This is what you need to know if you are stopping your studies or if you want to take a new course
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If you want to study in the Netherlands, you have a lot to arrange. You have to register for a course, pay tuition fees and sometimes you can get study financing. There are also rules if you want to stop your studies. In this article you will read what you have to arrange financially when you start or stop studying.
Stopping your studies during the first academic year
Sometimes your course does not work out. Do you want to stop studying? You can, but do so before 1 February during your first academic year.
If you stop in time, your
Please note: you do have to repay your loan.
You may only use this arrangement for stopping your studies once in intermediate vocational education (MBO), and once in <higher vocational education (HBO) or in academic education (WO).
Taking a new course
Does your course of study not suit you? Then you may switch courses. You do not have to stop your
So you can study without interruption with help from
Do you want to stop studying?
Deregistering from your course
If you stop your MBO course, you must deregister with your school. You can deregister on the school's website or contact your school.
Are you taking an HBO or WO course? Then you must deregister via
Stopping study financing with DUO
Study financing does not stop automatically. You must arrange this yourself. Log in in
Refund or gift of your study financing
If you follow MBO 1 or 2 then your basic grant, travel product and any additional grant are always a gift. But if you follow MBO 3 or 4, HBO or university, your grant and travel product will become a gift if you graduate within 10 years. You do not have to pay it back then. You always have to pay back your loan.
Deactivate student travel product when you stop studying
Are you stopping your studies? Then stop your student travel product as well. Do this before or on the fifth working day of the month in which you are no longer entitled to this travel product. You can do this at the OV-chip card collection machine.
Are you late? Then you will be fined from €81 to €179 per half month.
Getting tuition fees oback if you stop studying
With an MBO course, you can sometimes get (part of) the tuition fees back. Ask DUO before the last day of the academic year.
For an HBO or university course, apply for a refund from your school or university.
Paying off student debt after studying
Do you stop studying and want to start again later? Then you get two years of reflection time. After that, you will have to start paying off your student debt.
You start repayment on 1 January of the year after you stop or graduate. You repay the debt in instalments.
You have up to 35 years to repay your student debt. How much you pay depends on your income and living situation.
You can also continue your studies
Do you want to continue your studies? You can! You may take another course of study after your course. For example, at a higher level or in a different field.
Do you already have an HBO or university degree? Then you can also pursue a master's degree. You can also receive financial assistance.
If you start a new course or master's degree, report your new course of study before the deregistration date from your old course on DUO. This way you will continue to receive study financing and can also travel with your student travel product.