A class of pupils.
Source: Keira Burton
Article

You choose your own school

Last updated: 25/09/2024, 11:30

If you have received a letter about your civic integration, choose a school where you want to undergo civic integration. If you want to borrow money to pay for your civic integration, the school must meet certain conditions.

Choose a school that suits you

Consider what kind of school fits your situation, abilities and goals.

If you work during the day, you can choose to go to school in the evening to undergo your civic integration. If you want to continue your studies in the Netherlands, choose a course that you complete at language level

B1
or
B2
. You will need B2 if you are attending
higher general secondary education (HBO)
of de
university
.

Your contact person at

VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN)
or social worker from another organisation can support you in choosing a school.

Here is what to watch out for when choosing a school

Location

It is convenient to choose a school that is close to your home or work so that you do not spend a lot of time travelling.

Teaching hours

The number of teaching hours a school offers can vary. It is important to consider the amount of teaching hours you need and whether the school can offer it.

Support

Some schools offer extra support, for example in finding work or housing. This can be important if you have just arrived in the Netherlands.

Costs

The costs of civic integration classes can vary from school to school. It is important to see if the costs are in line with your budget.

Quality

It is good to research the quality of teachers and teaching materials.

Flexibility

Some schools offer flexible teaching hours. It is convenient if you can choose teaching hours that are more convenient for you because you have to work or have children and need to be there for them at certain times.

Conditions to borrow money for your civic integration

If you would like to borrow money from DUO for your civic integration, you need to choose a school with the

'Blik op Werk'
quality mark.

Only for these schools can you borrow money from DUO for your civic integration course and exams. This is not possible for other schools.

You can transfer to another school

You may start a course but find that it does not suit your needs. It is often possible to transfer. But this can cost a lot of time and money.

Find out in advance about the school you are applying to. Comparing several schools will help you make a better choice and avoid problems later. Your contact person from

VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN)
or your social worker from another organisation can support you in this process.

Sometimes you can get travel reimbursement to travel to your school

If you choose a course outside your hometown, sSome municipalities allow you to receive travel reimbursement. Not all municipalities offer this. Check with your municipality for this.


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