Dutch student finance
If you are a Dutch national or have the same rights, you may be eligible for student finance (‘studiefinanciering’) from DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs).
Student finance includes different components:
- basic grant (performance grant)
- supplementary grant (dependent on family income) (performance grant)
- OV student travel product (performance grant)
- tuition fees loan
- interest bearing loan
Dutch students are eligible for the basic grant, student travel product and the loans. Whether or not you are eligible for the supplementary grant depends on the income of your parents. For all student finance components, you must be younger than 30 years of age on the day that your student finance begins.
Learn more about student finance from the DUO website
Please note: There are commercial organisations that claim they can help (international) students apply for student finance, but which charge a fee for their assistance. These are unnecessary costs, as you can apply for it yourself via DUO.
Can non-Dutch students receive Dutch student finance?
Students from the EU/EEA or Switzerland may be eligible for Dutch student finance if they:
- work at least 32 hours per month. A monthly income of at least 50 per cent of the social security benefit threshold is also sufficient; or
- have been living in the Netherlands continuously for five years; or
- their partner or one of their parents is a migrant worker and holds the nationality of an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Furthermore, their partner or parent must be in paid employment in the Netherlands for at least 32 hours per month. A monthly income of at least 50 per cent of the social assistance threshold is also sufficient.
What do you have to repay?
The basic grant, the student travel product and the supplementary grant (also referred to as ‘performance-related grant’) do not have to be repaid if you obtain your diploma within ten years of the first month in which your student finance begins. If you do not obtain your diploma within this time you will need to repay everything, with the exception of the first five months of the supplementary grant, which remains a grant regardless.
Duration of your eligibility
You’re eligible for student finance for up to seven years if your regular education programme lasts four years (three-year bachelor’s programme + one-year master’s programme). In this case, you will get the basic grant and the supplementary grant, if you qualify, only for the first four years. For the following three years, you will be able to borrow money as a loan. You are eligible for the student travel product for five years.
If your regular education programme is longer than four years (three-year bachelor’s programme + two-year research master’s programme), you can receive the student finance for a longer period. More about the duration of your eligibility.
Calculating your student finance
You can calculate your student finance using DUO's student finance calculator. This calculator helps to estimate:
- total student finance requirement
- potential supplementary funding
- maximum loan amount
- expected debt and monthly repayment amount
Lifelong learning credit
If regular student finance or the tuition fee loan does not apply to you, the 'lifelong learning credit' can help cover tuition or course fees. Please note: This is not a donation.
Student finance pre-master’s programmes
You will not always receive student finance for a pre-master's programme ('schakelprogramma') or a preparatory year. Check your student finance options for a pre-master’s programme with DUO.