Gift or repayment

Student finance for secondary vocational education (MBO), higher vocational education (HBO) and university is not always a gift up front. For certain study programmes your student finance is a ‘performance-related grant'.

MBO 1 and 2

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

MBO 1 and 2
Component Gift or repayment
Basic grant Gift
Supplementary grant Gift
Student travel product Gift
Interest bearing loan Repayment

MBO 3 and 4

For MBO 3 and MBO 4, your basic grant, supplementary grant and travel product are a ‘performance-related grant’. They become a gift if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. This is called the diploma period. The 10-year period takes effect on the 1st of the month in which you first get student finance for MBO 3 or 4, or for higher education (HBO or university).

The performance grant is subject to interest from the 1st month you receive it. If you obtain your diploma in time, the interest becomes a gift as well. If you fail to obtain your diploma in time, you must repay the basic grant, the supplementary grant and the student travel product, including interest.

MBO 3 and 4
Component Diploma within 10 years No diploma within 10 years
Basic grant Gift Repayment
Supplementary grant Gift Repayment
Student travel product Gift Repayment
Interest bearing loan Repayment Repayment

Which diploma counts?

The number of years that constitute a gift depends on the official study duration of the course for which you obtained your diploma. The study programme for which the diploma has been obtained must also be recognised by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. 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

No diploma

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

HBO and university

For HBO and university, your basic grant, supplementary grant and travel product are a ‘performance-related grant’. They become a gift if you obtain your diploma within 10 years. This is called the diploma period. The 10-year period takes effect on the 1st of the month in which you first get student finance for MBO 3 or 4, or for higher education (HBO or university).

The performance grant is subject to interest from the 1st month you receive it. If you obtain your diploma in time, the interest becomes a gift as well. If you fail to obtain your diploma in time, you must repay the basic grant, the supplementary grant and the student travel product, including interest.

HBO and university
Component Diploma within 10 years No diploma within 10 years
Basic grant Gift Repayment
Supplementary grant Gift Repayment
Student travel product Gift Repayment
Interest bearing loan Repayment Repayment
Tuition fees loan Repayment Repayment

How many years of gift?

The number of years that constitute a gift depends on the official study duration of the course for which you obtained your diploma.

HBO
Type of degree Number of years of gift
Associate degree 2 years grant + student travel product in full
HBO Bachelor's degree 4 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 1-year HBO Master's degree 5 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 1.5-year HBO Master's degree* 5 years and 6 months grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 2-year HBO Master's degree* 6 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 2.5-year HBO Master's degree* 6 years and 6 months grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 3-year HBO Master's degree* 7 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 4-year HBO Master's degree* 8 years grant + student travel product in full

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

University
Type of degree Number of years of gift
University Bachelor's degree 3 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 1-year university Master's degree 4 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 2-year university Master's degree 5 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 3-year university Master's degree 6 years grant + student travel product in full
Bachelor's degree + 4-year university Master's degree 7 years grant + student travel product in full

Which years will become a gift?

The first years during which you received a performance-related grant will becoma a gift. Even if during these years you only had a student travel product, and no basic grant or supplementary grant.

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, basic grant and supplementary grant also become a gift. In that case, the degree must be equivalent to the diploma for the full-time programme.

No diploma

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

Quitting during the 1st year of your student finance

If you quit during the 1st year after getting student finance and you disenrolled before 1 February, you may not have to pay back your grant and student travel product for the 1st year.

When a gift?

The conversion of your performance-related grant into a gift takes place in the month of January after you obtained your diploma. You will be notified of this at the end of January. If you have obtained a university Bachelor’s degree, it may take longer for your performance-related grant to be converted.

Verbergen Sluiten
Wat vindt u van de website?

We willen onze website graag verbeteren. Helpt u ons verder? Het duurt ongeveer 1 minuut.

Ja, ik doe mee

We willen onze website graag verbeteren. Helpt u ons verder? Het duurt ongeveer 1 minuut.

Ja, ik doe mee

We willen onze website graag verbeteren. Helpt u ons verder? Het duurt ongeveer 1 minuut.

Ja, ik doe mee

We willen onze website graag verbeteren. Helpt u ons verder? Het duurt ongeveer 1 minuut.

Ja, ik doe mee