University of Western Macedonia - Housing Benefit

Greek Student Housing Benefit

You will receive an annual payment of 1,500 EUR if you rent accommodation away from your parents’ home in Greece for the purposes of your studies. The amount depends on your circumstances: 2,000 EUR if you share a flat with another student, 2,000 EUR if you are studying outside Athens and Thessaloniki, and up to 2,500 EUR if you are studying outside these two cities and sharing a flat. The grant is tax-free and cannot be seized by creditors. The Greek Ministry of Education pays it for each academic year in which you meet the eligibility criteria, for as long as your course officially lasts.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are currently studying for your first bachelor’s degree at a Greek university. If you already hold a degree or are studying for a second degree, you are not eligible to apply.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: You are a national of Greece or another EU country.
• Age: No age limit.
• Where you live: You are renting a flat at your place of study, in a town or city other than your family’s main place of residence. The tenancy must run for at least 6 months during the academic year. A guesthouse or hotel booked for at least 6 months also counts. Neither you nor your parents may own another property there.
• Family income: Your household earned 30,000 EUR or less last year, plus 3,000 EUR for each additional dependent child after the first. If you are studying at the University of Western Macedonia, Democritus University of Thrace or the University of the Aegean, the upper limit is 40,000 EUR.
• Property: You and your parents do not, between you, own any flats larger than 200 square metres. Flats in villages with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants are not taken into account.
• Study progress: You have passed at least half of last year’s modules. First-year students are exempt from this requirement.

How to apply

You submit your application online once a year via the Ministry of Education’s platform, logging in using your personal TAXISnet tax account. The application window is open in June and July and closes on 31 July. Please have your student registration number, your tax numbers, the number of your electronic tenancy agreement and your IBAN to hand. The tax authority will check your details automatically.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a standard state benefit and not a grant for which you need to apply. If you meet the income threshold, the rent criteria and the academic progress requirements, you will receive this benefit. There is no set number of places for which you need to apply. The key factors for your application are whether your family income is below the threshold and whether your tenancy documents are in order. Apply for the benefit between June and July and ensure that your electronic tenancy agreement and tax return have already been submitted.