Grant for tuition fees or course fees

If you go to study at university or study in higher vocational education (hbo) in the Netherlands, you have to pay tuition fees. If you want to do a Dutch course in vocational education (mbo) or adult education (vavo) and you are 18 or older, you have to pay course fees. In some cases you may be eligible for (full) funding for your studies (in Dutch: studiefinanciering) if you comply with one of the following conditions: 

• you have the nationality of one of the countries of the European Union and you work in the Netherlands for at least 32 hours per month (at least 56 hours from 1 January 2014 on)  
• you have the nationality of one of the countries in the European Union and you have been resident in the Netherlands for a minimum of 5 years without a significant break
• you have the nationality of one of the countries of the European Union and one of your non-Dutch parents or your husband/wife, registered partner has the nationality of an EU country and works in the Netherlands              

If you come from another country and you have the correct residence permit, you may also be eligible for a study grant

If you are not eligible for study funding and you belong to one of the countries which belong to the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) or you come from Switzerland, you can apply for a loan or a contribution towards the payment of your tuition fees or course fees. There are three possible situations: 

• Are you going to study in the Netherlands and did you not receive a contribution for your tuition fees for studies in the Netherlands in the 2006-2007 academic year? In this case new rules apply to you: from the 2007-2008 academic year you can apply for ‘loan tuition fees’ to pay your tuition fees (in Dutch: collegegeldkrediet). This is a loan which you have to pay back after your studies. Read more about loan tuition fees.
• Did you receive a contribution from DUO in the 2006-2007 academic year and also in the following years to pay your tuition fees for a course in higher education? In that case you can simply submit another application for the contribution of tuition fees for the 2009-2010 academic year. If you comply with all the conditions, you do not have to repay this contribution. Read more about the contribution to tuition fees.
• Are you going to do a course in vocational education or adult education in the Netherlands or are you already doing a Dutch course in that sector? In that case, you can apply for a contribution to the course fees. If you comply with all the conditions, you do not have to repay this contribution.