Can I lower the monthly payment on my Dutch student debt?
What would you like help with?
Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
Often yes, if your repayment capacity is below the set amount. Under most repayment rules DUO automatically considers income; under SF15-old you must request a reduction yourself.
On this page
1. Check your repayment rules
This guidance concerns repayment of Dutch student debt to DUO. Check in Mijn DUO whether SF15-old, SF15, SF35 or SF15-lllk applies. DUO normally considers income automatically under SF15, SF35 and SF15-lllk. Under SF15-old, DUO says you must make a one-off request yourself.
2. Check which income DUO uses
DUO normally uses joint income from two years earlier and usually includes a partner’s income. Different partner-income choices may apply under SF15-old. Check household status and income data. If income has since fallen, investigate moving the reference year to a more recent year.
3. Request a lower amount when needed
Use Mijn DUO if you need to request the reduction or provide income data. A form is available without access to Mijn DUO; different routes or evidence may apply abroad or in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Provide only requested income records and retain confirmation. If income received from the tax authority is incorrect, check with it and if needed send an income statement to DUO Klantenservice, Postbus 50021, 9702 BA Groningen. With a deferred tax return, provide an estimate for the reference year; without a filing obligation use taxable wages on your annual statement. Support foreign gross income with evidence. Without Mijn DUO use the relevant year's income form for a lower monthly payment; processing can take up to eight weeks. Applying before 1 January may make the lower amount effective from 1 January. Failure to respond to an income request for renewal requires a new application.
4. Keep paying until DUO decides
A reduction request does not suspend payment. The old amount remains due until DUO issues a new message. If a reduction is granted during the calendar year, DUO says it starts in the month after the request, and excess payments are returned automatically.
5. Compare a reduction with payment-free months
A reduced amount is income-based and may even be zero. A payment-free period temporarily stops repayments, but interest continues and no more than sixty payment-free months are available. They are unavailable for lifelong-learning-credit debt. Compare consequences instead of choosing deferral automatically.
6. Record the outcome and next review
The lower-payment calculation is valid for one calendar year and is usually recalculated automatically. Respond if DUO cannot retrieve income. Record partner changes, current income, the new amount and start date. If you disagree with the new decision, immediately check its objection notice.
Which figures should I compare before applying?
Make a worksheet with the repayment rule, present amount, reference year, current joint income, partner status, reason for the income drop and desired start month. Also record whether you considered a payment-free period and how many months you already used. This prepares the request; DUO makes the official calculation.
Documents to prepare
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Item 1 / 8 · Where do you stand with this item?
Rule: SF15-old, SF15, SF35 or SF15-lllk
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Your timeline and evidence
List events and contacts. Note where you keep the evidence; no upload is needed.
What goes in my timeline?
Record what happened, when, the response and where to find the letter, message or photo. Mark uncertain dates.
Is my evidence sent?
No. You only note where it is kept. No files are uploaded or sent automatically.
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Your entries are not saved automatically. Choose Save and continue later to store this preparation, including your timeline, in My overview. Wait for confirmation and save new changes again. You can also download a Word file without an account.
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0 / 8 · Checked or collected
For each event, note the date, what happened and where the evidence is kept. Example: 3 October — letter received — correspondence folder.
Describe the solution you would like, such as an explanation of a deduction and repayment of the outstanding amount.
For example: which document is missing, who can provide it and what should I do first?
Record the date and its source. If unknown, note this and check promptly. This tool does not calculate or monitor deadlines.
After your conversation
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This is your preparation, not a submitted request, objection or legally reviewed document. A tick records only your own progress. Check the procedure and deadline in the original letter.
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- Rule: SF15-old, SF15, SF35 or SF15-lllk
- Statutory and actual monthly amount
- Income currently used by DUO
- Current personal income
- Partner status and partner income where relevant
- Possibility of changing the reference year
- Request date and confirmation
- Consequences of reduction versus payment-free period
Sources
Need personal assistance? Request a lawyer through our chat. We explain the next step; submitting a request does not engage a lawyer. The links below support the legal information.
DUO · Maandbedrag verlagen ↗DUO · Berekening maandbedrag ↗Rijksoverheid · Maandbedrag studieschuld verlagen ↗DUO · Aflosvrije periode ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.