One great way to finance your studies is searching and applying for a scholarship. But also if you do not qualify for a scholarship, there are plenty of government supports, helping you to finance living and studying in The Netherlands. Of course, some rules apply to all of them.
Dutch government student grant
Every Dutch student has the right to receive a student grant during his studies. It is given out as a loan but converted into a gift after your graduation. In some cases, also foreign students qualify for this student grant. Some of these requirements are:
- You earn less than ~13,000 Euro
- You are under 30 years old when you apply
- You have the nationality of one of the countries of the European Union and you either work in the Netherlands for at least 32 hours per month or you live in the Netherlands for over 5 years
- You obtained the same rights as a Dutch citizen with your residence/work permit
Assumed you live away from home, you will receive at least a basic grant of 266.23 Euro
Additionally, you can borrow money in form of a loan (up to 287.54 Euro)
More information about the Dutch student grant is available on the website of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as well as on ScholarshipPortal.eu.
Dutch government tuition fee loan
If you do not qualify for the Dutch student grant you have still the possibility to get a free loan for the tuition fees of your program. You have to pay back this loan after the end of your studies. The requirements are as follows:
- You are under 30 years old when you apply
- You have the nationality of a EU/EEA country
- You are enrolled as a full-time student
- You have a citizen service number (Burgerservicenummer, BSN)
- You have a Dutch bank account
More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as well as on ScholarshipPortal.eu.
Rent support (Huurtoeslag)
Building land is scarce in The Netherlands and especially in the big cities, apartments can be very expensive. However, the Dutch government gives you a rent support if you fulfil certain criteria. Having the Dutch nationality is not one of them! Nearly everybody who is legally residing in the Netherlands is eligible for the so-called Huurtoeslag. These are the basic conditions to qualify for Huurtoeslag:
- You have a valid residence permit
- You are registered at the municipality
- You have an independent apartment
- You can live with a partner
- Shared flats (e.g. a student house) however, are mostly not eligible
- Your yearly income and assets do not exceed a certain limit (both about 20.000 Euro)
- Your apartment is eligible for Huurtoeslag
- The rekenhuur (basic rent & service costs) is less than 652.52 Euro
The Huurtoeslag amounts approximately half of the basic rent (without utilities). You can individually calculate it using the calculator on the website of the Belastingdienst.
Support for your health insurance/care insurance (Zorgtoeslag)
If you are having a Dutch health-/care insurance and you are working besides your studies, you might be eligible for the so-called zorgtoeslag. The zorgtoeslag supports you with currently up to 69/month in order to pay your governmental health-/care insurance. You can find more information about the zorgtoeslag on the website of the Belastingdienst.
