Student finance and DUO

DUO is the Dutch authority behind study grants, loans, and the student travel product — eligibility depends heavily on your nationality and study situation.

What DUO does

DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) is the government body that administers Dutch student finance (studiefinanciering) — loans, grants, and the student public transport product — as well as handling enrolment logistics behind the scenes for most Dutch higher-education institutions.

If you are an EU/EEA student

EU/EEA students can, under certain conditions, become eligible for Dutch student finance — typically this requires working a minimum number of paid hours per week alongside your studies. The exact hour thresholds and conditions are specific and reviewed by DUO on a case-by-case basis, so use DUO’s own eligibility checker rather than assuming you either do or do not qualify.

If you are a non-EU/EEA student

Non-EU students on a study residence permit are generally not eligible for Dutch government student finance. Check with your institution’s international office about institutional scholarships, loans from your home country, or other financial support — this is exactly the kind of question their office exists to answer.

The student travel product

Students who qualify for Dutch student finance typically also get access to a subsidised or free public transport product bundled through DUO. The current terms (which days of the week are covered, how to activate it) change periodically, so check directly with DUO once you know your finance eligibility status rather than assuming last year’s rules still apply.