DUO supplementary grant (aanvullende beurs)

DUO supplementary grant (aanvullende beurs)

You receive up to 491.08 EUR per month if you study at a university (hbo or wo) in the Netherlands. For MBO (vocational education) the maximum is 442.50 EUR per month if you live with your parents and 470.82 EUR per month if you live away from home (rates for 2026). This is an income-based top-up to the regular student finance. It is paid by DUO, the Dutch state education agency. The lower your parents' income, the more you get, and having more school-age brothers and sisters raises the amount too. University students receive it for the official length of their programme (usually 4 years). MBO students receive it as long as they have the basic grant.

The grant can become a gift you never repay. At MBO level 1 or 2 it is automatically a gift. At MBO level 3 or 4, hbo or university it turns into a gift once you finish your diploma within 10 years. If you do not finish in time, you have to pay it back.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled full time (or in a dual track) at a recognised MBO (bol), hbo or university programme in the Netherlands, for a Bachelor, Master or Associate Degree. Part-time, bbl and exam-only students do not qualify.
• Parents' income: Your parents earn below the limit. For the full grant in 2026, their combined 2024 income must be under 46,305.40 EUR (MBO) or under 41,500.60 EUR (hbo/university). A higher income can still give you a partial grant.
• Age: For MBO you must be at least 18. For hbo or university there is no minimum age, but your student finance must start before you turn 30.
• Nationality: You are Dutch, or you hold a residence permit of type II, III, IV or V. Citizens of the EU/EEA, Switzerland and certain British nationals can also qualify under specific conditions.

How to apply

You apply once through Mijn DUO, the online portal, using your DigiD login, at the same time as your general student finance request. You do not fill in your parents' details yourself. DUO collects their income automatically from the Dutch tax office. There is no interview. The amount is calculated purely from your parents' income and family situation, and recalculated each year. You can also apply later, backdated to the start of the study year.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive scholarship: there is no selection and no fixed pot. If your parents' income is below the limit and you study on an eligible programme, you get the grant, with the exact amount set by the calculation. It is worth applying even if you are unsure you qualify, since the check costs you nothing.