The Netherlands is to try to lure ‘top’ foreign students to attend Dutch universities with a new €5m scholarship scheme.

Education minister Jet Bussemaker has set up the special fund to attract foreign talents to the Netherlands and to help Dutch students to attend foreign universities.

In total, 1,000 students will be able to apply for €5,000 towards the cost of their tuition. Half of the cost of the scholarships will be carried by the universities themselves.

Grants

The new fund comes just a few weeks after the government said it was scrapping the basic grant for all but students from poor families from the start of the 2015 academic year. The decision has infuriated student groups who say it will add €15,000 to the average student debt.

‘Top students from abroad boost standards and improve the success rates, for Dutch students as well,’ the education ministry statement said. The statement does not say how the scholarships will be awarded.

Over 80,000 foreign students are currently attending Dutch universities and colleges. Last year the government last month agreed to do more to retain foreign students once they have completed their degrees, saying this will boost the Netherlands’ prosperity, its economy and Dutch higher education in general.