Getting to study in Netherlands is a giant opportunity for many engineering major hopefuls. Among the many factors that need to be taken into account while planning to study in Netherlands, planning your finances in a strategic manner plays a major role. Your dream to study in Netherlands can only take off if you have your finances well-planned. This article will shed more light on the topic of funding your higher education in Netherlands and how you get to benefit if you plan in the right manner.

Or better yet, watch the 22nd episode of Loanflix, in which, the speaker of the episode, Ms. Damini Mahajan, tells you how you can effectively plan your finances so that your goal of studying in universities in Netherlands is a success.

Higher education in Netherlands for international students can be a slightly complicated affair when they possess limited information about the various financial requirements laid down by the various educational institutions located there. Due to the high cost of living in Europe, many students opt to borrow an education loan instead of funding their studies by themselves. Certain technical universities in Netherlands, for e.g, the TU-Delft, requires students to pay the tuition for an entire year in order to secure their admission.

What kinds of education loans are available to study in Netherlands

In India, abroad education loans are broadly divided into two types; secured education loans and unsecured education loans. Secured education loans basically require loan applicants to pledge certain kinds of assets as collateral security against their abroad education loan. These loans are usually lent by government banks or public banks in India. 

Unsecured education loans are those loans which do not require loan applicants to pledge any collateral against the loan. NBFCs (Non-Banking Finance Companies) are the major providers of unsecured education loans in India. 

Education Loan Amount Limits for higher studies in Netherlands

1. Secured education loans:

   The secured loan amounts offered by different public banks to students who wish to pursue their higher education in Netherlands vary depending on their terms and conditions for the same. For example, the SBI, one of the major public banks in India, offers a maximum loan amount of Rs.1.5 Cr as abroad education loan.
   An education loan from any of the notable government banks functioning in India is always a safer option. Secured loans borrowed from public banks prove to be more beneficial to students in comparison to NBFCs. Loan applicants get to enjoy benefits such as eligibility for an education loan interest rate subsidy, income tax exemption, etc. Apart from that, the co-applicant requirements of public banks are not so stringent. 
   

    

2. Unsecured education loans:

   NBFCs offer up to Rs.30-35 Lakhs as education loans to loan applicants who wish to study in Holland if they approach these NBFCs directly. However, when you apply through WeMakeScholars, you get to avail up to Rs.50 Lakhs as education loan to study in Netherlands. As the financial officers at WeMakeScholars have better expertise about the current education loan market, they can help you make the right decision regarding the right lender.
   Since NBFCs are private finance companies, they take note of a lot of factors into account before agreeing to approve students’ funding requests to study in Netherlands. A loan applicant’s choice of country for their higher studies also plays an important role.

Read More on SBI education loan for abroad studies - Things to know

When will you require funds to finance your higher education in Netherlands?

The admission process to study in the Netherlands is more or less similar to that for most countries. As usual, the first step in the entire abroad higher education process is to apply to the intended universities in Netherlands. After having applied, students will be required to await the arrival of their admission letter confirming their admission from the respective university. 

The total amount of money required to finance any higher education course in the Netherlands is heavily dependant on the payment process preferred by your university.

Certain universities in Netherlands require students to pay their entire year’s tuition fees before their visa process has even started, for e.g, the TU-Delft, one of the premier technical universities in the Netherlands requires students to deposit a year’s tuition fees before they can be accepted for any program. Likewise, if your university requires you to deposit one semester’s fees or a year’s tuition fees in order for you to get admitted, you might have to arrange for these funds way in advance.

If you plan on self-funding your higher education in Netherlands, you need to ensure the availability of the same before you even begin your visa process. Education loan applicants will be required to arrange their tuition fees before their visa process.

The other case is when no funds are required by your educational institution prior to your visa process. In this situation, students are required to present their proof of funds to the embassy before they begin the visa process. If you plan on self-funding your higher studies in Netherlands, you might need to produce your bank statement as proof of funds to the embassy. If you are borrowing an education loan, a loan sanction letter serves this purpose. In what way can you ensure the availability of funds when you are an education loan applicant? Read on to know.

What is a Pre-visa disbursement to study in Netherlands? 

A pre-visa disbursement basically refers to any component of an education loan that candidates may require their lending banks to disburse before their visa process starts.

Pre-visa disbursement from NBFCs: 

Most NBFCs (Non-Banking Finance Companies) approve of a pre-visa disbursement for loan applicants who wish to study in Netherlands, without any hassles. Hence, candidates borrowing unsecured education loans do not face a lot of problems in acquiring the same from their lending NBFCs.

Pre-visa disbursement from public banks:

Many candidates who borrow abroad education loans from public banks have a difficult time getting their loans sanctioned in time for the purpose of funding their higher education in Netherlands due to the long processing time taken by these banks. 

Many public bank officials have been known to hesitate in approving a pre-visa disbursement to those candidates who need one to study in Netherlands. Another section of candidates who face trouble from their lending banks is the ones who need their loan sanction letter before their visa process. 

When candidates directly approach their lending banks for a pre-visa disbursement in order to secure admission to their respective university in Netherlands, most bank officers hesitate to approve one. The most common excuse provided by most of these officials is that such provisions are allowed only for students who wish to study in countries like Germany and Canada, where it is mandatory for students to deposit their living expenses in advance to qualify for a student visa or they cite ignorance regarding the existence of any such disbursement being given to students who wish to study in Netherlands.

How to Tackle Such Situations?

So how do you overcome these hurdles? As an education loan applicant, how can you ensure that you get to undergo your student visa process for the Netherlands in a hassle-free way? This is where the WeMakeScholars team can help you. The financial team at WeMakeScholars has helped contribute to many policy changes in the education loan policies of major banks such as the SBI.

When candidates who wish to study in Netherlands with the help of an education loan approach us with their problems, our team leaves no stone unturned to ensure that they get their sanction letter or a pre-visa disbursement whichever is most needed by these candidates at the time, without any twists or turns.

The education loan team of WeMakeScholars has helped many students get their pre-visa disbursements in the past from banks such as the SBI, the Bank of Baroda, PNB, Canara Bank, etc. Their expertise about the current education loan market in India sets them apart from many other similar providers. The best part about approaching the team at WeMakeScholars is our team’s commitment towards our students.

Those who are looking to study in Netherlands with the help of education loans can get our team to reach out to them by requesting a callback. The financial officer assigned to you at the time will respond to the request at the earliest instant.

Read More on A guide to education loan without collateral for Indian students

When to apply for an Education Loan to Study in Netherlands

The education loan process to fund their higher education in Netherlands for Indian students can be a trying experience if they approach public banks directly. 

Candidates may apply for an abroad education loan to study in Netherlands at least 1.5 months prior to when they require funds.

It will only prove to be beneficial in the long run for such students. Most candidates are likely to face numerous hurdles in their abroad education loan process. Applying for an abroad education loan 1.5 months in advance will only prove to be beneficial to students in the long run. This will also ensure that you have enough time to look for alternative funding sources in case if your first choice doesn’t work out.

If you are looking to fund your higher education in Netherlands with the help of an abroad education loan, it is very important to plan the entire process in a strategic manner. The WeMakeScholars team provides advice on how you can go about this procedure with the help of Loanflix which is a comprehensive web-series on the different aspects of the abroad education loan process in India.

The core topic of every Loanflix episode is well-researched and backed with concrete facts about the current practices being followed in the education loan market. This web-series is now 22 episodes old and covers almost all topics crucial to the abroad education loan process. The range of topics covered by Loanflix ranges from the very basics of the abroad education loan process to how students can save on their education loan interest rates. The latest range of episodes covers the education loan process specific to different countries in the world.

The same can be said about the financial team of WeMakeScholars. WeMakeScholars has helped thousands of students realise their dream of pursuing their higher studies in Netherlands by providing them with the right kind of assistance with their abroad education loan process.

How Does WeMakeScholars Help?

Before you approach our team for assistance regarding your abroad education loan process, it is recommended that you watch all the 22 episodes of Loanflix. This will help you understand some of the fundamental concepts such as the broad classification of abroad education loans, the concept of collateral, loan margin, education loan subsidies, etc.

1. When students register for a callback through the WeMakeScholars financial team, a financial officer is assigned to them.
2. The assigned financial officer will get in touch with the candidates and discuss some of the basic details of their profile. After the initial analysis, the candidate will be intimated whether they are eligible for an education loan through any of our partner banks.
3. Upon confirming their eligibility for an abroad education loan, candidates will be guided by their assigned financial officer on how they can go about the documentation process for their abroad education loan.
4. Once the documentation process is complete, the WeMakeScholars team takes over the responsibility of ensuring that students are not bothered with unnecessary complications in their education loan process for any country they wish to go to.

Borrowing an education loan to fund your higher studies in Netherlands may seem like a herculean task. However, if you happen to go about the process through the appropriate channel, this need not be the case. So if you are confused about how you should initiate the process, or are stuck at any point in the education loan process to fund your Masters in Netherlands, don’t think twice. Request a call back on the WeMakeScholars website and the whole process will be a cakewalk for you.

The next episode of Loanflix is going to cover all the education loan requirements to study in France. So stay tuned and watch out for updates! 

Note: WeMakeScholars is an organization funded and supported by the Government of India that focuses on International Education finance. We are associated with 10+ public/Pvt banks/ NBFCs in India and help you get the best abroad education loan matching your profile. As this initiative is under the Digital India campaign, it’s at free of cost. The organization has vast experience dealing with students going to various abroad education destinations like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, China, France among others.