Overview
If you live in Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten or the Caribbean Netherlands and you plan to study in the Netherlands, you may be eligible for student finance.
What is student finance
If you are enrolled as a student in university, a university of applied sciences (HBO) or secondary vocational education (MBO), you can apply for student finance.
Student finance consists of the following components:
- Basic grant. The amount depends on your living situation: if you are living away from home, the amount will be higher.
- Supplementary grant. The amount depends on your parents’ income.
- Student loan. An amount you repay after finishing your studies. The student loan is subject to interest.
- Student travel product. This allows you to travel on public transport.
- Tuition fee loan . An extra loan, only available to HBO and university students.
You decide which components you apply for.
Performance-related grant
For MBO levels 1 and 2, the basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product are a gift. You will only need to repay any borrowed amounts plus interest after completing your education.
Student finance for MBO levels 3 and 4, HBO and university is not always a gift up front. For these study programmes your student finance is a ‘performance-related grant'. This means that you must obtain your diploma within 10 years. This is called the diploma period. If you obtain your diploma in time, the basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product become a gift. The performance-related grant is subject to interest. If you obtain your diploma in time, this interest becomes a gift as well. The 10-year period takes effect on the 1st of the month in which you first get student finance.
Leaflet
The leaflet provides more information about student loans. The leaflet is published in 4 languages.