Apply

If you are enrolled as a student in university, HBO, or MBO, you can apply for student finance. Apply in time, preferably 8 weeks before your student finance is due to start, so you don’t miss out on any money.

Student finance consists of various components. You decide which components to apply for.

Apply for student finance

  1. Apply for a DigiD on digid.nl Link opent externe pagina . With a DigiD you can access online services offered by all Dutch government organisations. You will receive an activation code by letter within 3 working days of your application.
  2. Apply for a personal OV-chipkaart Link opent externe pagina . You will need it to load the student travel product conto.
  3. Log in to Mijn DUO to apply for student finance. 

Log in to Mijn DUOwith DigiD

No access to Mijn DUO

If you have no access to Mijn DUO, you can use a form. For higher professional education (HBO) or university, use the form Application student finance higher education. If you are enrolled in secondary vocational education (MBO), use the form Application student finance mbo. The processing time of a form is longer than a digital application.

Applying for past months

You can still get student finance for past months, up to the start of the current academic year (1 August for MBO, 1 September for HBO or university). This is called applying retroactively. You cannot apply for a student travel product for past months.

  1. Log in to Mijn DUO.
  2. Go to 'Mijn producten' and then 'Studiefinanciering'.
  3. Click on 'Studiefinanciering' in the top right. Here you find a green button 'Aanvraag studiefinanciering vervroegen', meaning 'moving up your student finance'. The rest is self-explanatory.

Log in to my DUOWith DigiD

Applying for student finance from the Caribbean
Do you live on Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten or in the Dutch Caribbean? Then the application procedure is a bit different. This is because you don't have a Dutch citizen service number ('burgerservicenummer') yet.
  1. Apply for student finance with the 'Aanvraag studiefinanciering mbo voor studenten uit het Caribisch gebied' form, or the 'Aanvraag studiefinanciering hoger onderwijs voor studenten uit het Caribisch gebied' form.
  2. Add all the required documents to your application. The documents are mentioned on the application form.
  3. Within about 6 weeks we will process your application. You will then receive a letter from DUO and a 'Bevraging BSN' form. Bring this form with you to the Netherlands.
  4. Register yourself at the municipality as soon as you arrive in the Netherlands. The municipality will provide you with a burgerservicenummer.
  5. Inform us about your burgerservicenummer, your new address and your Dutch bank account number using the 'Bevraging BSN' form.

Public transport compensation

If you don't have a burgerservicenummer yet, you will receive a monthly financial compensation for public transport ('ov-vergoeding') instead of the student travel product. As soon as we have processed your burgerservicenummer, you can apply for the student travel product. The compensation will then be stopped.

Applying for a basic grant for HBO and university

From September 2023, the basic grant for HBO and university will be reinstated. You can apply for a basic grant in one of the following manners:

  • If you already live in the Netherlands and have a BSN and DigiD, you can apply for the basic grant in Mijn DUO.
  • If you still live in the Caribbean and have already applied for student finance, you will receive an email in early June. The email contains a link to the form you can use to apply for a basic grant.
  • Are you still in the Caribbean and haven’t you applied for student finance yet? Use the 'Aanvragen studiefinanciering hoger onderwijs voor studenten uit het Caribisch gebied' form to apply for the basic grant and the other components of students finance.

Checklist

The checklist will tell you what to do when. Both for your student finance and other things you need to take care of in the Netherlands.

Waiting for exam results or admission

Still waiting for the results of your school exams? Or for a decision about your admission to a programme? Just apply for student finance for the programme you are planning to take.

Failed exams or different programme

Did you fail your school exams? Or did you decide to take a different programme after all? Please let us know as soon as possible in Mijn DUO.