Many mbo students miss student finance.

Many mbo students miss student finance.

Mbo students get the same benefits about student finance as hbo students this school year. Research shows that parents of mbo students are not yet well informed about this change.

The changes per 1 august 2023:

• Abolition of the earnings limit: mbo students can now earn unlimited money, just like ho students, and the check on earnings is removed retroactively from 2022.
• Try an hbo study for a year after mbo. If a student stops in the first year, the basic grant, additional grant, and student travel product will change into a gift.
• Temporary increase of the basic grant: mbo students living away from home get a temporary increase of the basic grant, just like ho students, this school year. This measure helps them for a year because of higher costs (purchasing power measure).

Important role for parents

Parents of mbo students do not know these changes well enough. This appears from research by Motivaction on behalf of DUO. And parents of mbo students play an important role in applying for student finance for their child.

Research about parents of mbo students

About 75% of the parents asked said they talk with their child about money and studying. In the same research, they said they are poorly informed about the changes in student finance for mbo students.

Only a quarter of the parents know about the abolition of the earnings limit, while over three quarters say this is a (very) important benefit for their child.

It is striking that only a quarter of parents of mbo level 1 and 2 students in the vocational training route (bol) know that the student finance for these students is always a gift and not a performance grant. Even if the study is not finished or if the mbo level 1 or 2 student takes more than 10 years to finish. However, these students must repay any loan besides the basic grant and additional grant.

More information about student finance

You can find more information about the changes in student finance for mbo at the campaign page duo.nl/stufi2023. Also, ikbenmbostudent.nl and the Rijksoverheid website have much information for mbo students.

Questions about mbo

Do you have a question about mbo? Then visit our theme page mbo. You can also contact our Advice Point staff.