Dutch Student Loan Interest Rises in 2027: DUO's 2.70% and 3.28% Rates Explained

Interest on Dutch student loans goes up on 1 January 2027. On 7 October 2026, DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the agency that runs student finance) set the new rates: 2.70% under the 35-year repayment rules (SF35), up from 2.33%, and 3.28% under the 15-year rules (SF15), up from 2.29%. IamExpat reported on 13 October that more than 250,000 graduates will see their rate rise.

For anyone who came to the Netherlands from elsewhere, the Dutch system can be unfamiliar. Rates follow government bond yields. Former students get a rate fixed for five years at a time. Monthly repayments are capped by income, and whatever is left after 35 years is written off. There are also traps, especially for people who later move abroad.

This guide starts from the 2027 rate change and then walks through how student finance works, fixed-rate periods, income-based repayment, repaying from abroad, who is eligible, and the effect on a mortgage.

It is based on the IamExpat article, compared with coverage in NL Times, DutchNews, DutchReview, Expatica, ACCESS, Xpat.nl and The Hague International Centre. Figures were checked against DUO, CBS (Statistics Netherlands), Nibud (the national budget institute), Rijksoverheid (the Dutch government) and the Student Finance Act on wetten.overheid.nl. Everything was checked on 29 October 2026.

Main sources for this article

• DUO, "Rentepercentages studiefinanciering voor 2027 zijn bekend" (7 October 2026): the 2027 rates and the number of people under each system
• DUO, "Berekening maandbedrag" and "Terugbetalingsregels": how the income cap works and the rules for each system
• Student Finance Act 2000, Articles 6.3, 6.5, 6.10 and 6.11: how the rate is set, the repayment period, and the treatment of non-residents
• CBS, "Totale studieschuld 28 miljard, voor het eerst gedaald" (October 2026): student debt statistics
• Nibud, "Een studieschuld bij DUO": the factors lenders use when assessing a mortgage

Here is a quick overview of what this article answers.

As the table shows, the answer depends on when you borrowed, what you are doing now and where you live. The sections below take each in turn.

1. What changes in 2027

Start with the numbers DUO published. The new rates apply from 1 January 2027, and the size of the rise depends heavily on which system you are in.

The 2027 rates

DUO's press release gives the following rates and headcounts.

Almost all current students are on SF35. Among people already repaying, SF15 is the larger group, and their rate jumps by almost a full percentage point. NL Times described it the same way: nearly one point for the 15-year rules and 0.37 points for the 35-year rules.

Who gets the new rate

DUO lists three groups that move to the 2027 rate, each notified at a different time.

Just over 250,000 former students have a fixed period ending on 31 December 2026. Anyone whose fixed period ends later keeps their current rate until then. IamExpat makes the same point: graduates with time left on their fixed period are not affected yet.

Where the coverage disagrees

One sentence in the NL Times report of 7 October suggests that after the fixed period "the rate is adjusted each year". DUO's own explanation is different: for former students, each fixed period is followed by another five-year fixed period at the rate that applies at that moment. DUO's description is the one to rely on.

There is also a small slip on DUO's consumer page, which describes 2.33% as the 2025 rate. The press release makes clear that 2.33% was the 2026 rate.

2. How Dutch student finance works

Before getting into interest, it helps to be clear about what is actually being borrowed. Studiefinanciering (student finance) combines grants and loans.

What students can receive

DUO publishes these monthly maximums for higher education (hbo and university) from September to December 2026.

Both grants start as a prestatiebeurs, a performance-related grant. If you graduate within ten years, it becomes a gift and the interest on it is cancelled. If you do not graduate in time, it turns into debt.

The supplementary grant depends on parental income. The loan and the tuition fee loan are optional, and you can change the amount every month. Nibud suggests borrowing less in months when you earn more from a side job.

The return of the basic grant

From 2015 to 2023, higher education students had no basic grant and had to borrow everything. This period is known as the leenstelsel (loan system). Since the grant returned in the 2023/24 academic year, fewer students borrow.

CBS reports that total student debt stood at €28.0 billion at the start of 2026, €0.8 billion lower than a year earlier. It is the first fall since the series began.

The total is falling, but the average for former students and the number of people with large balances are still rising. That reflects the leenstelsel generation moving into repayment, and it is this group that feels the rate rise most.

3. SF35 and SF15: which system are you in?

There are several sets of repayment rules. Your system decides your interest rate, repayment period and income cap.

The main systems

According to DUO's "Terugbetalingsregels" (repayment rules) page, the main systems are as follows.

SF35 also covers anyone who first received student finance in or after 2023/24. In practice, nearly every student at a Dutch university today is on SF35.

Under every system there is a two-year aanloopfase (grace period) starting on 1 January after your student finance ends. During it you do not have to repay. Then the aflosfase (repayment phase) begins.

Different benchmarks for the rate

DUO says SF35 and the lifelong learning credit use the average five-year government bond yield from October to September. SF15 uses September alone.

The legal basis is Article 6.3 of the Student Finance Act 2000 (Wet studiefinanciering 2000). The minister sets the rate each year by December, and if the calculation is negative the rate is zero. SF15 rose more this time, which is consistent with yields being higher in September than across the full year.

4. How the fixed-rate period works

For people already repaying, the key concept is the rentevaste periode (fixed-rate period). It is why the 2027 change does not hit everyone at once.

Five years at a time

DUO explains that student rates change every year. Once your student finance ends, your rate is fixed for five years from the start of the grace period. After five years, the rate in force at that point is fixed for the next five years, and so on.

Interest is charged monthly on the outstanding balance, as IamExpat points out. Nibud adds that interest starts from the first month you receive the loan. Interest built up during your studies is added to the debt and feeds into your repayments later.

SF35 rates over time

Rates sat at zero for years before rising from 2023. Combining DUO and NL Times figures gives this picture for SF35.

The rate dipped in 2026 and is rising again. DutchNews reports that the long-term rates student loans are linked to have risen to around 3.3% since late January 2026. NL Times expects the student loan rate to reach 3.3% or more in the coming years.

Checking your own fixed period

Your rate and the end date of your fixed period are shown in Mijn DUO, the personal portal you log into with DigiD. DUO notifies those affected, but if you live abroad and your address is out of date, the letter may never reach you.

5. How much more will you pay?

What do 0.37 points or one point mean in euros? The figures below are simplified estimates using a standard annuity calculation, not DUO's official method.

Estimated statutory monthly payments

These assume the rate stays the same for the whole period. In reality it is reset every five years.

On a €20,000 SF35 balance, the difference is about €4 a month. On €30,000 under SF15, it is about €14. In monthly terms the change is modest.

Total interest over the full term

Over the full term the gap widens, especially under SF35 because the period is so long.

ISO, the national student association, warned that borrowers could pay "thousands of euros more" over their repayment period. For larger balances the estimate bears that out. Because the rate resets every five years, the real total could be higher or lower.

For a precise figure, use DUO's "Rekenhulp maandbedrag studieschuld" (monthly repayment calculator).

6. Income-based repayment (draagkracht)

The most distinctive part of the Dutch system is draagkracht, or repayment capacity. Whatever your statutory monthly amount, a low income caps what you actually pay.

How the cap is calculated

DUO's "Berekening maandbedrag" page explains that it first calculates the statutory monthly amount from your balance and rate. It then calculates your capacity from your income and your partner's income, and you pay whichever is lower. The 2026 thresholds are:

The SF35 threshold equals the statutory minimum wage, or 143% of it with a partner. The rule is set out in Article 6.10 of the Student Finance Act 2000.

Monthly caps at different incomes

For a single person without children, the income cap works out as follows. If your statutory amount is lower than the cap, you pay the statutory amount.

On SF35 with €30,000 a year, you pay around €10 a month whatever your balance. The cap does not change when interest rises, so on a low income the rate increase barely shows in your monthly bill. The catch is that your balance falls more slowly and total interest goes up.

DUO looks at income from two years ago

The calculation uses your income from the peiljaar, the reference year two years back. If your income has since dropped, for example after a job change or parental leave, you can ask for a verlegging peiljaar, a recalculation based on a more recent year.

Pausing and write-off

DUO's "Aflosvrije periode" page says you can pause repayments for up to 60 months (five years) in total. These are often called jokerjaren (joker years). Interest keeps running during a pause, and your repayment period is extended by the same number of months. Any balance left at the end of the repayment period is written off.

7. Repaying from abroad

This is where many internationals get caught out, whether they move on to another country or return home. Leaving the Netherlands does not end the debt.

The income cap only applies if you apply

Article 6.11 of the Student Finance Act 2000 says that for someone who is not a Dutch resident taxpayer, the income-based calculation applies only if they ask for it. If you do not apply, you are billed the full statutory monthly amount, however low your income.

DUO explains that it usually cannot get foreign income data from the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst), so you must report your gross annual income yourself. As proof, it asks for an income statement or tax assessment from the tax authority in the country where you live or work.

Payment methods and deadlines

DUO's "Aflossen vanuit buitenland" (repaying from abroad) page sets out the practical rules.

International transfers can be slow and costly. Paying once a year cuts the number of transfers. DUO says processing a paper income form can take up to eight weeks.

A tougher line on untraceable borrowers

In May 2026, DutchNews reported that the state may have to write off about €170 million owed by former students who moved abroad and could not be traced. Around 21,000 debtors could not be reached last year. Under current practice, debt and fines are written off if DUO cannot reach someone for five years.

The cabinet has put out for consultation a bill that would make it a legal duty to keep DUO informed of your contact details. Going quiet is not a strategy: DUO warns that arrears can be claimed in one go and collected through a bailiff.

8. Who can borrow: international students, EU citizens and expat children

For families who moved to the Netherlands, the first question is often whether they can use the system at all. The answer depends on nationality and residence permit.

General conditions

DUO's eligibility page sets these conditions for higher education students.

ACCESS describes the age range as 18 to 30, but DUO's own page says there is no minimum age for hbo or university. The minimum age of 18 applies to mbo (vocational) students.

By nationality and permit

Combining DUO, ACCESS and Expatica, the picture looks like this.

EU, EEA, Swiss and UK nationals qualify after five consecutive years in the Netherlands, or if they, their partner or a parent works here at least 32 hours a month. Between 24 and 32 hours, DUO assesses each case. Below 24 hours you are not eligible. Xpat.nl adds that the five years should not include more than six months abroad.

EU citizens who do not meet these conditions can still take a tuition fee loan if they are under 30. The Hague International Centre also notes that students may qualify for a loan covering all or part of their tuition even without meeting the nationality rules.

Children of highly skilled migrants

A common situation is a parent working on a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) permit, with children holding a fixed-term family permit (type I).

Article 3 of the Student Finance Decree 2000 (Besluit studiefinanciering 2000) limits which type I permits qualify. Family permits mainly count when the family member is Dutch or has refugee-related status. In a 2023 case, DUO rejected a student whose father held a highly skilled migrant permit, on nationality grounds.

Once a family gains a permanent permit (type II) or EU long-term resident status (type V), usually after five years, the children can qualify. It is worth lining up the timing of a permanent residence application with your child's university start. Check your own case with DUO's eligibility assistant.

Tuition fees are a separate question

There are two fee levels: the statutory fee (wettelijk collegegeld) and the higher institutional fee (instellingscollegegeld). The Hague International Centre says EU, EEA, Swiss and Surinamese nationals pay the statutory fee, while others usually pay more. Expatica puts non-EU bachelor's fees at €6,000 to €15,000 a year, and DutchReview gives a similar range.

Some residence permits also give access to the statutory fee, so confirm your category with the university admissions office.

For non-EU students without access

DutchReview notes that non-EU students who cannot use DUO often rely on scholarships, family funds or private loans, with private loan rates it puts at around 8% to 13%. The Holland Scholarship and Nuffic's grant finder are the usual starting points.

9. Student debt and your mortgage

Student debt also matters when you buy a home in the Netherlands. If that is on your horizon, plan for it early.

Lenders look at the monthly payment

Rijksoverheid says lenders look at your monthly student loan payment rather than the original debt. Nibud explains that this has applied since 2024. Because student loan interest is not tax-deductible, lenders gross up the monthly amount using a factor linked to the mortgage rate.

Nibud takes these factors from the Mortgage Credit Regulation (Regeling hypothecair krediet). If a higher student loan rate raises your monthly payment, your maximum mortgage falls accordingly.

Easy-to-miss points

Student debt is not registered with BKR, the Dutch credit registry, but you must declare it. Rijksoverheid says that if you are on a payment pause or paying a reduced amount, lenders use the statutory monthly amount instead.

HomeFinance gives an example: for a household earning €65,000, a €100 monthly DUO payment cuts the maximum mortgage by about €25,000. DutchReview also points out that student debt reduces what a bank will lend.

Paying extra to lower your monthly amount raises what you can borrow. Ask DUO to recalculate, and show the new amount to your lender.

10. The politics: the 2.5% cap is off

Alongside the rate announcement came a political setback. The coalition that took office in early 2026 has effectively abandoned one of its promises to students.

The promise and the reversal

The coalition agreement between D66, VVD and CDA promised that former students would pay no more than 2.5%. On 22 October 2026, Education Minister Rianne Letschert told parliament this could not be done with the money set aside.

The two outlets give different cost estimates: four times the budget according to DutchNews, about three times according to NL Times. Both agree the shortfall is large. LSVb (the national student union) and ISO both criticised the decision.

Extra compensation for the loan-system generation

About 760,000 people who studied under the leenstelsel between 2015 and 2023 will get extra compensation. DutchNews reports up to €2,136, paid at €44.50 a month for up to four years and offset automatically against their debt, starting in 2027. This comes on top of the €3,700 already paid.

11. Common pitfalls

These are the points people most often get wrong.

The rule for borrowers abroad catches people out most often. Expect to send proof of income every year.

12. Three example cases

Here are three fictional people to show how the answer changes with circumstances. They are not real people.

Lena: a recent graduate working in the Netherlands

Lena's student finance ended in 2026, so her grace period starts in January 2027 with 2.70% fixed for five years. Mandatory repayment starts in 2029, capped at 4% of her income above the threshold. Paying a little during the grace period would reduce her total interest.

Marco: a former student from before 2015

Marco repays under SF15. If his fixed period ends at the end of 2026, his rate rises to 3.28%. Because SF15 takes 12% of income above the threshold, the effect on his monthly bill is more noticeable. If he plans to buy a home, he should check how the payment affects his mortgage.

The Okafor family: highly skilled migrant household

The children hold type I family permits, so they may not qualify for DUO. The family checks when they can apply for permanent residence and asks the university which fee level applies. They also compare options in other countries.

13. What to do next

These steps are for current borrowers, students and families preparing for university.

1. Log into Mijn DUO with DigiD. Check your system (SF35 or SF15), your current rate and when your fixed period ends.
2. Make sure DUO's November and February letters will reach you. Confirm your email and postal address.
3. Run DUO's repayment calculator at 2.70% or 3.28% to see how your balance changes.
4. If your income has dropped, request a newer reference year. The two-year lag can leave you paying too much.
5. If you plan to move abroad, update your address and payment method before you leave. Find out where you will get an official income statement.
6. If you plan to buy a home, confirm the monthly amount your lender will use and whether extra repayment helps.
7. Families with teenagers: check the child's permit type and the age-30 rule well before applying.

14. What not to do

A lump sum cuts interest, but not at the cost of your safety net. Nibud recommends building a buffer before paying extra.

15. Checklist

• I know whether I am on SF35 or SF15
• I have checked when my fixed-rate period ends in Mijn DUO
• My email and address at DUO are up to date
• I have checked whether my income has changed a lot in two years
• If moving abroad, I know how I will pay and prove my income
• If buying a home, I know how my DUO payment will be counted
• If my child is heading to university, I have checked their permit type and fee level

16. Summary

• From 2027, student loan interest is 2.70% under SF35 and 3.28% under SF15
• Among repayers, about 250,000 people whose fixed period ends on 31 December 2026 move to the new rate
• Monthly payments are capped by income: under SF35, 4% of income above €26,819 for a single person
• The debt stays when you move abroad, and the cap only applies if you apply with proof of income
• Eligibility depends on nationality and residence permit type
• Mortgage lenders count your monthly DUO payment at 1.05 to 1.40 times
• The 2.5% cap has been dropped, and rates are expected to keep rising

Sources

Official sources

• Rentepercentages studiefinanciering voor 2027 zijn bekend — DUO: 2027 rates and headcounts per system
• Rentepercentages voor 2027 vastgesteld — DUO: which groups get the new rate and when they are notified
• DUO start voorlichting over rente op studiefinanciering 2027 — DUO: notification timing and how rates are set
• Rentepercentages studiefinanciering voor 2026 bekend — DUO: 2025 and 2026 rates
• Terugbetalingsregels — DUO: SF35 and SF15 rules and rate benchmarks
• Berekening maandbedrag — DUO: 2026 income thresholds and percentages
• Aflosvrije periode — DUO: the 60-month payment pause
• Aflossen vanuit buitenland — DUO: paying from abroad
• Uw inkomen — DUO: reporting foreign income
• Bedragen studiefinanciering en tegemoetkoming — DUO: monthly amounts, September to December 2026
• Eligibility — DUO: age, programme and nationality conditions
• Eligibility for EU/EEA, Swiss and UK citizens — DUO: five-year residence and 32-hour work rules
• Wet studiefinanciering 2000 — wetten.overheid.nl: Articles 6.3, 6.5, 6.10 and 6.11
• Totale studieschuld 28 miljard, voor het eerst gedaald — CBS: student debt statistics
• Een studieschuld bij DUO — Nibud: mortgage factors and repayment advice
• Hypotheek en studieschuld — Rijksoverheid: how lenders count student debt

Expat and news media

• DUO raises student loan interest rates for 250,000 graduates — IamExpat: the starting article
• Hundreds of thousands will soon face higher student loan interest rates — NL Times: rate history and student reactions
• Student groups condemn Cabinet over dropping promised 2.5% student-loan interest cap — NL Times: the cap reversal and discount idea
• Student union furious as minister says interest cap unaffordable — DutchNews: the €160 million cost estimate
• Total student debt falls for the first time, to €28 billion — DutchNews: coverage of the CBS figures
• Dutch state loses €170m in debt from ex-students living abroad — DutchNews: untraceable borrowers and the contact-details bill
• Students hit by no-grant period will get €2,000 off their debts — DutchNews: extra compensation for the leenstelsel generation
• Student loans, financing, and scholarships in the Netherlands — DutchReview: options for non-EU students
• Study in the Netherlands — Expatica: tuition ranges and DUO access
• Is studiefinanciering available to international students? — ACCESS: eligibility by permit type
• Financial Matters for Students — Xpat.nl: the five-year residence rule
• Financing your studies — The Hague International Centre: living costs and fee levels in the region

Other

• Studieschuld en hypotheek: regels — HomeFinance: example of the mortgage impact
• Studiefinanciering — Maastricht University: type I permits and student finance
• ECLI:NL:RBZWB:2023:7829 — Rechtbank Zeeland-West-Brabant: case on a highly skilled migrant's child with a type I permit

All sources were checked on 29 October 2026. Rates and amounts change every year, so confirm the latest figures on duo.nl and in Mijn DUO before you act.

Original article

DUO raises student loan interest rates for 250,000 graduates — IamExpat