If you don’t qualify for public aid or scholarships, you can always look for funding independently

Self-funding

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This means that you can search for a part-time job to combine with your studies or you can look into private loans.

Private aid

This type of financing comes usually from private companies that can offer you a loan in exchange for an interest rate. Since EU/EEA students are eligible for collegegeldkrediet (the tuition fee loan), which currently has a very attractive interest rate determined based on the duration and amount of your loan, private aid is usually for non-EU/EEA citizens.

If you are interested in a private loan, contact your university to request more information on partnerships with institutions from your country that provide such loans.

Costs of living and student budgeting

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Whether you’re funding yourself or receiving aid, it’s always important to be aware of what expenses you’ll have to deal with and how to prepare yourself for them. Learning how to budget is an important first step.

Costs of living

Aside from your tuition fees, it is important to be aware of your other living costs. Living costs can cover a broad spectrum of things, from rent to food to textbooks. Your living costs could include:

Your tuition. Depending on your nationality you might have to pay the statutory fee or the institutional fee. On average, EU/EEA students pay a little over 2000 a year for tuition fees, whereas non-EU/EEA nationals pay close to or more than 8000 a year.
Monthly rent. Depending on where in the Netherlands you are living, the housing market can be quite expensive. Are you on the hunt for somewhere to live? Check out our Complete Guide to Student Housing, where we give you advice on finding a place to live!
Monthly utilities: Find out more about utilities in our Utilities Guide and read our tips on how to save money on your utilities!
Your food: Everyone needs to eat, right? Most likely, you will be doing a weekly shop for groceries. Some supermarkets are more expensive than others. Visit places like Aldi, Plus or Albert Heijn.
Textbooks and other school supplies:Textbooks can often be very expensive, so buying them second-hand is a smart way to save some money. You can find textbooks in the Facebook groups of your study program.
Going out or eating out: Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t experience student life to the fullest! You can always pre-drink at home with friends, or choose cheaper alternatives when eating at restaurants. At most budget-friendly (and budget journal friendly) places, a meal will cost you somewhere between 10-20.
Transport like trams, trains or buses, for example.
Extras like clothes or shopping. This might be a necessity for you or it might be something you spend your extra cash on.

All in all, if you are living in the Netherlands, you are looking at total living costs of around 1000 or more per month. That’s less than (or at least almost equal to) living costs in countries like England, for example.

Budgeting

You could consider helping yourself out in the finance department by sticking to a budget. Sounds fun, right? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Having a budget simply means you are more aware of how much you are spending and what you are spending your money on. You can set yourself a monthly or weekly limit in regards to the amount of money that you allow yourself to https://worldpaydayloans.com/payday-loans-tn/chattanooga/ use, delegating a certain sum to certain things. For example, you could set aside a certain amount for your rent, and then for food or going out. We came up with a fool-proof formula for keeping a budget, so take a look if you are unsure of how to budget yourself!