Hogeschool der Kunsten Den Haag - Royal Academy of Art The Hague – Profileringsfonds

What you get

You get a one-off payment of up to 5,000 EUR if exceptional circumstances have delayed your studies, or up to 2,500 EUR if you have fallen into serious financial hardship. The support runs for up to 12 months, and in exceptional cases you can extend it by up to another 12 months. If you are delayed, the amount is based on the student finance you last received from DUO (the Dutch student finance agency). It is paid in monthly instalments after your standard study period ends. If you are in hardship, you normally get it as a single sum right after the decision. The fund comes from the Hogeschool der Kunsten Den Haag, of which the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) is part. It does not cover loans, tuition-fee credit or your travel pass.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at the KABK (part of the Hogeschool der Kunsten Den Haag).
• No degree yet: You do not yet hold a Dutch degree at the level (bachelor or master) you are enrolled in.
• Delay track: You once qualified for the DUO prestatiebeurs (a performance-based grant that becomes a gift if you graduate in time), and you are delayed through no fault of your own. Examples: illness, pregnancy, disability, chronic illness, difficult family circumstances, a hard-to-study programme, or serving on a student board, education committee or participation council.
• Hardship track: You cannot claim any form of student finance and have fallen into serious financial hardship during your studies. It must be through no fault of your own, not reasonably foreseeable when you started, and it delays or forces you to stop studying.
• What does not count: Loss of income on its own does not qualify. Board work for commercial or discriminatory organisations is excluded, as is work done mainly to earn money.
• Report quickly: You report your circumstances to the student dean, normally within 2 months of them arising.

How to apply

First report your situation to the KABK student dean. Then submit a full application with evidence through the dean to the College van Bestuur (the executive board). Evidence can include a motivation letter, a DUO statement, medical or financial proof and your study results. The board decides in writing within 4 weeks, or 6 weeks in holiday periods.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an internal emergency fund, not an open scholarship. It is only for KABK students who can prove a specific, unforeseen setback or hardship, so the eligible group is small. If your situation clearly fits one of the two tracks, you document it, and you report it promptly to the student dean, your prospects are good. It rewards a well-evidenced case, not a polished one.