Student finance
Student finance is a monthly contribution from the government towards your study costs and living expenses. If you meet certain conditions regarding age, education, and nationality, you can apply for student finance from DUO.
Student finance for international students
In some cases international students may be eligible for student finance, or a tuition fee loan, from DUO. For nationals of EU/EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom specific conditions apply. If you do not qualify for student finance, you may still be eligible for a tuition fee loan for EU/EEA citizens.
What does student finance consist of?
Student finance consists of several components. You decide which components to apply for from DUO (if you are eligible):
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The basic grant and (potential) supplementary grant are a 'performance grant'. You do not have to pay these back if you obtain your degree within ten years from the first month in which you first receive a study grant for a higher education programme ('the diploma period'). The same applies to the student travel product and (in principle) the single parent allowance. An interesting bearing loan and tuition fee loan must always be paid back (with interest) after your education.
For how long will I be eligible for student finance?
How long you can receive your basic grant and, if you are eligible, supplementary grant from DUO depends on the nominal duration of your study programme. DUO assumes 3 years for a university bachelor and between 1 and 4 years for a Master's programme. The period in which you receive the basic and/or supplementary grant is called the 'performance grant period'. After the performance grant period ends, you still have 3 years (36 months) to borrow ('the loan phase'). During the first year of the loan phase, you can still use your student travel product.
The overview below shows for different situations how long you are entitled to the various student finance components.
Want to see exactly what your student finance situation is?
Log in to mijn.duo.nl. Then go in the menu to “My products” and then to “Student finance”. Next, you will see a page with a table called “Remaining student finance”. You can view your remaining student finance per selected month. Here you can also find, for example, when the diploma period ends for you. More information on study financing rights in general can be found on the DUO website.