Gift or repayment
For MBO 1 and 2, the basic grant, supplementary grant and the student travel product are always a gift.
For MBO 3 and 4, HBO and university, the basic grant, supplementary grant and the student travel product are not always a gift up front. They become a gift if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. That is why it is called a performance-related grant.
If you borrow money in addition to the basic and supplementary grant, you must always repay it with interest. Would you like to know which interest rate applies to you and how long it will be fixed for? Log in to My DUO and look at 'Mijn schulden'.
Performance grant for MBO 3 and 4, HBO and university
The performance grant is subject to interest from the 1st month you receive it. If you obtain your diploma in time, the interest becomes a gift as well. If you fail to obtain your diploma in time, you must repay the basic grant, the supplementary grant and the student travel product, including interest.
To see your interest rate and for how long it is fixed, log in to Mijn DUO and look at Mijn Schulden.
Have less performance-related grant paid out
It is possible to have less performance-related grant paid out. This means you will have to pay back less if you do not obtain your diploma on time. Will you still receive your diploma on time? The unpaid amount of performance grant will then be paid out. You can indicate in Mijn DUO if you want to have less paid out.
Gift and diploma for MBO 3 and 4
| Component | Diploma within 10 years | No diploma within 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| Basic grant | Gift | Repayment |
| Supplementary grant | Gift | Repayment |
| Student travel product | Gift | Repayment |
| Interest bearing loan | Repayment | Repayment |
Which diploma counts?
The number of years that constitute a gift depends on the official study duration of the course for which you obtained your diploma. The study programme for which the diploma has been obtained must also be recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
No diploma
If you do not obtain a diploma for at least level 3, you have to pay back the performance-related grant. There is one exception to this: if you received a supplementary grant during the first 12 months of your student finance, the supplementary grant you received during those months are not part of the performance-related grant. You are allowed to keep those sums, even without a diploma.
Gift and diploma HBO and university
| Component | Diploma within 10 years | No diploma within 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| Basic grant | Gift | Repayment |
| Supplementary grant | Gift | Repayment |
| Student travel product | Gift | Repayment |
| Interest bearing loan | Repayment | Repayment |
| Tuition fees loan | Repayment | Repayment |
How many years of gift?
The number of years that constitute a gift depends on the official study duration of the course for which you obtained your diploma.
| Type of degree | Number of years of gift |
|---|---|
| Associate degree | 2 years grant + student travel product in full |
| HBO Bachelor's degree | 4 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 1-year HBO Master's degree | 5 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 1.5-year HBO Master's degree* | 5 years and 6 months grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 2-year HBO Master's degree* | 6 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 2.5-year HBO Master's degree* | 6 years and 6 months grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 3-year HBO Master's degree* | 7 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 4-year HBO Master's degree* | 8 years grant + student travel product in full |
* This applies only if you obtained an HBO Master’s degree on or after 1 September 2021. If you obtained an HBO Master’s degree before 1 September 2021, we convert 5 years grant + the student travel product in full into a gift.
| Type of degree | Number of years of gift |
|---|---|
| University Bachelor's degree | 3 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 1-year university Master's degree | 4 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 1.5-year university Master's degree | 4 years and 6 months grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 2-year university Master's degree | 5 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 3-year university Master's degree | 6 years grant + student travel product in full |
| Bachelor's degree + 4-year university Master's degree | 7 years grant + student travel product in full |
Which years will become a gift?
The first years during which you received a performance-related grant will become a gift. Even if during these years you only had a student travel product, and no basic grant or supplementary grant.
Part-time programme
If you get a degree for a part-time programme, your travel product, basic grant and supplementary grant also become a gift. In that case, the degree must be equivalent to the diploma for the full-time programme.
No diploma
If you do not obtain a degree, you have to pay back the performance-related grant. There is one exception to this: if you received a supplementary grant during the first 5 months of your student finance, the supplementary grant you received during those months is not part of the performance-related grant. You are allowed to keep those sums, even without a degree.
Quitting during the 1st year of your student finance
If you quit during the 1st year after getting student finance, you may not have to pay back your grant and student travel product for the 1st year.