Good to know
Performance grant: when grants become gifts
Prestatiebeurs ·Administered by Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO)
For mbo 3/4, hbo and wo, DUO pays the grants as a prestatiebeurs. Graduate with a qualifying diploma within 10 years and everything converts to a gift, interest included. No diploma means repaying it all. mbo 1/2 grants are always a gift, as are the first 5 months of the supplementary grant (hbo/wo).
Who qualifies
- Applies automatically to basisbeurs, aanvullende beurs and studentenreisproduct at mbo 3/4, hbo and wo
- Hardship rules exist for students with a disability, and an early-dropout rule (1-februariregeling) for first-years
How to apply
Nothing to apply for — conversion happens automatically when DUO registers your diploma.
Deadlines: Diploma within 10 years of your first grant month
Sources
- Gift of terugbetalen — DUO (retrieved 10 July 2026)
- Omzetting van de prestatiebeurs — DUO (retrieved 10 July 2026)
Last verified 10 July 2026