Extension of performance grant
You can apply for an extension of the performance grant if:
- you are able to obtain a diploma, but not before your performance grant is due to expire, and
- you have fallen behind with your studies as a direct result of special medical circumstances.
No possibility of extension
You cannot apply for an extension of the performance grant if:
- you are, or were, pregnant and you experience a normal pregnancy, or
- you switch to another study programme, leaving you with an insufficient grant to fund your new programme, or
- you do not fall behind with your studies until after the expiry of your entitlement to a performance grant.
What happens next
If your application is approved, you will receive student finance similar to before the extension.
- MBO (secondary vocational education) students: You receive 1 year additional performance grant and travel product.
- University or HBO (higher vocational education) students: You receive 1 year additional performance grant and travel product.
- If you are not entitled to a basic grant because you fall under the student loan system, your student loan debt, or part of the debt, will also be cancelled provided that you graduate within 10 years. The amounts are as follows:
Diploma obtained in Maximum cancellation 2023 €1,379.52 2024 €1,547.47 2025 €1,575.74
Associate degree
If you first received student financing for an associate degree on or after 1 January 2018, you will receive 6 months additional travel product and supplementary grant, where applicable. Provided that you obtain your diploma, half of the maximum amount in the table will be cancelled.
Apply for additional year as soon as possible
Contact your student counsellor or study advisor as soon as possible if you fall behind with your studies, even if the cause is not entirely clear yet. This is not just to ensure you apply for an additional year of student finance in good time, but also because the educational institution can turn down your application for financial support if you are late in applying.
You will receive an additional year of student finance immediately following your ‘normal’ student finance entitlement. That is usually after your 4th year of student finance. If you apply for the extension in arrears, you cannot receive any money for the student travel product, or the travel product itself, to cover the ‘missed’ period.