UAF Scholarships


The UAF is the oldest refugee organization in the Netherlands. The Foundation was set up in 1948 by the Dutch Universities as the University Asylum Fund to support Czech students who fled to the Netherlands after the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union. Ever since, the Foundation for Refugee Students UAF has supported refugees in their studies and in finding suitable employment.

What we do UAF supports refugees with grants and loans, so that they can attend a course of higher education. These funds are intended only for tuition fees, language courses, books, a computer, travelling expenses and other costs related to their studies.
UAF advises refugees on their choice of study and guides them during their studies and when they apply for jobs. In the initial phase, UAF helps them while they learn the language and develop learning skills. UAF organizes training courses and networking meetings for refugees who are studying and those who have graduated.

Results in 2014

  • UAF supported 2596 refugees

  • 190 students graduated

  • 181 students got an apprenticeship or trainee placement

  • 67 students toke up a volunteer opportunity

  • 219 students found a job

  • 11 students started as entrepreneurs

Eligibility Criteria

If you want to study for a bachelor's or master's degree in the Netherlands, you must first learn Dutch. If you are a refugee and you meet our entry requirements, the UAF can advise you which path to follow.

Do you meet our requirements?

1. You are a refugee.
2. You want to follow a bachelor's or master's degree programme in regular education.
3. You have sufficient training for a bachelor's or master's degree study.
4. You speak Dutch, English or French at an advanced level.
5. You have not had a residence permit for longer than five years.
6. You have not previously completed a Dutch college or university degree.

Offered Benefits

Did you receive your residence permit after January 1, 2013?

Then you have, or you will soon get, a letter from DUO saying that you must take an integration course (which includes learning Dutch). You yourself are responsible for your integration course. The UAF does not pay for your integration. You can get financial help from the government. You can borrow up to € 10,000 for integration. If you want to pursue studies at the bachelor or master level after, you need a NT2 diploma (Second Language State Exam, programme II).

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