There is no performance-related grant for MBO 1 and 2. If you do MBO 1 or 2, your basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product are always a gift.

The basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product are performance-related grants. They become a gift only if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. We call this the ‘diploma period'. The 10-year period takes effect on the 1st of the month in which you first get your student finance for MBO 3 or 4.

Which diploma counts?

You have to obtain a diploma in one of the following study programmes:

• ‘vakopleiding’ (vocational training) (level 3)
• ‘middenkaderopleiding’ (middle management programme) (level 4)
• designated study programme in another country (level 3 or 4)
• ‘specialistenopleiding’ (specialist programme) (level 4)
• ‘beroepsbegeleide leerweg’ (dual vocational learning pathway) (level 3 or 4)
• HBO (also associate degree)
• university

The study programme must be listed in the Register Instellingen en Opleidingen (RIO).

No diploma

If you do not obtain a diploma for at least level 3, you have to pay back the performance-related grant. There is one exception to this: if you received a supplementary grant during the first 12 months of your student finance, the supplementary grant you received during those months does not come under the performance-related grant. You are allowed to keep those sums, even without a diploma.

Your travel product and supplementary grant are a performance-related grant. They become a gift only if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. We call this the ‘diploma period'. The 10-year period takes effect on the 1st of the month in which you first get your student finance for HBO or university.

How many years of gift?

How many years are allowed as a gift depends on the value of your diploma. You have to obtain a diploma in one of the following study programmes. The study programme must be listed in the Register Instellingen en Opleidingen (RIO).

* This applies only if you obtained an HBO Master’s degree on or after 1 September 2021. If you obtained an HBO Master’s degree before 1 September 2021, we convert 5 years grant + the student travel product in full into a gift.

Basic grant

If you still come under the old system of student finance, your basic grant becomes a gift too.

MBO debt

If you also have a debt relating to an MBO programme, your student travel product, basic grant and supplementary grant for the MBO programme are a gift as well. In that case, you have to obtain your degree within 10 years after you first obtained student finance for the MBO programme.

Foreign degree

Did you obtain a degree in another country? Then we cannot say straight off how many years will become a gift. We will have to evaluate it first. For that purpose we look at the value of a comparable Dutch degree.

Part-time programme

If you get a degree for a part-time programme, your travel product and supplementary grant also become a gift. In that case, the degree must be equivalent to the diploma for the full-time programme.

No diploma

If you do not obtain a degree, you have to pay back the performance-related grant. There is one exception to this: if you received a supplementary grant during the first 5 months of your student finance, the supplementary grant you received during those months does not come under the performance-related grant. You are allowed to keep those sums, even without a degree.