Libertas Support Fund

The aim of the Libertas Support Fund is to assist politically engaged students who for political reasons have been prevented from studying in their countries of origin to continue their studies in the Netherlands.

The Dutch government nominates countries whose nationals are eligible for a scholarship from the Fund. The Fund provides financial help to students who want to follow a bachelor’s or master’s programme in the Netherlands. Study can include research and/or practical training.
Suitable candidates for the Libertas Support Fund are politically/socially engaged students who are personally active in efforts to improve political or social conditions in their country of origin and because of this have encountered problems in continuing their studies.

Countries

The Dutch government previously appointed Zimbabwe and Belarus as countries whose nationals were eligible for a scholarship from the Fund.

Applications

As of March 2011 the Libertas Support Fund is closed for new applications. Currently, it is only open for follow-up applications from students who have been awarded a scholarship for the year 2011-2012. They will be informed by their Dutch institution.

If you are already a scholar of the Libertas Support Fund and you wish to continue your studies in the Netherlands with a scholarship from the Fund, you need to submit a follow-up application for the next academic year.

Conditions

The following conditions apply for follow-up applications;

• no more than four times for a bachelor’s programme in research-oriented education (wetenschappelijk onderwijs);
• no more than five times for a bachelor’s programme in professional higher education (hoger beroepsonderwijs);
• no more than two times for a master’s programme in research-oriented higher education; however, a subsidy may be awarded no more than three times if the total number of study credits available for a programme is 120.
• no more than two times for a master’s programme in higher professional education; and
• applicants may apply for a subsidy for both a bachelor’s and a master’s programme.
   

The scholarship

The scholarship includes the following components:

• reimbursement of tuition fees;
• a monthly allowance of €1,000 including a standard contribution towards healthcare insurance;
• visa fees (standard contribution);
• a one-off payment towards international travel costs (standard contribution based on country of origin).
   

The procedure: step-by-step

• In April Nuffic informs all Libertas Support Fund contact persons at the Dutch higher education institutions about the follow-up application procedure.
• Nuffic provides the contact persons with the relevant documents that have to be filled in.
• He/she completes the forms and asks the student to sign it.
• The contact person then sends all the required documents to Nuffic.
• Nuffic checks whether the documents are complete and correctly filled in.
• If the follow-up application is complete and correct, it can be submitted to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
• The Minister’s decision is sent to the scholarship student and to the contact person at the Dutch higher education institution.

Source: Nuffic Netherlands