites with overviews, such as (for Dutch students) Beursopener. Many non-university scholarships/grants are gender-, region-, or discipline-specific. Private donors often make funds available for people with the same background as them. For instance, a successful Turkish scientist could open a scholarship fund for Turkish science students. When browsing the internet for scholarships, be sure to keep this in mind when you decide on keywords – do not simply search for "postgraduate scholarship", but include variations of some of your specific qualities (area of study, nationality, etc.). Keep searching and apply for multiple! You never know what could happen.
Ample government loans are not always available for foreign Master programs because the amounts you can borrow are tailored to Dutch programs. For students who can borrow from DUO and need the money to obtain a graduate degree, it could be a good idea to borrow toward your Master's in your undergraduate years at UCR. While borrowing money is not ideal, it is often necessary. Private loans are risky, and often disadvantageous in terms of interest rates and other conditions – we recommend using bank loans or other private loans only as a last resort.