He Traded the American Dream for a €5,000 Dutch Scholarship and Has Zero Regrets — 1000 Ways to Japa

Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways to Japa speaks to real people and explores the endless reasons and paths they take to japa.

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Busayo (19) always planned to leave Nigeria; the only question was where and how. After watching his 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.

Where do you live now, and when did you leave Nigeria?

I live in Rotterdam. Everyone thinks of Amsterdam when they hear “Netherlands,” but Rotterdam is honestly one of the best cities here. I left Nigeria on August 19, 2025.

What did life look like for you before you left?

I finished high school in 2024. The original plan was America. I applied to a bunch of universities while I was still in school, got into a few good ones, and even got scholarships ranging from 20% to 60%, but when my family sat down and did the maths on four years of tuition, it just didn’t make sense in the long term. My older sister, who’d already been living in the Netherlands for years, was the one who the bigger picture, the job market, the opportunities, in a way the rest of us couldn’t yet.

Wow, so what actually killed the American dream for you?

A few things stacked up. I didn’t want to retake the SATs, so I applied to two Ivy League schools with just my GPA, and that didn’t work out. Then there was the high rate of visa denials for international students and the tuition affordability in the long run. That’s when America was officially off the table for me.

So you pivoted to the Netherlands. How did that happen?

I actually applied to the Netherlands the same year I applied to US schools, before I even finished high school, and I got into Erasmus University Rotterdam. I just didn’t get the scholarship, so it would’ve still meant a huge amount of money.

During my gap year, I reapplied. My sister kept telling me Erasmus is one of the best universities in the world, with a really strong media and communications program, so I put more effort into the scholarship application this time. I got in, and I got the scholarship.

Nice! Walk me through the process, how you found the scholarship, and what the application involves

Honestly, a lot of it was self-directed research. I still have a YouTube playlist titled “university application” full of videos of people breaking down how they got in and guidance from my sister. For the university application, I submitted my West African Examination Council (WAEC) results and a motivation letter.

For the scholarship, I had to write two essays, one on why I needed the money and one on why I deserved it academically and socially. I leaned on the fact that I’d been on scholarship in high school too, so I could show I wouldn’t waste the investment. The scholarship was €5,000.

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Alright. What did the process cost?

My 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, I was left paying €20,500.

Okay, now the visa. What was that process like?

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

Did you face any issues during this process?

Yes! I went to submit my documents in person, very organised, and found it shocking there was hardly anyone in line. The woman who attended to me told me the MVV would now take 40 to 60 days instead of the usual five to ten. I panicked because I already had pre-academic programs and orientation to attend before school started on September 1st.

I emailed my school immediately, and they emailed the embassy the same day. Within a day or two, I got a message telling me to come back; my visa was ready. That was the fastest process time I have ever experienced, Kudos to my Uni on that one. I literally collected it the day before my flight and started packing that same night.

That’s so stressful. What was your first week in the Netherlands actually like?

It was mostly documentation, honestly. My sister picked me up from the airport, and even the free luggage trolleys shocked me, coming from Nigeria. In my first week, I registered at the municipality to get my 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. I also signed up for my school’s pre-academic programme and got my 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. So it was a pretty decent first week.

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What do you love most about living there?

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

And what’s been the hardest part?

The restrictions on international students, honestly. There aren’t nearly as many scholarship opportunities for us compared to students from other regions. I also had an internship offer from a global company that I had to turn down in my 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.

So sorry about that. What’s the housing situation like 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. My 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.

What about jobs and the cost of living? Does the pay match 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. I’ve 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. I earned €19 an hour leading a team for my 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.

Is the language a barrier, and how did you build community?

Not really, 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 the community, I joined my university’s African Students Association, where I met people who are my friends now. I also go to Hillsong church here, and I’m part of a church connect group. It takes time, and I’d tell anyone not to be desperate about it; you’ll find your people.

Do you miss Nigeria?

I miss my friends and family back home. I miss the accessibility of proper Nigerian food. We mostly cook African food at home, but it would be a great addition to just step out for a proper Nigerian meal. I don’t see myself moving back permanently anytime soon, though. Maybe short visits during summer, when it’s calmer.

Any mistakes you’d warn other japa hopefuls about?

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.

On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate life in the Netherlands?

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 I 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 me I’m an international student are the restrictions and heavy documentation to do certain things- internships.

Any final words for someone thinking about doing the same thing?

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 AKA Imposter syndrome remember you earned your spot here just like everyone else you deserve every bit of it.

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