He Traded the American Dream for a €5,000 Dutch Scholarship and Has Zero Regrets

Busayo, 19, always knew he wanted to leave Nigeria. The only question was where and how. After watching friends get shut out of US student visas one by one, he pivoted his entire plan to the Netherlands, landed a scholarship at one of the country’s top universities, and rebuilt his life. He spoke with 1,000 Ways to Japa about the process, the costs, and what he has learned.

From America to the Netherlands

Busayo finished high school in 2024. His original plan was the United States. He applied to several universities while still in school, got into a few good ones, and even received scholarships ranging from 20% to 60%. But when his family sat down and did the maths on four years of tuition, it didn’t make sense in the long term.

His older sister, who had already been living in the Netherlands for years, was the one who saw the bigger : the job market, the opportunities, in a way the rest of the family couldn’t yet.

Several things stacked up against the American dream. Busayo didn’t want to retake the SATs, so he applied to two Ivy League schools with just his GPA, and that didn’t work out. Then there was the high rate of visa denials for international students and the long-term tuition affordability. That’s when America was officially off the table.

The Erasmus University Scholarship

Busayo actually applied to the Netherlands the same year he applied to US schools, before he even finished high school, and got into Erasmus University Rotterdam. He just didn’t get the scholarship, so it would have still meant a huge amount of money. During his gap year, he reapplied. His sister kept telling him Erasmus is one of the best universities in the world, with a really strong media and communications program, so he put more effort into the scholarship application this time. He got in, and he got the scholarship.

Much of the process was self-directed research. Busayo still has a YouTube playlist titled “university application” full of videos of people breaking down how they got in, plus guidance from his sister. For the university application, he submitted his West African Examination Council (WAEC) results and a motivation letter. For the scholarship, he had to write two essays: one on why he needed the money and one on why he deserved it academically and socially. He leaned on the fact that he’d been on scholarship in high school too, so he could show he wouldn’t waste the investment. The scholarship was €5,000.

What the Process Cost

Busayo’s tuition was €11,300. But once you add the living fee, a deposit you pay upfront to prove you can sustain yourself, which gets returned to you once you’re in the country, plus tuition and immigration costs, the total comes to €25,500. With the €5,000 scholarship, he was left paying €20,500.

The Visa Process

Because his university was his sponsor, Busayo didn’t apply separately; the school handled much of the paperwork on his end, including obtaining his V-number from the immigration authority. What he signed was more of a declaration-of-acceptance form, along with the usual documents, like his Nigerian passport.

Before you get your actual residence permit, you need a Machtiging tot Voorlopig Verblijf (MVV), which is a provisional entry visa sticker that lets you enter the country and is valid for 90 days.

Busayo did face an issue. He went to submit his documents in person, very organised, and found it shocking there was hardly anyone in line. The woman who attended to him told him the MVV would now take 40 to 60 days instead of the usual five to ten. He panicked because he already had pre-academic programs and orientation to attend before school started on September 1st. He emailed his school immediately, and they emailed the embassy the same day. Within a day or two, he got a message telling him to come back; his visa was ready. He collected it the day before his flight and started packing that same night.

First Week in the Netherlands

Busayo’s first week was mostly documentation. His sister picked him up from the airport, and even the free luggage trolleys shocked him, coming from Nigeria. In his first week, he registered at the municipality to get his Burgerservicenummer or Citizen Service Number (BSN), which is your citizen number. You need it for literally everything: a SIM card, a bank account, and health insurance. He also signed up for his school’s pre-academic programme and got his OV chip card sorted for public transport, where you have to remember to tap in and tap out, or they’ll charge you the full fare regardless of where you actually got off.

What He Loves About Living There

The organisation, hands down. Everything is documented, accountable, and clean. 24/7 electricity still shocks him sometimes. He can leave the house and come back, and his lights will be on as long as he’s paid his bill. He also loves that the country is so central, a two-hour train gets you to Belgium, and an hour’s flight to Paris. His residence permit lets him travel anywhere in the EU.

The Hardest Part

The restrictions on international students, honestly. There aren’t nearly as many scholarship opportunities for them compared to students from other regions. Busayo also had an internship offer from a global company that he had to turn down in his first year because of a binding agreement between the student, the university, and the employer that doesn’t apply to EU passport holders. That one really hurt.

Housing in the Netherlands

It’s genuinely tough. Rent runs anywhere from €650 to €1,200 a month, and that’s often for a shared place; a studio to yourself can go for €900 to €1,300. It depends on where you find housing and how lucky you are. Busayo’s honest advice: have a very solid financial plan before you get here. If you don’t have family or any other person here already, reach out to your university directly; they’re usually lenient with first-years and keep some emergency housing for international students. Facebook groups can help too, but watch out for scams, and don’t send money upfront. Some people end up commuting an hour or two from a neighbouring city because they couldn’t find anything closer.

Jobs and the Cost of Living

It depends on the job. As a non-EU international student, you’re capped at 16 hours a week during the school year or 40 hours in summer, but only one or the other, not both. Your employer must also apply for a work permit for you every 6 months, except for internships. Busayo has worked a bar job and a cup-stacking job; the cup-stacking paid about €12 an hour. Pay generally scales with age, too; an 18-year-old typically earns less than someone in their early twenties for the same retail-type job. Some corporate student jobs pay better. He earned €19 an hour leading a team for his school’s pre-academic programme over the summer. Whatever you make, you get taxed, but you can file at the end of the year and often get money back if you were overtaxed.

Language and Community

Not really a barrier, as most people speak English here, which is part of why the Netherlands is such a popular study destination. Learning basic Dutch helps with day-to-day life, but you won’t die without it. For community, Busayo joined his university’s African Students Association, where he met people who are his friends now. He also goes to Hillsong church and is part of a church connect group. It takes time, and he’d tell anyone not to be desperate about it; you’ll find your people.

Missing Nigeria

Busayo misses his friends and family back home. He misses the accessibility of proper Nigerian food. They mostly cook African food at home, but it would be a great addition to just step out for a proper Nigerian meal. He doesn’t see himself moving back permanently anytime soon, though. Maybe short visits during summer, when it’s calmer.

Mistakes to Avoid

Kill the mindset that you’ll land and start making serious money immediately, even as a student; the reality is very different from what you plan for. Don’t come in with an unrealistic, Netflix-fed idea of what university life abroad looks like either. Save money, even if it’s just €5 a week. Don’t try to work a full course load and a full-time job at the same time; it’s not sustainable. And please, stop converting every price back to naira in your head, it’ll only stress you out.

Rating Life in the Netherlands

Busayo gives it a solid 7.9. It’s not an eight or a nine because the restrictions on international students are real, and funding cuts have been hitting scholarships and social programmes hard recently. But the organisation, the quality of life, and the fact that he can afford to travel around Europe on a few hundred euros have made this start to feel like home. The main thing that still reminds him he’s an international student are the restrictions and heavy documentation to do certain things, like internships.

Final Words for Japa Hopefuls

Do your research obsessively. Think and prepare finances in the long run before you come, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, even when it’s scary. It’s worth it. And at times when you feel less in comparison to your classmates, also known as imposter syndrome, remember you earned your spot here just like everyone else. You deserve every bit of it.