Overview

Supplementary grant – DUO-Students in MBO, HBO & University: If you are enrolled as a student in a university, higher vocational education, or secondary vocational education, you can apply for student finance. You must be a Dutch national or hold equivalent rights, which means that non-Dutch students are also eligible to apply for student finance.

Do you fail to meet the nationality criteria for student finance? Then you may still qualify for a tuition fees loan.

What is student finance?

• Student finance consists of different components, such as the basic grant, the supplementary grant, the student travel product, the interest bearing loan and the tuition fees loan (for HBO and university only).
• You decide which components you apply for.

We recommend that you always apply for the supplementary grant. You only have to do this once. Because every year, we will calculate if you’re entitled to the grant

Living at home or on your own

You will get more money if you are no longer living with either of your parentsLink opent externe pagina.

To receive student finance for students living on their own, you need to:

• be registered with the municipality on an a different address than your parent(s), and
• actually live on the registered address.

Your eligibility is based on the situation on the 1st of the month. If you receive student finance for students living on their own, we will check if you meet the conditions.

How much is it?

Go to Amounts to read the maximum amounts. Also check the Tax and Customs Administration websiteLink opent externe pagina to see if you are eligible for any benefits or a tax refund.

When does student finance start?

• student finance for MBO: from the quarter after your 18th birthday. But you can get the student travel product before you turn 18.
• student finance for HBO or university: as soon as you start your programme, even if you are under 18. Usually this is from 1 September.

We pay the amount every month, towards the end of the month. Including the summer holidays.

Eligibility

Whether you qualify for student finance depends on your age, course and nationality or residency status.

Age

• If you are studying at MBO (secondary vocational education), the minimum age for a grant or interest bearing loan is 18. However, if you are under 18 you can still get a student travel product.
• There is no minimum age for HBO (higher professional education) and university.
• You must be younger than 30 on the day your student finance starts.

If you already receive student finance, it will continue after your 30th birthday, unless you stop it. You cannot restart it after that.

Course

• You are enrolled in 1 of the following courses:
  • MBO: school-based learning pathway (BOL)
  • HBO or university: bachelor, master or associate degree
• You are enrolled in a full-time or dual course. You will not get student finance for a part-time programme or work-based learning pathway (BBL). Or if you are enrolled as a external student (“extraneus”) or exam candidate.
• You have to be enrolled on the first day of the month. If you’re enrolled after the first day of the month, you will be eligible the following month.
• Your course lasts at least 1 year.
• Your course must be officially recognised in the Netherlands. Your school or university can tell you if this is the case.

Are you taking a transition year (“schakeljaar”) or a premaster programme? You will only get student finance if you are registered as a full time or dual bachelor student.

Sometimes you can get student finance for a programme abroad (link in Dutch).

Have you had student finance for 48 months or more for MBO 3 or 4? Then you are not entitled to student finance for MBO 1 or 2.

Have you had student finance for HBO or university for 48 months or more? Then you are not entitled to student financie for MBO.

Nationality

• You have the Dutch nationality or a residence permit type II, III, IV or V.
• Do you have a residence permit type I? Then you may also qualify for student finance.
• Do you have the nationality of an EU/EEA countryLink opent externe pagina, Switzerland or the United Kingdom? Or is your partner or parent a citizen of one of these countries? Then you may also qualify for student finance. Read about eligibility for student finance for citizens of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.

Does the Temporary Protection Directive UkraineLink opent externe pagina apply to you? If so, you do not qualify for student finance.

If you do not qualify for student finance

If you do not qualify for student finance, you may be eligible for another scheme:

• grant or subsidy for a teacher training course (information in Dutch)
• grant for teachers studying at HBO or university (information in Dutch)
• lifelong learning credit
• tuition fee loan or contribution towards course fees for EU/EEA citizens and Swiss, or British holding a Dutch residence permit Article 50.

Gift or repayment

Student finance is not always a gift.

For more information, please click here