Age requirement for a student grant
From the 2026–2027 academic year onwards, you must be under 30 years of age to be eligible for a student grant. This applies as at 31 December of the calendar year in which the academic year begins. Anyone born in 1996 or earlier will already be aged 30 or over on 31 December 2026 and will therefore no longer be eligible for a student grant during the 2026–2027 academic year. There is an exception to this rule, which means you may still be eligible for a student grant.
Exemption from the age requirement: circumstances beyond your control
You can apply for an exemption from the age requirement if, due to circumstances beyond your control, you were unable to start or complete a higher education programme before turning 30.
You will need to demonstrate yourself that, due to circumstances beyond your control, it was impossible to both start and complete a higher education programme before you turned 30.
OKOT training programme
You cannot be granted an exemption from the age requirement if you are following a course under an agreement with the VDAB (OKOT course). This is an ‘educational qualification programme’ under a VDAB training contract. If you are an OKOT student, you are a jobseeker who is following a recognised full-time day course through the VDAB to obtain a diploma or certificate in a shortage occupation. You will then receive a financial allowance from the VDAB. For more information about the programmes. More information: Behaal je diploma (VDAB) (in Dutch)
Apply for an exemption
You can only apply for an exemption from the age limit as part of a review and if it is established that you do meet all the other criteria (financial, nationality and educational). You can therefore only apply for an exemption if you have already received an initial decision and the age limit is the only criterion you do not meet.
You apply for this exemption directly to the Student Grants Division. You will need to include supporting evidence in your application: Aanvraagformulier uitzondering op leeftijdsvoorwaarde voor studietoelage 2026-2027 (in Dutch).
Using this form, you will need to demonstrate, for each year from your 18th up to and including the academic year in which you turn 29, that you were in circumstances beyond your control. You will also need to attach supporting documents to this form to prove these circumstances.