Withdrawing during your 1st year
During your 1st year of MBO (secondary vocational education) level 3 or 4, HBO (higher vocational education), or university, you are free to try out if the programme suits you. If you stop your student finance no later than 1 February, you will not have to repay your grant and travel product. This is called the first year scheme. Of course, you will still have to repay any student loan that you have received.
Have you completed your MBO programme and are you continuing your studies in HBO from the 2023-2024 academic year or later? Then you have until the end of the 1st academic year, that is 1 September, to stop your student finance.
Conditions first year scheme
The conditions depend on the educational route you followed.
From secondary education to a subsequent course
- You came from VMBO, HAVO, or VWO.
- You are receiving student finance for the first time for an MBO programme for which you are registered for the first time in the same year. Or you are receiving student finance for HBO, or university for the first time.
- Your student finance has stopped before 1 February.
- Did you take an MBO course level 3 or 4? Then you cannot get student finance again in the same academic year for MBO level 3 or 4.
- Did you take a course at HBO or university? Then you cannot get student finance again in the same academic year for HBO or university.
- If you started at HBO or university on 1 February, your student finance must have stopped before 1 September. You cannot get student finance again for HBO or university until 1 February of the next academic year.
From MBO 1/2 to MBO 3/4
- You came from MBO level 1 or 2.
- You are receiving student finance for the first time for an MBO programme for which you are registered for the first time in the same year.
- Your student finance has stopped before 1 February.
- You cannot get student finance again in the same academic year for an MBO course level 3 or 4.
From MBO to HBO or university
If you have an MBO diploma, from the 2023-2024 academic year the conditions are as follows:
- You are receiving student finance for HBO or university for the first time.
- If you started on 1 September, your student finance must have stopped no later than 31 August. If you started on 1 February, your student finance must have stopped no later than 31 January.
- After stopping your student finance, you cannot get student finance for HBO or university again for a while. The period during which this applies, depends on when you stopped your student finance:
- Started on 1 September and student finance stopped before 1 February: you cannot get student finance for HBO or university again until 1 September after.
- Started on 1 September and student finance stopped in the period 1 February up to and including 31 August: you cannot get student finance again for HBO or university until 1 February after.
- Started on 1 February and student finance stopped before 1 September: you cannot get student finance again for HBO or university until 1 February after.
- Started on 1 February and student finance stopped in the period 1 September up to and including 31 January: you cannot get student finance again for HBO or university until 1 September after.
Do you switch from MBO to higher education without an MBO diploma? Or do you have an MBO diploma and are you switching before the 2023-2024 academic year? Then the conditions are as follows:
- You are receiving student finance for HBO or university for the first time.
- Your student finance must have stopped no later than 31 January.
- You cannot get student finance again in the same academic year for HBO or university.
- If you started at HBO or university on 1 February, your student finance must have stopped before 1 September. You cannot get student finance again for HBO or university until 1 February of the next academic year.
Having trouble figuring out if you are eligible or not? Click the button and answer the questions. We will tell you if the first year scheme applies to you.
Once for MBO, once for university or HBO
You can use the first year scheme once for secondary vocational education (MBO) and once university or higher vocational education (HBO). The student finance you received in your 1st year counts as months of student finance already used. You cannot use them again later.
Apply for the 1st year scheme
- Log in to My DUO to stop your student finance.
- Cancel your student travel product.
- You will receive automatic notification that the debt for your student grant and your travel product has been cancelled. This notification is sent approximately one year later, in January.
Withdrew from secondary vocational education (MBO) before 2017-2018
Do you meet the conditions for the ‘1st of February’ scheme but did you withdraw from your MBO programme before the 2017-2018 academic year? In that case you have to apply for the ‘1st of February’ scheme yourself. There is a special application form for MBO students. Submit the form within 10 years and 3 months of the 1st month in which you received student finance.
No notification in January
It may take up to 2 years for your grant to be converted into a gift. For example: You've switched from MBO to HBO. In April 2024 you disenrolled from your HBO course. In order to be eligible for the first year scheme, you couldn't apply for student finance up to February 2025. Only in January 2026, we will be able to tell if you are entitled to conversion your debt.
Checklist
Have you cancelled your student finance and student travel product? You can check in My DUO if everything has been processed correctly:
- You will no longer see any payments listed on the ‘Mijn producten’ tab.
- You will see a notification that your student travel product has been deactivated.
- In ‘Mijn berichten’ you have received a confirmation that your student finance has been stopped.
Refund of course fees or tuition fees
Have you withdrawn from secondary vocational education (MBO)? If so, you are often required to pay the course fees for the entire academic year. Only in specific situations are you entitled to a refund of course fees. You need to apply for this refund yourself.
To obtain a refund of tuition fees for university or higher vocational education (HBO), you need to contact your university or HBO institution.