Costs and financing
Participating in unfunded education is investing in your future; the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW, Onderwijs, Cultuur & Wetenschap) does not contribute to this. On this page you will find everything about the costs and financing options for your education.
Education costs
The costs you have to pay for following unfunded education can be found on the specific page of the education of your choice.
Tax
- Our education is exempt from VAT.
- Your organisation can fully declare your study investment as business expenses.
Financing your education costs
Are you looking into following unfunded education alongside your job? Then costs can be a barrier. Fortunately, there are a variety of financing options to help you get started.
Study finance
If you are following unfunded education alongside your job, you will not be eligible for a study allowance under the Student Finance Act 2000 [Wet studiefinanciering 2000]. This means that you also do not build up student debt.
Reimbursement from your employer
Employers are often prepared to cover (part of) the costs. We therefore advise you to first consult with your employer. If you do not have a job and want to improve your position on the labour market, in some cases you can follow a training course / degree programme while retaining your benefits. You may be eligible for certain reimbursements (books/material costs). For this you can contact the Social Services Department in your municipality or the authority from which you receive your benefits.
Lifelong Learning Credit Scheme
As a professional, you can borrow money from the government under certain conditions for legally recognised higher professional education (hbo) degree programmes. With DUO's Lifelong Learning Credit Scheme (Regeling Levenlanglerenkrediet), you can borrow tuition, examination and registration fees. Please note: you will build up a student debt that you will have to repay with interest. The interest rate is more favourable than with most private lenders.
You must meet a number of conditions to be eligible for the Lifelong Learning Credit.
Use DUO’s eligibility assistance to see if you qualify.
SMEs’ SLIM subsidy
Are you employed with a SME entrepreneur? In that case, your employer can apply for a SLIM subsidy (subsidy scheme for learning and development in SMEs). This subsidy should stimulate the training and further development of employees. For example, consider mapping out education and training needs, setting up a company school or offering a practical training position. As an employee, you can be assigned a career counsellor. This counsellor will help you choose the right (supplementary) training.
Read more about the SLIM subsidy.
Teacher’s allowance
Do you want to retrain as a teacher? In some situations you can apply for a teacher’s allowance from DUO. The amount of your income (and possibly that of your partner) plays an important role in the awarding of the allowance. This allowance is a gift for a maximum of 24 months and must be spent within 48 months.
Read more about the teacher's allowance.