Living on your own
The amount of student finance you can receive depends on your living situation.
Living on your own
To receive student finance for students living on their own, you need to:
- be registered with the municipality on an a different address than your parent(s), and
- actually live on the registered address.
Exceptions are possible. See Exceptions for students living away from home for more information.
You are not entitled to the student grant for living away from home if you are detained.
Changing living situation
If you move away from home, you must change your living situation yourself in Mijn DUO. Your eligibility is based on the situation on the 1st of the month. We automatically receive your address from the municipality, so you don't need to provide it to us.
Are you unable to register at an address other than your parents' address? In some situations, you may still be eligible for a grant for students living away from home.
See Exceptions for students living away from home to find out what you need to do.
Exceptions for students living away from home
You are unable to register on a different address than your parents’ address, but you dom't live with your parents. In that case, apply for an exception.
Conditions
If one of the following situations applies to you, you may still be eligible for the grant for students living away from home.
- You are doing an internship in the Netherlands and you cannot register on the address where you live during your internship.
- You are doing an internship shorter than 8 months outside the Netherlands and you remain registered at your parents' address.
- Your parents are seafarers or inland skippers and they are registered on your address.
- You are staying on board a ship as part of your education.
- You are staying in a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, or a similar facility.
- You do not have a fixed address.
- The municipality refuses to register you.
You are not eligible for an exception for having problems with your landlord. Your landlord is obliged to let you register on the address. If your landlord refuses to do so, we advise you to report this to the municipality.
What do you need to do?
Follow these steps to receive the grant for students living away from home:
- Log into Mijn DUO.
- Go to ‘Mijn producten’ and click ‘Studiefinanciering’.
- Under 'Geldt dit voor u?', click 'Ik ben uitwonend, maar kan me niet inschrijven op mijn woonadres'.'
If you cannot log into Mijn DUO, please use the Aanvraag uitzondering inschrijving gemeente form to apply for an exception.
Checks on students living away from home
DUO checks in different ways whether students are entitled to their grant for living away from home.
Reviewing registration data of the municipality
DUO exchanges data monthly with the municipality to check whether you are registered at a differents adress than your parents.
Checks on supporting documents
During a random check, DUO can ask students to provide documents, such as a rental contract, a signed statement by the landlord or tenant, or proof of property.
Checks through house calls
DUO also does random checks through house calls. DUO first sends a letter about the house call, explaining the process of a house call. You are free to refuse a house call. During a house call the inspectors will ask you to show that you live in the house, for instance by showing personal items. On the Privacy Statement page, you can find more information about how DUO deals with your personal data.
After the check
If everything is in order, you will continue to receive the grant for students living away from home. If your living situation has been checked and DUO determines you are not living away from home, your grant for living away from home may be cancelled. You will have to repay any excess amount you received.