Students studying in the Netherlands are entitled to study finance. Along with Dutch students, students from other EU countries are also eligible, provided they are working in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, to save costs, DUO is making it difficult for EU students to get the study finance. DUO misinforms students about the requirements by telling students that they are only eligible if they work at least 56 hours each month. This is contrary to European Union law. DUO also puts students through time-consuming proceedings by frequently asking for a lot of different documents and delaying the application process for EU students. Well-informed EU students have not been discouraged and have been winning numerous court cases against DUO the past few years.
The Right to Dutch Student Finance of EU Students Studying in the Netherlands
Last updated: January 11th 2022
In the Netherlands, we believe secondary education should be available to everyone who has the capacity to complete it, regardless of social background. Studying should not only be for the children of the rich, such is the overwhelming consensus here. Along with subsidized tuition fees, study finance is the primary driver of affordable studies in the Netherlands. Thanks to the European Union, Dutch study finance is also available for students from other EU countries.
This article delves into the system of Dutch student finance and the rights of EU students. If you are already sufficiently informed and wish to file an application or an objection we advise to use the table of contents to navigate to the end of this article.
In 1918, Europe lay in ruins, its infrastructure and population having been devastated by the First World War and the Spanish Flu. On a continent of people looking for a new way forward, free from the royal and authoritarian elites that had plunged them into the Great War, socialism swept the continent like a tide. Even though socialism took a decisive hold only in eastern Europe, the entire continent saw socialist uprisings. In the Netherlands, socialist influences led to the 48-hour work week, women’s suffrage and gift based student finance. Even though the system was changed from a gift-based system to a loan-based system five years after its introduction, the student finance was destined to stay.
Whereas the First World War had left the Netherlands relatively unscathed, the country bore the full brunt of World War II. After the war the Netherlands faced the challenge of rebuilding the country. In this new era of industrialisation and high-end services, this required well-educated personnel. For this reason, the Dutch government introduced an extra grant for parents with children in higher education in 1953.
From 1986 onwards the recipient of this grant was to be the student, rather than the parents. This was meant to make the students more independent from their parents. The size of the grant was related to the income of the students’ parents. This was meant to help those students in particular whose parents could not support them financially in their studies, and who might otherwise not be able to afford higher education.
Because of an ever-growing number of students in higher education, plans were drafted to return to a loan-based system. These changes were implemented per September 2015. Instead of receiving a student grant, students can now take out a student loan from the government at near-zero interest rates. The part of the grant that was reserved for students with low-income parents remains a grant, which does not have to be paid back. Although support for this return to a loan-based system has significantly decreased over the past few years, no new legislation is currently in the making.
The current system of Dutch student finance has been laid down in the Dutch Student Finance Act of 2000 (Dutch: Wet studiefinanciering 2000). In the remainder of this article we will refer to this law by its short title: ‘Wsf 2000’.
According to the Wsf 2000, student finance consists of the following elements:
The basic loan is the part that used to be a gift before 2015, and is currently a zero interest loan. Students can decide whether or not they would like to make use of the basic loan, this is optional. Students that choose to make use of the basic loan can set the amount of the loan that they wish to receive on a monthly basis, up to a maximum of € 494,39 per month. This basic loan has to be paid back after your right to study finance ends.
Repayment starts January 1st of the third year after your right to student finance ends.
Two examples:
The Dutch government assumes that there are always three parties that contribute financially to the life and study expenses of a student. The student, his/her parents and the government. In some cases however, the parents have a low income and are therefore less able or unable to provide their studying child with financial support.
These students may benefit from the supplementary grant. This grant is a gift, provided the student completes his/her studies within 10 years from starting. Whether or not the student qualifies for this grant depends on the combined income of his/her parents.
The limits are based on Dutch standards. This roughly means that a combined yearly gross parental income of € 50.000 or less is considered a low income. Students whose parents together earn less than this amount qualify for the supplementary grant. Students from other European countries often benefit greatly from this, as the incomes in these countries are often lower than they are in the Netherlands, which means it is more likely their parents have an income below this threshold. The fact that the cost of living is also lower in these countries is not taken into account.
The amount of the grant depends on the exact income of the parents (the lower the income, the higher the grant). The grant is also higher for students with brothers and sisters. The following figures should give a rough indication:
Combined Parental Yearly Income Monthly Supplementary Grant
€ 50.000 € 50
€ 40.000 € 240
€ 30.000 € 400
The tuition fee loan is meant specifically for students to be able to cover their tuition fees. The loan always runs exactly to the full amount of the regulated tuition fee. This changes every year. The tuition fee for the 2019-2020 college year is € 2.083. For the 2020-2021 college year it’s € 2.143.
European students are always eligible for this regulated tuition fee. Non-European students often pay the ‘instellingscollegegeld’ (non-regulated tuition fee). These fees run from € 10.000 for the most common studies, to over € 20.000 for studies in medical fields. The tuition fee loan is never more than the regulated tuition fee for that year.
The student travel product was introduced in 1991. This was met with significant resistance from students. Their grants were lowered to make room in the budget for the student travel product. Since many students lived with their parents and close to university, they were going to lose a part of their grant in return for a travel product they did not need.
In addition, it was common practice for students to hitchhike in these times. Universities often had specific locations set up for hitchhikers, somewhat akin to a bus stop. In 1996 there were suggestions to repeal the student travel card and go back to the old system. This again caused protests as now students did not want to go back to the old system anymore.
The current student travel product exists in two versions. The week subscription and the weekend subscription. The week subscription allows students to travel freely at any time, except in weekends (Saturday 4 AM – Monday 4 AM) and during the holidays. The weekend subscription is almost the reverse, allowing travel in the weekends (Friday noon – Monday 4 AM) and holidays.
The student travel product is available for all students, regardless of their parental income and grants free access to second class train, trams and subways, buses and some water transport.
Students are eligible if they meet all of the following criteria.
We will discuss these requirements in reverse order.
Only students registered for studies in secondary vocational education (MBO) or higher education are eligible for student finance. Higher education are studies at an Universiteit (University) or a Hogeschool (University of Applied Sciences). Only students registered for a full time degree are eligible.
A list of the institutes of higher educations that qualify can be found by clicking here. There are other private institutions of higher education in the Netherlands. Students at some of these private institutions are eligible for student finance. If you are registered with one of these private institutions, you may consult with your university to see if you might be eligible.
Children below the age of 18 are not eligible to receive student finance. Their parents receive child support benefits which are meant to cover, among other things, expenses related to the child’s education. As soon as the child turns 18, he or she will be eligible for study finance, provided of course that they also meet the other requirements. The student finance will start the month after the month in which the child turned 18. This means turning 18 on October 3rd will make the student eligible for study finance from November onwards. Students who enroll in higher education are eligible right from the start of their education, even if they have not yet turned 18.
Eligibility for student finance ends when the student turns 30. If the student is already receiving student finance at that point and continues his/her studies without interruptions, the student will retain his/her right to study finance.
In principle, only students with the Dutch nationality are eligible for Dutch study finance. It is a Dutch social service, paid for with the tax money of Dutch residents. However, under certain circumstances, foreign students can be entitled to equal treatment with Dutch students. When that is the case, these foreign students are equally entitled to Dutch study finance. The most important groups of foreign students that qualify are refugees and students from within the European Union.
Refugees who have been granted a residence permit are eligible for student finance on equal footing with Dutch students. Provided that they are enrolled with a qualified institution for education and meet the age requirement, they will receive the student finance just as Dutch students would.
Refugees who have not (yet) been granted a residence permit (asylum seekers) are allowed to enroll for education in the Netherlands, but generally do not qualify for study finance. There are several private initiatives, such as the Stichting voor Vluchteling-Studenten (The Foundation for Refugee-Students, click here to visit their website), that support refugees and asylum seekers who are looking to study in the Netherlands.
As the Dutch government agency in charge of study finance, you would think DUO is specialized in paying study finance. However, when it comes to EU students, DUO is specialized in not paying study finance. Here is how DUO makes life difficult for European students.
DUO provides the following information for EU students on its website:
You qualify for student finance if you meet 1 of the following requirements:
DUO asks students to provide them with the following proof:
Working in the Netherlands with a permanent, fixed-term (temporary) or stand-by contract
If you have an employment contract yourself:
If your Non-Dutch parent has an employment contract:
If your Non-Dutch partner has an employment contract:
Check hours worked
DUO checks regularly if you, your parent or partner worked for at least 56 hours a month.
Most European students in the Netherlands fall within the second category: they are employed in the Netherlands themselves. Because of their time-consuming studies, students mostly choose part-time jobs. Since most students do not have any previous degrees, they mostly work low-end jobs in retail or in catering and hospitality services. Unfortunately, with current labor market pressures, these contracts are increasingly uncertain. Many employers are offering only limited time contracts, with flexible working hours.
This makes it increasingly difficult for students to meet the 56-hour criterion set by DUO. DUO is keenly aware of this and actively pursues all European students after they have received student finance, for proof of meeting the 56 hour criterion every single month.
Any student reading this article will be relieved from this burden of the 56-hour criterion once and for all, as they will learn that legally speaking, it does not exist.
European students who work in the Netherlands are entitled to equal treatment. This is not because DUO or the Dutch government is so nice and generous to European students. Quite the contrary: European students are entitled to equal treatment under European law and DUO is doing everything in its power to prevent European students from exercising this right.
The European Union was originally a peace project, not an economic project. The Union was meant to make the countries of the Union more interconnected and more interdependent. The idea was that increased cooperation would foster greater mutual understanding, and increased economic ties would make countries more dependent upon one another. If your economy depends on trade with your neighbour, you are much less likely to go to war with that neighbour.
Economic integration was therefore a means to an end. The aim was to create a lasting peace on the continent. Economic integration was one of the tools used to realize it. Over the years, the economic integration has become very deep. Virtually all direct and indirect trade barriers have been removed. To understand the magnitude of this achievement one has only to look at trade barriers outside of the EU. In India, for example, tariffs on the import and export of goods exist between Indian states. The European Union is more economically integrated than India!
One element to the economic integration is the free movement of persons. Just as goods should be able to be imported and exported across borders without extra costs, so persons should be able to find employment in another country, without any disadvantages arising from the fact that they have a different nationality. Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union specifies:
In short, this article guarantees that workers within the European Union will be treated equally, regardless of their nationality. This also means that all workers are entitled to the same benefits and social services, regardless of their nationality. So what does it take to qualify as a worker, and enjoy the protection of the treaty? The European Court of Justice has ruled many times that there are three criteria for this:
The court has further clarified that:
From these judgments it is obvious that students who are employed in the Netherlands qualify for study finance, even if they have an on-call contract for a limited amount of time and do not make enough money to pay for all of life’s expenses.
Nevertheless, the biggest group of EU students that work in the Netherlands decide never to apply for the study finance at all. These students read the information provided by DUO and see that they have to work at least 56 hours per month. A lot of students cannot meet this requirement because of their part-time or irregular hour contracts and decide not to apply, because they believe that they do not work enough hours to be eligible for the study finance.
So if the European Court of Justice has ruled that there is no minimum hour requirement, where does the 56 hour criterion come from?
The Dutch minister of education has set rules for granting study finance to EU students (click here to read, Dutch only.). These rules are in conformity with EU law, but they contain one line that is ambiguous and unclear:
DUO gaat ervan uit dat iedere studerende die over de controleperiode 56 uur of meer gemiddeld per maand heeft gewerkt, zonder meer de status van migrerend werknemer heeft en daarmee terecht studiefinanciering heeft ontvangen over het gecontroleerde studiefinancieringstijdvak.
This line says that when determining whether and EU student is a worker or not, DUO will automatically assume that anyone who works at least 56 hours a month is a worker. The rules do not specify what happens when a student works less than 56 hours a month. It is standard DUO practice to reject the applications of students who work less than this threshold, but this is not correct.
The rules only say that someone who works at least 56 hours a month is automatically considered a worker. This means these students do not have to file further proof for the three criteria mentioned above (effective and genuine activities, under the supervision of another, in exchange for salary). Therefore, the rules only mean to say that when a student works less than 56 hours a month, that student must provide the necessary proof for these three criteria. It does not mean they do not qualify!
DUO is abusing this ambiguity in the rules to reject many applications unfairly. The reasons for this are purely financial. In 2019, 63.600 European students were studying in the Netherlands. The average study finance grant (including travel product) costs DUO roughly a € 1.080 per month, of which on average around € 400 is a gift. For European students on average a larger portion is a gift, because on average their parents have lower incomes so these students qualify for the supplementary grant more often.
Even when just counting the average gift component of the student finance (€ 400 a month consisting of a partial supplementary grant and the student travel product), the entire costs of student finance for EU students amount to roughly € 305 million euros every year. Needless to say, DUO has a big interest in keeping the costs low by rejecting as many of the applications as possible.
The policy works, because EU students rarely file a complaint or an appeal with DUO or with the court. International students believe what DUO tells them, and they have limited access to information on this topic that is not written in Dutch, let alone legal assistance.
Since 2014, we have been helping European students get the student finance that they are entitled to. Over the years we have won hundreds of cases for students from all over Europe. Don’t take our word for it. The Dutch courts have an online database in which they publish the most important judgments that are handed down. Several of the cases we won for students have been selected by the courts for publication, because of their significance for the developments in the field of law.
In 2015, the court in The Hague granted the study finance to one of our clients, who had worked an average of 44 hours each month, with one month as low as 20 hours. The court specifically ruled that not meeting the 56 hour requirement did not mean that she was not entitled to student finance, but only that she does not automatically qualify (paragraph 12). Click here to read the judgment.
In 2017 the court in the Hague granted study finance to one of our clients because she had earned an average of € 541 per month. The court ruled that this was so substantial that she qualified for the study finance, even though she did not meet the hour requirement. Click here to read the judgment.
In 2019 the Court of Appeals granted study finance to one of our clients, who was able to prove the work she had done based on documents she had written as part of her job. The court considered these documents written by her so substantial that it was proof of genuine and effective activities, so that she was granted the study finance for the months in which she had worked on these documents. Click here to read the judgment.
Oftentimes however, cases never end up with a judgment, because DUO grants the study finance after we file a complaint or an appeal. DUO knows it cannot win these cases in court, so DUO just grants the study finance after they see a complaint or appeal has been lodged. One example of this was published by the courts. In this particular case we had to take the appeal all the way to the Court of Appeals (the highest Dutch court in study finance cases). Once there, DUO decided to grant the study finance anyway. Therefore, the court did not have to make a material judgment, but DUO was nonetheless ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings and grant the student additional compensation. Click here to read the judgment.
Students with internship contracts get their DUO applications rejected more often than not. DUO demands that students submit a labor agreement, and do not accept internship agreements (stage-overeenkomsten). But there is no basis in European law for this strictness. The distinction between a labor agreement and an internship agreement only has consequences for Dutch (labor) law. For example, people with a labor agreement are protected by Dutch law from being fired for no reason. This protection does not exist for interns.
This distinction between labor agreements and internship agreements does not, however, exist in European law. Regardless of the title or name given to the agreement, whether or not the person involved is a worker under European law is determined through the same criteria we discussed before (effective activities, under the supervision of another, for monetary compensation). The Court of Justice has ruled there are no additional requirements for people following an internship. Therefore it is not relevant whether:
The only internships that do not qualify are:
We have successfully helped many students with internships claim their right to student finance. A few examples:
Therefore, if you are working under an internship agreement, do not be discouraged! File an application for student finance. If your application is rejected, please read the final paragraphs on this article to see how we can help you out.
Students who are self-employed can also be eligible for study finance. The requirements are slightly different than for workers employed with a company.
To prove the genuine nature of the self-employment, the student should be able to provide proof of work, an itinerary and financial records.
Students who do not work in the Netherlands may still enjoy the protection of the Treaty. This is the case if their family member (excluding siblings) is working in the Netherlands. To enjoy the protection of their partner, students must be in a registered partnership or marriage, or be able to prove the long-lasting and durable nature of their partnership. To enjoy the protection of their parent, the student must be under 21 years of age. The family member in question must have the nationality of a member state of the European Union.
When the employment of a student ends, the student is also no longer a worker. In that case, the student no longer enjoys the protection of art. 45 of the Treaty and is no longer entitled to study finance. However, under certain conditions it is possible for a student to retain his or her status as a worker.
The European Union directive 2004/38/EG determines that the status of worker can be retained, if the job is lost involuntarily (click here to read the directive, see article 7). This is the case when the student gets fired or a limited time contract does not get extended. The only condition that the student must comply with is that the student must register at the unemployment office (UWV) and start looking for new employment immediately. In that case, the student will retain the status of worker for at least 6 months. This should be sufficient time to find a new job and continue to enjoy study finance. It is therefore very important that European students who receives student finance, should they lose their job, they immediately register as a job seeker with the UWV. This can easily be done online and there are no costs or obligations for doing so.
Someone who is involuntarily unemployed and decides to follow vocational training to increase his or her job prospects may also retain the status of worker for the duration of the studies.
Brexit has significant consequences for the relationship between the United Kingdom and the remaining member states of the European Union. When the citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the Union, they voted to end (among other things) the free movement of people. Whereas many voters perhaps had immigrants in mind when voting, the new restrictions also apply to British citizens when they leave the British Isles.
British students who came to the Netherlands after December 31st 2020 can no longer qualify for reduced tuition fees and student finance. Regardless of whether they are working in the Netherlands.
These students may still qualify if their parents were working in the Netherlands before that date, even if themselves arrived after that date. They may then still profit from their parents’ right to equal treatment, but this indirect status will end on the student’s 21st birthday.
British students who came to the Netherlands on or before December 31st 2020 will mostly continue to be treated as EU-nationals. This means they will continue to qualify for the reduced tuition fee. If they are economically active in the Netherlands, they will also (continue to) qualify for Dutch student finance. These students do lose their status if at any point they leave the European territory of the Netherlands for a continuous period of six months or more.
An application for student finance can be filed online or by regular post. In order to apply online, you must have a citizen service number, in Dutch a ‘burgerservicenummer’ or ‘BSN’. You automatically receive one when you register with a Dutch municipality. You also need to create a DigiD-account. The following link can be used: https://duo.nl/particulier/footer-engels/service/log-in-to-mijn-duo.jsp.
If you prefer to file an application by regular post. You can use the forms found here: https://duo.nl/particulier/student-finance/apply.jsp. You can also download them here directly: 1) Application form for Higher Education (Hogeschool/University). Make sure you send the form by registered mail. When you drop the form off at a DUO-service desk, do ask for a delivery confirmation.
Make sure you add the following documents to your application:
An application can be filed with retroactive effect from the start of the academic year. That means an application will have effect from September 1st, even if the application is filed later in the academic year. However, applications cannot be filed for academic years that have already concluded.
We can assist you with filing an application. Just send us an e-mail if you need help.
DUO has 8 weeks to decide on the application. Unfortunately, there is no way to speed this up. If a decision is not taken within 8 weeks, we can declare DUO in default. After being declared in default, DUO has to take a decision within 2 weeks. If a decision is not taken within these two weeks, DUO has to pay a fine to the student, starting from € 23 per day (with a maximum of € 45 per day and a maximum total amount of € 1442). The fine is irrespective of the outcome of the application.
If an online application is filed. You´ll receive a notification in the online system, which can be accessed through DUO’s website. Take note that upon filing an online application, you will not receive a paper decision by regular mail. The notification in the online system is in Dutch, which may be confusing for an EU-student.
If an application is filed with the form, DUO has to notify the student on the decision by letter. The notification contains the decision on the application. Because the notification is produced by an automated system, the notification only shows the results of the decision, and not the decision itself. You therefore need to study the notification carefully, an application can also be granted in part.
A complaint against a rejection in part or in full has to be filed within 6 weeks after receiving it. Take note that the legal time limit of 6 weeks is a legal deadline. An appeal filed more than 6 weeks after the date listed on the decision will not be processed.
After the study finance has been paid out, DUO will approach the student for a check. DUO wants to know if the student who received the study finance, truly worked 56 hours each month. DUO asks the student to provide the labor contracts and pay slips as proof. These documents have to show that the student worked at least 56 hours per month.
DUO Website: Do you not have Dutch nationality? Then we will check whether you still meet the nationality requirements for receiving student finance. Are you a student from an EU-country? And do you receive student finance because of an employment contract? Then we check whether you (or your partner or parent) work(s) for at least 56 hours per month in The Netherlands.
In addition to this, the student has to fill out a ‘Verklaring EU-student’ (EU student statement). In this statement the student declares that he/she worked at least 56 hours per month in every month that they received the study finance. They declare this to be true and have to sign the document with an autograph.
A lot of students run into trouble with this. Because their contracts are only for a limited amount of time, they often have to find other jobs throughout the year. These gaps can sometimes mean that the student did not work 56 hours in the month or months that they were between jobs. Because students are also given flexible contracts (often on-call, zero-hour contracts) it can happen that some months they are not requested by their employer to work 56 hours or more, even if the student was willing to work that amount of hours.
When confronted with the DUO check, stick to the following rules:
Do not send them by regular mail/post. In your e-mail tell DUO you have no further documents and ask them to take a decision based on the documents that you sent them.
In all of these cases it is very important that you contact us as soon as possible. There is often a deadline of six weeks. If the deadline passes it is no longer possible to file a complaint.
For filing a complaint with DUO and an appeal with the court it is not mandatory to hire a attorney. Students can go through these proceedings themselves for little to no charge. That is not to say that is a good idea. European law can be complex and DUO is a large well-financed machine specialized in this subject material (or, as one of our clients put it: specialized in crushing students’ hopes and dreams). That DUO is misinforming students does not mean they themselves are misinformed. DUO knows exactly how EU law works and they do what they can to prevent the student from utilizing EU law effectively.
Students are entitled to subsidized legal aid from the Dutch government. The personal contribution that students have to pay for legal services under this system is generally between € 150 and € 200. When the case is won, DUO has to pay a compensation for these legal fees. Because we are confident that we can win all cases (even if sometimes it means going all the way to the Court of Appeals), we do not invoice the students for the personal contribution and instead collect the compensation from DUO when the case is won. In practice this means that our services are free of charge for students.
Have any questions related to this article? Leave them in the comments below, use our contact form or send us an e-mail. We usually respond the next working day. Have you received a rejection from DUO? Then call us immediately. A complaint has to be filed within six weeks. Any complaint filed after that is inadmissible, the student will no longer be able to claim his or her right to student finance.
Do you have questions about this topic? Don't hesitate to contact me.
It may well be worth the effort
Avant Advocaten is the collective name of the independent companies of Mr. P.S. Folsche (CoC 74147501) and Mr. G. Gabrelian (CoC 71857052). An assignment is accepted by one of the aforementioned (legal) persons. Our firm does not have an escrow account.
Hello,
If you are self-employed, apart from itinerary and financial records, do you need to provide DUO with the monthly VAT payments? Precisely, is it enough to have your sole proprietorship registered in The Netherlands or do you need to pay BTW and show them proof of it? Do you need to have Dutch collaborators/clients?
You also mentioned proof of work – what does that entail?
Regards,
Alexandru
Dear Alexandru,
It’s possible DUO will request your VAT submissions. These are usually submitted quarterly, not monthly.
If your business is registered here, you will at least have to file VAT, even if you have nothing to declare. It is not necessary to have Dutch based clients, but if all of your clients are located abroad, you may need some other type of proof that your business is genuinely based in the Netherlands (depending on the type of activity).
Proof of work can be anything. Since businesses are so diverse it’s impossible for me to generalize.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hi there,
I have a question in regards to the proof of my parent’s income, some messages say that the Dutch government will send out emails and invoices to my parents and their institutions, however, other sources mention that I have to provide the declaration of income myself.
So, do I just provide my birth certificate which states my legal parents, or do I also have to provide documents about their income? In addition, the income has to be from the previous two years, now – from 2020 and 2021?
Regards,
Kristers
Dear Kristers,
I recommend you submit to DUO your birth certificate and income tax statements for both of your parents for 2020 and 2021.
I suppose you could submit only your birth certificate and wait for DUO to send a request to your parents for submitting the tax statements, but you would only be waiting longer for DUO’s decision (and any student finance).
Kind regards,
Patrick
Thank you very much for your reply.
Unfortunately, I had already uploaded various documents such as my contract, payslips and hours.
And on the DUO website, I can’t seem to find where to upload more of that evidence so I assume I could have only done it once, without adding other evidence later such as my parent’s income statements.
Regards,
Kristers
Dear Kristers,
It is possible to submit documents to DUO at anytime. You can send these in by e-mail to documenten[a]duo.nl (replace [a] with @).
Make sure to explain in your e-mail that these documents belong to your application (list your full name and BSN number) and also for what purpose you are sending these documents.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello, first of all thank you for this article, it has proved extremely useful. I have two questions:
1. Regarding the 50% social security norm minimum that has been mentioned in the previous comments. If I am under 21 and earn over that minimum but I do not work more than 56 hours a month, will I still get automatically approved without any problems?
2. Does DUO always reject applications where you do not provide three payslips but only one? Is it possible to be accepted after having worked only one month?
Thanks in advance,
Alex
Dear Alex,
1. As long as you make more than half of the social security amount applicable to you, you qualify for the student finance.
Whether this also means that DUO will approve your application I can’t say. From the comments on this page it should be clear by now that DUO makes many mistakes.
2. No. DUO’s decisions are erratic, so it may still get approved straight away, but don’t get your hopes up.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hi,
I am doing a 32hours/week internship next to my master studies through an internship agreement compensated with 560EUR on a monthly basis. After waiting long for DUO’s response, my application was rejected, as I am, as an intern, no eligible for the supplementary grant. I am enrolled in university till 31/08/2022 and having an internship contract till that date as well. I am a EU citizen.
Based on your article, I wonder if I am indeed eligible for the grant.
Thanks,
Lili
Dear Lili,
I think DUO was wrong to reject your application. Please send me an e-mail with the decision you received from DUO and the underlying documents, such as your internship agreement and pay slips.
Do note that any complaint has to be filed within six weeks from the date of the decision.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Dear Patrick,
Thank you for the quick reply, I sent you the email!
Hi, I am an EU citizen and I plan to study in the Netherlands next year. Looking at the DUO page I have 2 questions which you may be able to help with:
Thank you
Dear Pedro,
The requirements have not changed. The only change is that DUO is now communicating them more openly.
1. Please see my answer to the previous comment for the details of the earnings threshold.
2. No, you must be working for a Dutch employer. If you’re working for a foreign employer, it may be worthwhile to check if this qualifies you for the student finance in the country where your employer is established.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Thank you Patricl, much apreciated!
Hello,
I read on the DUO page that students under 21 do not have to work 56 hours, but rather earn more than 148e, the social security norm. Is this true? Can I work just 20-25 hours to earn more than this amount to be eligible for the supplementary grant? Thank you
Dear Lubor,
This is correct. To be absolutely certain that you will receive the student finance you must make sure that you earn this amount every single month.
DUO does not work with averages or with vacation days when it comes to earnings, as they do with hours.
Also take into account that the day you turn 21 the higher threshold will apply. This will take effect the month after your birthday (e.g. birthday on April 12th, new threshold applies starting May), unless your birthday is the first day of the month in which case it will be effective immediately (e.g. birthday June 1st, new threshold applies starting that June).
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello, I was offered a part-time internship for 20 hours per week, 225 gross monthly salary, 4-5 months duration, outside the scopes of my university program. Provided that I’m only missing the 56 hours of work per month, do you think this internship would make me eligible for the supplementary grant? What are the chances? Thanks in advance!
Dear Sotirios,
In principle, it is also possible to qualify through an internship agreement. Just as with regular labor agreements, your situation must be assessed as a whole.
In this particular case, your hours are substantial, but your salary is so low that this will be an edge case. You can significantly improve your chances of getting the student finance if after the internship you take up a regular job for a higher salary than this. Ultimately the calendar year 2022 can be assessed as a whole, so that you can compensate the low salary of your internship with a higher income later in the calendar year.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Something I didn’t mention is that I have been also already working as a Student Assistant in my university for about 10-15 hours a month (this fluctuates though, sometimes I might work around 10 hours a month, sometimes I might work 20 hours a month, etc.) getting a monthly average salary of around 200 Euros more. This alone of course does not qualify for the student finance. Do you think that the internship in addition to my student assistant job would get my chances higher?
Also, what would be a good minimum internship salary to be able to win the case? Maybe I can negotiate about it with the company.
The combination will increase your chances because, as I wrote, the assessment is of your situation as a whole, and not any single circumstance. For this same reason, there is no minimum amount of salary that will guarantee you qualify for the student finance. That said, if your income is more than half of what someone your age would receive in social benefits, you have a good chance of qualifying. The relevant sums for social benefits for 2022 can be found by clicking here.
Hello ,
Thank you for the great article.
I am a non-EU master’s student and my wife is Italian. She is working over the required hours.
Even when married, do I still need to provide my parents income info for the supplementary grant?
Yes you will still need to provide DUO with information about your parents’ income. DUO needs this to determine how high your supplementary grant should be. The lower your parents’ income, the higher the supplementary grant.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello,
If I am self-employed (but paying taxes in another EU country and working online) and also working min. 56 hours in the Netherlands, but literally have no time left for school work. (Still earning only max. 9000 euros/year and also recieving housing and healthcare allowance.)
Can I ask them (DUO) to lower the min. 56 hour criteria for me?
I am horribly exhausted, literally not sleeping…
(I have an EU nationality and doing my masters degree in the Netherlands.)
Thank u for ur help in advance!
It is not possible to request DUO to make an exception for you beforehand.
What you can do is work as many hours as is reasonably possible for you, even if it is less than 56. If DUO then rejects your application for student finance, contact us and we will help you file a complaint.
Eventhough there is no set limit, if you manage to work at least 32 hours per month on average, you should safely qualify for the student finance.
You may also qualify through self-employment, but only if the self-employment is centered in the Netherlands. If you are performing your work for clients in another country and are paying taxes only in that country, this may help you qualify for social benefits in that country, but not in the Netherlands.
Hello,
I am an EU studnet, studying in a HBO university and working more than 56hrs/month. My application for the supplementary grant was rejected November, last year. Only recently I found this article and realized that I could file a complaint, however it is quite later than six weeks. Does this mean, I am completely unable to get the finance?
Dear Julius,
The Dutch system is a complaints based system. Whenever the government sends you a decision that you think is incorrect, it’s up to you to file a complaint. You have six weeks to do this.
After the six weeks pass, it is no longer possible to file a complaint and therefore no longer possible to reverse the decision. This is why we stress how important it is for students who receive rejections from DUO to contact us as soon as possible.
For students like yourself, who found our article too late, we can unfortunately not file a complaint against that particular decision anymore. Usually however, the decision only concerns a set period of time (for example, up until august 2022), which means the student may still secure the student finance for the period of time after that date (in the example, after august 2022). In rare cases we can find a loophole, especially where it concerns decisions that encompass a large period of time (for example if you were to receive a decision today, Feb 9th 2022, that concerns the entire calendar year 2022). Feel free to send the decision you received to us by e-mail to see if there is anything we can do.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hi,
I filed an application for the supplementary grant. I just filled in my personal information and of my parents but I did not have to upload anything yet. Do I just wait for them to respond to let me know what I should upload? If so how long does this take?
Thank you,
Kyra
Dear Kyra,
It’s not clear from your question if you are filing a new application, or want to extend an existing application to also include the supplementary grant.
If it’s only an extension of an ongoing application, you can send the income data for your parents by email to documenten@duo.nl
If it is a new application you should wait for a letter from DUO that specifies which documents they need from you.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello,
Thank you very much for the article.
My partner and I studied under the 56 hours condition.
If this is agains European Law, is there the possibility to be compensated for the discrimination, the burnouts, and the exhaustion? A collective lawsuit?
Will it ever be straightened out for us?
Thank you
All the best
María
Dear María,
You are not the first to ask this question, since a lot of students feel they were misinformed by DUO and therefore worked many more hours than was necessary to receive the student finance.
Whereas studies nowadays are already very time-consuming, and working this many hours is not easy.
To claim a compensation, you would have to sue DUO for it in civil court. You would have to prove both that DUO misinformed you, and that you have damages because of this.
We are currently not working on any case of this nature. If you are interested in pursuing this, the first step would be to gather as many students as possible who suffered from this system in one way or another.
For a collective proceeding, you need a collective with a similar claim first.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello,
I have been studying in the Netherlands since September 2021.
I am currently still in the process of receiving my supplementary grant.
I have been working a minimum of 56 hours per month since October 2021, and have sent over all supporting documents etc. and hope to hear something in the coming weeks.
However, after submitting my parents income details into the ‘supplementary grant calculator’ (curious as to what my result may be) it appears that I will receive 0 euros per month as my parents income is too high.
I have been living in the Netherlands and renting an apartment with my girlfriend since October 2020 while borrowing no money from family and also funding the study myself.
Now having less of an income due to the study (and still needing to afford the same things, if not more now due to my study), it would be an unfortunate result if I were not eligible for finance due to my parents income, which has no beneficial effect on my life or my own income.
Do you think DUO will take this into consideration? Or, is there a way around it/is it worth appealing if the outcome is negative with regards to no supplementary grant?
Many thanks in advance.
Dear Liam,
The Dutch government assumes that three parties contribute to financing student life. The student, their parents, and the government.
If parents are unable to support because of lack of resources, the government will fill the gap by providing extra support through the supplementary grant.
If parents have enough resources, but don’t contribute to your studies, discuss this with them.
It’s not possible to ask the government for more money, because your parents are unwilling to provide it.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello, I am a student hoping to study this year in the Netherlands and I have a question. I intend to apply for both the student finance, specifically supplementary grant, and a rent benefit, the thing is, if for any reason I do not get one of those two, im not gonna be able to afford living expenses there, therefore I’m wondering, if I am given a grant how can I cancel it?
Dear Ang,
You can cancel it at anytime by notifying the authorities in charge of managing the grant.
If you received any grant you were not entitled to prior to canceling, you will have to repay it.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello, I am a EU student in an university in the Netherlands. I previously received the Student travel product and a loan, as I was working part-time a minimum of 56 hours a month. Now, I have started my compulsory paid graduation internship (full-time) so I had to stop my part-time job. I was wondering if I can still receive the Student finance?
Thank you in advance!
Best regards, Ana
Dear Ana,
With a full time, paid internships you will qualify for the student finance.
Recent court judgments have confirmed this, but also stress the need for underlying documents to prove the nature of your internship.
Make sure you file an application in time. If you receive a rejection, contact us as soon as possible, since there is a 6 week deadline for filing a complaint.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello, I have been living with my partner for 3 year in NL, we are both students and I started working more then 56 hours a week. Is entering a partnership a fast and reliable way to both beneficiate from the duo loan?
Dear Fladian,
Indeed, if you are married or have a registered partnership you can secure the status of worker if your partner is considered a worker and vice versa. However, we believe that other, more intrinsic reasons, should bring you to the decision to marry or enter into a registered partnership.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hello,
Thank you for this very informative article and your fight for the rights of international students!
You covered internships, but I am a research assistant at a Dutch university. I do get paid and everything(just don’t have the 56 hours), but my contract says that I must be a student to have the job. As I couldn’t have the job without studying in the Netherlands, would I still count as a worker?
Dear Philipp,
We are happy to help. We’ve been able to secure student finance for European students who are working as student assistants in the past, which is also a job that can only be fulfilled by those registered as students at the university. It would take some arguing from our side to convince the court your situation should be treated similarly, but I think it can be done. Reach out to us timely if you receive any DUO rejection.
Kind regards,
Patrick
Hello.
Firstly, thank you very much for the article, it helped me a lot!
I would like to know if as a freelancer (registered with KVK, I also have a BTW-id) I am required to pay Dutch BTW tax. I provide software related services to a UK company, so I don’t have to charge BTW to Non-Eu countries and I want to know if I am eligible for student finance. I am working more than 56 hours per month and I have invoices and bank statements as proof.
Thank you very much!
Kind regards,
Dan
Dear Dan,
Thanks for letting us know the article was helpful, this is always good to hear. Whether or not your services are subject to VAT is best answered by a tax lawyer. Where it concerns Dutch student finance for European international students working as freelancers, it is irrelevant whether VAT is being charged or not.
I consider not signing the EU-student form, as I may not be able to work exactly 56h each month. However, I don’t have much savings and I cannot afford a lengthy court processing spanning over several months in case they reject my application. In your experience, how long does it usually take to overrule the rejection from DUO?
Dear Dawid,
Unfortunately the duration of proceedings is one of the elements that deters students from pursuing their case against DUO. Most cases are cleared after filing a complaint, which takes around 3 months total.
If we have to take the case to court the proceedings may take up to a year. In exceptional cases, where we have to take the case to an appellate court, the proceedings may take up to three years total.
But after that complaint, would it happen again when you apply for the next months until the end of your studies or they will finally flag your account approving your hours?
We are not quite sure, however, from what we understand this might indeed be the case.
Hi,
I have a mandatory study abroad period (Czech Republic) within my degree from Utrecht University. Is it still possible to claim student finance during this period abroad? It is the first year of my degree but I have claimed student finance for my previous masters and not officially graduated.
Kind regards,
Owen
Dear Owen,
The student finance can be secured by retaining the status of worker. A mandatory study abroad period is a valid circumstance, however, you can only retain the status. This means that you need to be worker prior to the start of the mandatory study abroad period.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Dear Owen,
We have cases pending about this at Dutch courts. European law has provisions that allow a student to retain the right to student finance if they become involuntarily unemployed, or if they quit their job to start a study in the field they were previously working in. It is not yet clear whether someone who has to quit his job because it is no longer possible to combine it with his studies may also fall within these exemptions. If this happens to you, give us a call and we will try to help you out.
First, genuinely thank you for this article, it has single handedly been more helpful than anything else (from university housing to the municipalities) since I’ve arrived here.
I do have a question about my specific circumstances: I am studying in Leiden, but the closest room i could find (even after serching for 8months) is in Rotterdam. Now I’ve been rejected for the travel product, and if i cannot solve this i will have no other option than to drop out and move home to Denmark as travel costs would be 22 euros per schoolday, and I simply cannot afford this. Regarding the the working requirement, does it have to be a dutch company? Because i already work in Social Media Management and Marketing for a danish company, and I cannot juggle an extra job on top of this one and full time studying. My weekly hours vary, but usually it will be between 6-12 hours per week.
Thank you in advance:)
Dear Terra,
Thank you for reaching out. Indeed, you are not required to work for a Dutch employer. However, you need to paying taxes in the Netherlands and there has to be a cross border element in play. A Danish company therefore does not suffice, since you are Danish and your employer has its seat in Denmark. The amount of hours you mentioned should be sufficient to secure the Dutch student finance. Give us a ring if you have any other questions.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Dear Gor,
I am a first year student at UvA of German nationality, and since 01/10 I have a contract with a Polish company for not less than 60 hours.
I have not yet applied to DUO, as I asked some clarifications on the requirements and mentioned my employment with the Polish company.
In the answer I received back, they claimed that I would only qualify for student finance if employed by a Dutch company.
Can I refer to any court cases/statutes to counter that information and still apply for student finance?
Thanks in advance for your swift feedback
Best Regards
Marcus
Thank you so much for this article! So as I have read on the DUO website, in order to recieve student finance from your partner, they have to be non-Dutch and also from the EU. My partner is Dutch so from my understanding I cannot receive student finance despite him working fulltime. I was wondering if there was any way of being eligible for student finance, otherwise I will find some kind of work. Many thanks.
Dear Hannah,
I’m afraid you won’t be able to qualify for Dutch student finance through your Dutch partner. Only people who make use of European free movement provisions qualify. They may then extend this qualification to their partner, provided they are married or in a registered partnership. Since your partner is not exercising European free movement rights, he has no such right to extend to you.
Greetings and thank you for all this effort and valuable information you are providing to expats.
I am an EU citizen, doing a master’s at a Dutch University and I started my internship on July 15. I submitted the form on Duo about receiving the supplementary grant as a working student and I contacted Duo to ask the exact documents they need me to send them. It is a paid internship with a duration of 6 months.
I was informed on the phone that interns do not have the right to this grant, since they are not considered workers. According to your article, interns are entitled to receive the financing and Duo is just making it as hard as possible.
I also noticed on my Internship agreement a clause that says: “This Internship Agreement is not an employment agreement within the meaning of Article 7:610 Dutch Civil Code”
Should I still proceed with sending the documents?
Also, you mentioned we should not sign or send the Verklaring EU-student. Why is that? In their message, they told me that no student grant will be awarded without this signed form.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my message and I hope to hear from you soon to get some answers.
Dear Chris,
Go ahead with the application and make sure you file it before the end of this month! Interns DO qualify! The clause on your internship agreement is about the qualification in Dutch law. However, the qualification in European law follows different rules. Even if your internship is not considered an employment contract in Dutch law, it can still be qualified as such under EU law.
We recommend not signing the statement. With it, you commit to working 56 hours each month. If at some point you fail to do so, DUO will try to use the statement against you. But if DUO simply does not accept your application without it, you may sign it.
I am facing the exact same scenario as Chris, however i am a UK citizen so i am unsure whether the same EU law definitions apply?
thanks,
Dear Felix,
As the UK is no longer part of the European Union, EU rules on free movement no longer apply to UK nationals.
This means UK nationals can no longer qualify for Dutch student finance.
However, UK nationals who were already residing and working in the Netherlands on January 1st 2021, and who have continued to do so without interruption, have retained their status. They may continue to receive the student finance.
I have yet to start my education in the Netherlands – will be a 1st year at UvA this coming educational year.
I was wondering whether I would also comply with the labor requiremets if I would have a contract for online/remote support/work with a legal entity not residing in the Netherlands, but still within the EU.
Thanks
Marcus
I just noticed that the subject has been brought up and answered on before…
Would the contract have to be a labor contract, or would any contract that generates an income for me work (f.e. contract drafted as consultancy – as that would be fully tax deductable for the company I’d be working for and would avoid more complicated administration)?
Dear Marcus,
You may also qualify as a self-employed person, but in this case you would have to show proof of the fact that you are running a genuine business (registration with the chamber of commerce, a business plan, VAT tax submissions, etc.)
So if it would be a genuine labor contract, I would be able to avoid self-employment and the hassle that comes along with it.
But it could indeed be a foreign legal entity (as it seems that DUO insists that it is to be a Dutch employer).
Best
Marcus
Dear Marcus,
Students are eligible if they reside in the Netherlands as part of their exercise of an economic freedom. This is a complicated way of saying there have to be economic reasons for your stay here.
If your Polish employer demands that you fulfill your tasks from the Netherlands then this would be the case. If however you choose voluntarily to do this work from the Netherlands, your work has an insufficient link with the Dutch economy to qualify you for social benefits. You may however qualify for Polish benefits / student finance.
Hello,
I applied for student financing in January and my application was approved therefore I haven’t had any issues so far.
What worries me is the fact that I signed the “Verklaring EU-student” that states that DUO can stop my financing if I work less than 56h/month. Later on I learnt that signing it was not mandatory. My question is: if it happens that I work less than 56h/month in future and DUO stops my student finance, would I be able to get help from you having that I signed the “Verklaring EU-student” declaration.
DUO will try to use the statement against you as soon as your hours fall below the promised 56 hours.
Of course, we will still do our best to help you out and we have been succesful in the past. In short: we do not recommend signing the statement, but it is not something that will definitively ruin your chances of getting the student finance when you work fewer than 56 hours. Reach out to us if you receive a rejection!
Hello!
The article states that in order to submit an application, the applicant needs to present the income statement of their parents of the last 2 years. If the applicant has only gotten the income statement of their parent of the last year (only 1 year, not 2), would it be a problem?
Thank you in advance!
Dear Bogdan,
You can file a request with the tax authorities in the country where your parents live to obtain these records, so that you can submit them.
If you do not submit them DUO will not be able to grant you a supplementary grant, since it does not have the necessary information to determine if you are eligible for it. It should not have consequences for the other elements of the student finance.
Hi Patrick!
Do you think that income statement should be translated in Dutch.
Thanks!
The income statement has to be translated, unless the original is in English, French or German.
For any other languages, we suggest making your own translation. You can always submit a certified one later if DUO asks for one.
Hi! I have a quick question, can I get studiefinancing if I become an RNI? I found a room in Belgium close to Maastricht and I’m unsure if I only need a BSN or I need a Dutch address too
Dear Alannah,
It should be possible to qualify for the student finance as an RNI, as long as you meet the other criteria (nationality, age, and degree programme).
Hi, thank you so much for such an informative article! Really big help and relieved a lot of stress.
One question that I hope you’d be able to answer is; I’m an EU students and currently live with my mother who earns less than 20k a year. She is divorced from my father who earns around 30k-40k a year. Someone had asked a similar question and the answer was that they should prove they have not been in contact with said parent since before the age of 12. However, my parents divorced when I was 16/17 and I have not received any financial help from my father even though I see them. How do I go about this situation?.
If the answer is that I need to declare his income also, what do I do if he refuses to provide me with documents to prove it?.
Thank you!
Dear Aicha,
This is a complicated situation that many students face. Unfortunately it cannot be resolved through the student finance system. If your father is not contributing his fair share, you can pursue legal means against him to force him to do so. This includes him providing necessary income statements. If you are still in contact with him, you do not qualify for the exception.
Kind regards,
Patrick
[…] Dutch system. For instance, at least EU students are almost always entitled to a Dutch student loan despite the overall perception that they must work 56 hours per month in […]
Hello,
I am little confused regarding the 50k EUR parents income limit. From what I understand I can not receive the supplementary grant. But can I apply for a regular loan?
Thank you
Dear Yannis,
The different components of the student finance are seperate. You still qualify for the loan even if your parents make too much money for you to qualify for the supplementary grant.
Hi! Thank you so much for the article, it’s very informative!! I would like to ask, however, how I can prove my situation to DUO. I am Spanish, my mom died a long time ago, and my dad has lived (and worked, of course) in Chile his whole life.His yearly income is not more than 15.000 euro (he doesn’t get paid every month).
In terms of my parents income, how should I procceed to prove to DUO that my mother has died and that my dad cannot help much? Should I translate and legalize his yearly income from the last two years? Or just an original statement in Spanish would be enough?
*I do work more than 56 hours a month as a delivery man
Dear Arturo,
You will have to submit documents from the Chilean tax authorities with regards to your father’s income. Since those documents are in Spanish, you will have to provide a translation to DUO. You can submit your own translation as long as the translation is to Dutch or English.
Hello! How can I prove the long-lasting and durable nature of my partnership? I contacted Duo and they informed me only marriage or registered partnership is possible. Additionally, they explicitly told me a contract of cohabitation won’t work. I am living in the Netherlands through a family reunification visa (my boyfriend is german), although we proved our relationship to the IND how can we prove it to DUO?
Dear Marcela,
Within EU law a narrow definition of family members is used on this topic. “Family member” means the spouse (1), the partner with whom the EU citizen has contracted a registered partnership (2),
the direct descendants who are under the age of 21 or are dependants and those of the spouse or partner (3) and the dependent direct relatives in the ascending line and those of the spouse or partner (4). Feel free to give us a call if you have any other questions.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hello,
Thank you for the detailed article about the DUO student financing.
I am a fulltime HBO student and currently doing a paid Internship, which is part of my program. I applied for the DUO supplementary grant and for the travel product and got rejected recently. In the message they said the reason for the rejection is that “I do not meet the nationality requirements”, despite the face that I am Bulgarian/EU citizen. When I called them at the office to ask for more explanation about this decision, they explained that this is not actually the reason for the rejection. They said that the internship contract is not a working contract and that I am not eligible for any student financing. The person on the phone also said that the only way to get student financing during an internship is if I have received money from DUO before the start of the internship, since according to them “the grant is a compensation for quitting your previous job when doing an internship”. Previously I have worked as a freelancer but never applied for DUO since I was working less that 56 hours a month.
I would like to ask for your advice and if I have a reason for submitting an appeal to their decision.
Kind Regards
Dear Hristo,
I’m happy that the article is of use to you. In general, a student pursuing a full time internship qualifies for the student finance. It is not necessary that the internship is a (mandatory) part of the curriculum, nor is it necessary that the student worked another job before the internship. Therefore, it seems you have a valid reason to file a complaint. We can only give specific advice for your situation if you send us the documents underlying your situation. Feel free to send us an e-mail. Don’t forget that any complaint has to be filed within six weeks from the decision.
Kind regards,
Patrick Folsche
Hi! First of all thank you for this article, it is the only one that I found useful. I have some questions about the Supplementary grant, by saying parents income means the taxable income or the income that they have after taxes? What if their income is higher than the threshold 50.000eur? And finally, what if one of the parents doesn’t help you at all because you don’t have any kind of relationship. Thank you in advance.
Dear Manos,
I am happy to hear that the article is useful to you. Your parents combined taxable income is decisive. If this is above €50k, you are not entitled to a supplementary grant. In that case the government considers your parents should be able to pay you an allowance. The supplementary grant is only for those whose parents cannot afford to contribute. The income of a parent can only be disregarded in case the student proves they have not been in touch with this parent since before the student turned 12 years old.
Hi, what if there are siblings under 18 years old? Does this raise the 50k euro threshold?
Hi! I’m an EU citizen and I only worked for 5 months in my fourth year of my Bachelor and I applied for the studentenreisproduct in that time. Since then I regularly sent them all my payslips with the hours that I worked and it was always fine and I also cancelled the reisproduct on my OV on time. I graduated on 31st July 2020 and have been waiting since then to get my loan converted to a gift. I called them, I believe in September or maybe August, to ask when this will happen and they said it can take some time. I started my Master in September but didn’t apply for study financing since I’m not working next to my studies anymore. Yesterday I got an e-mail saying that the repayment is starting and that I need to start repaying in two years, which i found very confusing. I wrote them an e-mail about it and they replied this: “Your provisional loan does not automatically become a gift if you have obtained a university Bachelor or an Associate degree. This only happens if you obtain an HBO Bachelor or a university Master. Or, in the case of a university Bachelor, in the year before you need to begin repayment.”. I couldn’t find any information on this and I find this very weird. Is this true or should I insist that they convert it?
Dear Jess,
I have sent you an e-mail to discuss your particular situation.
Hi! Did it turn out to be true? Doesn’t a university Bachelor (WO) grant one a right to become eligible for studiefinanciering automatically? I haven’t encountered any information which would limit eligibility based on a type of degree.
Dear Kacper,
The question Jess asked was about converting the loan to a gift, which was possible upon graduation under the old system of student finance.
If your question is whether you may qualify for the student finance during a university bachelor studies, the answer is yes. Provided of course you also meet the other requirements.
Hi Patrick, thank you for you informative article, I really appreciate all the effort you are putting into this. Could I have two questions?
1) According to DUO, the work contract must be “in the Netherlands”. However, there is nothing in the ECJ case law or anything in the article suggesting this criterion is legitimate from the EU law viewpoint. What if I studied in the Netherlands and worked based on a part-time contract for a company based in, say, Prague, the Czech republic (based on “home-office” arrangement)? Would I still be eligibile? Is there perhaps already Dutch case law on this issue?
2) Does it follow from EU law that I could be eligible even if I worked for only, say, 40 hours a month (and could evidence the other criteria)? Is there some “lowest number of working hours” per month that was already confirmed by the Dutch case-law to satisfy the eligibility criterion, provided other criteria were satisfied (effective activities etc.)? After all, 56 hours a month seem to be quite a lot considering how challenging the studying might be.
Thank you for your answer and time and stay in good health!
Martin
Dear Martin,
Thank you for reaching out. With regards to your two questions. 1) You are not required to work in the Netherlands (for a Dutch firm). However, you must be residing in the Netherlands to be eligible for the student finance. 2) There is no minimum number of hours set by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court of Justice has ruled more than once that working hours are just one of the factors to be taken into account in the overall assessment. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any other questions.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hello,
Im a Bulgarian who studies in a full time bachelor in Netherlands since September 2019.
Ever since September 2019, Ive worked more than 56 hours each month except 2 which due to coronavirus,my workplace was closed. I have applied to Duo many times and as you have said I have rejected with meaningless reasons such as they have thought I am not Bulgarian although I have send my Bulgarian passport and ID. Last time I have applied was at 22nd of October and I haven’t received a return ever since.Can I ask your help with this situation?
Kind Regards
Dear Aytug,
Given the nature of your question(s), I have sent you a personal email.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hi! I am a UK student hoping to study at Erasmus University of Rotterdam next year and I am just wondering how the outcome of Brexit (currently looking like a No-Deal) will affect me? And if I will no longer qualify for ‘equal treatment under EU law’?
Thanks for any help!
Dear Alfie,
Indeed, Brexit will have a major impact for UK students studying in the Netherlands. Those students who are currently residing and studying in the Netherlands can obtain a residence permit on the basis of Article 18 of the Withdrawal agreement. With this permit they remain eligible for the student finance under the current system. UK students starting their study in the Netherlands after Brexit, will no longer be entitled to the Dutch student finance. Regardless of their economic activities in the Netherlands.
Best, Gor Gabrelian.
Hi!I started working in February(with a 0hour contract) and I worked until the middle of march , June and July on average 40 hours sometimes even more than 56h/month. (I also got paid for April and may I think the equivalent of around 20h because it was closed).Since the end of July I haven’t worked and I will probably not be called in again/have my contract that ends in February extended .Is there any way I could apply for the student finance and get it? Or register at the uwv? I never applied because I was sure I needed 56 hours and that wasn’t always possible. Another thing is I haven’t been registered at any address in the Netherlands August-October; I was home because of covid. (I am an EU citizen)
Dear Andreaa,
Thank you for reaching out. With regards to the decrease in hours, when assessing whether your employment relationship is genuine COVID does play a factor. Indeed, in the given circumstances the status of worker can be retained by registering as a job-seeker. The entitlement to an unemployment benefit is not a requirement for retaining the status. You simple need to register within a reasonable time. Technically, the municipal registration should not be an obstacle, however, DUO is known to use all means to frustrate the process. Give us a ring if you have any other questions.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hello. I have a question regarding my eligibility for a student grant. I am an European citizen. I study and work in the Netherlands. My contract is a 0 hour minimum contract, and I have worked for 4 hours per month over the last 2-3 months. I do have an employer in this position, I do fulfill what I would consider an effective service (maintaining and uploading regularly on an official social media page) and I do receive payment for my activities. In addition, my parents’ yearly income is less than 30 000 euro.
I would really appreciate if you could let me know whether my contract and work situation would be eligible to receiving a student grant from DUO? Do you think my case would be defensible, or is there something amiss? Would love to hear your opinion this.
Kind regards,
Delyan
Dear Delyan,
Thank you for your comment. You enjoy the protection of EU law if you are performing genuine and effective work. The amount of hours is not, by itself, decisive. This is why the 56 hour criterion is nonsense. However, the amount of hours is one of the factors that can be relevant in determining whether your work is genuine and effective. Four hours a month amounts to only 1 hour of work a week, which is very little.
If you want to qualify for student finance based on only 1 hour of work, you will have to show a lot of other proof to convince a judge that the work you do is genuine and effective. You could show examples of the work you produced, proof of the amount you are being paid for this work, that you fall under a collective labor agreement, that you are entitled to holiday leave and holiday pay, that the type of work you do is in demand with other employers (job openings), etc.
Did you work more hours in the same job previously? This may help to show that your current low amount of hours is only temporary.
Please send us an e-mail with the underlying documents for a more specific advice.
Hello!
I applied for DUO finance in the beginning of August, to begin in September with my masters degree. It was accepted, but in October I lost my job due to COVID. I registered immediately with the UWV as I received a vaststellingsovereenkomst. I heard from DUO that they will cancel my financing because I haven’t worked 56 hours in September and October. When I explained the situation to them, they told me I should have known that I would not work these hours when I applied even though I was working that amount in March- beginning of August (when I applied). They also told me that they won’t make an exception related to COVID as those measures applied since March, and their logic was that I then should have applied earlier (even though I cannot apply without being accepted into a degree?). I read some information that I can retain my financing for 6 months if I lost my job involuntarily and registered as a job seeker with the UWV. Is this information correct?
What is the best way to pursue this situation?
Thank you!
Same question here! I lost my job last week. When I called DUO to explain my situation, I was told that if I do not work I have no right to the study finance. Your article states the possibility of retention of worker status. What do I need to do?
Dear Dario,
The most important thing to do when you lose your job (or get a big reduction in hours) is to register as a jobseeker with the UWV. That way, you will retain your status as a worker for at least six months, and therewith also your right to student finance.
The information DUO provides about this is incorrect. If you have not filed an application, file one as soon as possible. If you have filed one but have received a rejection, contact us as soon as possible so that we can file a complaint on your behalf.
Dear Isza,
Thank you for your comment. You are not alone in this. Many students are in on-call contracts with flexible hours. Because of the COVID pandemic a lot of students now lose their jobs or simply are no longer called in for work.
The information you read is correct. EU law provides protection for workers who become involuntarily unemployed. The only requirement is that you register as a job seeker, so that it is clear that you still have the desire to remain in the country for work. Since you lost your job involuntarily and registered with the UWV you are officially a jobseeker in the Netherlands. Under these circumstances you will retain your status as a worker for at least six months.
If you have received a rejection from DUO, then their decision is incorrect. To secure the study finance you must file a complaint within six weeks from the date of the decision. We would be happy to help you out with that. Just send us an e-mail with the decision you received, your vaststellingsovereenkomst, your registration with the UWV, and a short description of your situation.
Hi, I have question can I still apply retroactively for 2019/2020?
Dear Natalia,
One can apply for student finance with retroactive effect for the ongoing college year. The new college year starts September 1st every year, so applications always work back until the most recent September.
As I am writing this it is November 16th 2020, which means any application filed today can have retroactive effect up until September 1st 2020. This will remain the same until August 31st 2021. After September 1st 2021, any new applications can only work back until September 1st 2021.
To receive student finance with regards to the 2019-2020 college year, the application must have been filed no later than August 31st 2020.
Dear Patrick,
Is there a place where DUO states this?
I’ve managed to arrange all my contracts for the past academic year, but unfortunately, I did not know about this rule and I started applying for study financing after the new academic year started.
Is there anything that could be done in this case?
Thank you in advance
Dear Bojana,
The student finance can be obtained with retro-active effect within the same study year. There are unfortunately no exceptions to this rule. Feel free to give us a ring if you have any other questions.
Best,
Gor Gabrelian
Hi! I am an EU citizen. From February till June I was on mandatory exchange abroad, which was also accepted by DUO and I received my money till June. Starting in July, I was not able to find job due to coronavirus. I called DUO infoline and presented my case as I was told that they are helping some students; however, individual case has to be presented. During the call, I was told that there is no option that i would receive my loan without working 56 hours and a valid contract. On August 16th I started new job and worked maximum amount of hours till the end of the month to reach 56 hours for August. Once I received my salary and payslip on September 3rd I sent it to DUO. Yesterday I was told that I won’t receive my loan for August as the deadline to send documents was on Septemeber 1st and my contract started “too late”. I searched through their website and I cannot find anywhere information about deadline of sending documents as well as when the contract should start.Which steps should I take?
Thank you for reaching out Katarzyna. We do believe that the reference date within the policy is discriminatory towards EU-students. If you were sufficiently economically active, there should be no reason for DUO to the deny the study finance.
Hi! I am an EU citizen starting a master at EUR and I respect the financial criterias to receive the massimum supplementary grant. I will arrive in Rotterdam in the next months and at that point I’ll search for a job. Regarding the application process for the financing, you say that:
Does it mean that if I start working, for example in December, I would receive anyways the loan together with the supplementary grant even for the previous months?
Also, I want to apply for a coaching position at ELS – Erasmus Language Sharing. They do not provide details but I think it should be a remurated position. Would it count as a job for DUO?
Dear Ilaria,
The study finance can be obtained with retroactive effect within the same study year for the months in which you were economically active. We would need more information on your position with ELS to give you sound advice on the student finance topic. Don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Hello, I am an EU student in the Netherlands and i have a 2 months contract starting September. This contract is for aprox 22 hours of paid work per month, for 2 months. I plan on also starting another job in October for a longer period of time, but i do not have any contract yet for that one since it is not sure. Am I eligible to ask for a student financing from now, with this contract starting in september? Thank you
Dear Davia,
Thank you for reaching out. To assess your eligibility for the study finance we would need to review your labor contract. The hours alone cannot be a decisive factor. Feel free to submit your contract or give us a call to discuss the ins and outs of your case.
Thanks a lot for this article! I have a question regarding my own situation: I have been living in the Netherlands for 5 years now and I requested only the travel product. Now I got a letter from DUO stating that I have to work here in order to fulfill the requirement (I have an internship here, but that is not payed). Can this also be a case of “they want to safe money”?
Thanks for your answer!
Dear Annika,
The only thing you can do is be truthful and complete in the information that you provide to DUO. Respond to their requests by providing them with all the information they request, even if you think their request is nonsense. That way, it cannot be used against you later that you were incomplete or dishonest in the information that you provided.
DUO must then take a decision based on the information you provided. If DUO rejects your application, contact us and we will help you fight it if possible.
Hi!
I’ve been receiving student finance for three years. I always met the requirements (56h). However, this has been an organisational horror since the beginning (also because DUO asks me every year to re-send all my payslips again and again). After reading this article, I am thinking about working less hours. Which steps should I take? Just work less and send my payslips as usual and contact you when they want the money back?
Dear Leo,
We understand your desire to work fewer hours. A lot of students have difficulty meeting the 56h requirement because of their demanding and time consuming studies.
You can simply start working fewer hours. Make sure that you keep a good administration of the hours you worked and the payments you received. Continue to send DUO all the information that they request. Do not try to hide that you are working fewer hours because it is not necessary to hide it and dishonesty may be used against you. It is very likely that DUO will try to revoke your study finance for any months in which you did not meet the 56 hour criterium. You therefore must keep good track of any mails or letters you receive from DUO. Once you receive the decision you can contact us and we can give you advice or help you file a complaint if necessary.
My Brother has been living in The Netherlands for 8 years and He is working full time. We are both EU citizens and I am 18 years old. He is not a “parent or a partner”. Can I still apply for a study financing without having to work 56 hours a week ?
Dear Deyvid,
EU law stipulates that family members of workers enjoy the same rights. Directive 2004/38 provides a definition of family member. Siblings are, however, not mentioned in Article 2 of the Directive. Meaning that you are not entitled to student finance by means of the status that your brother has acquired.
Hello,
I am doing an unpaid internship/graduation project an an academic institution. Does that not count as being a worker?
Ta.
Dear Andriana,
Indeed, one of the elements is that remuneration is received. That is not to say the a specific threshold has to be met. However, an unpaid internship does not qualify.
What is the case for graduation projects?
I received DUO financing during my first internship since I am following a HBO education I have another internship – graduation project.
I was told that I cannot use the hours from my graduation projects/internship. Is that correct?
Dear Kushina,
As the article says, as long as the internship meets the criteria (effective activities, under the supervision of another, for monetary compensation), you are eligible.
The fact that it is a graduation project that is a mandatory part of the curriculum does not matter.
If you have received a rejection from DUO please contact us directly so we can give you advice for your individual situation.
Dear Patrick,
I have a similar situation as Kushina. I have a graduation project which is a three party contract between me, the university, and the company. I am being paid 420 Euros/month by the company. The graduation project agreements does not state how many hours I am working, but on my payslips it states that I work 40 hours/week so the 56 hour/month condition is satisfied. However, the problem is that when I called the DUO office to ask whether I am eligible for student finance, they told me that since my income is less than 562 Euros/month (witch I was told is half of the minimum unemployment benefits) I would be denied. Would you think it is still worth it to apply in my situation and go through the application denial/appeal process?
Dear Tomas,
Thank you for your detailed question. Ultimately your eligibility depends on whether you meet the three criteria set by the European Court of Justice: effective activities, under the supervision of another, for monetary compensation. That you are working so many hours is a strong indication in your favor. The fact that you don’t make much money does not mean that the work you perform is not genuine, even if your salary (or whatever it is called in your contract, the name does not matter) is insufficient to meet all your costs of living (see paragraph 6 of the article). Therefore, based on the information you provided here, I think you are eligible for the study finance. Definitely apply for it! The article contains some instructions on filing an application. Contact us through e-mail or by phone if you receive a rejection from DUO or if you need any further help.