Allowance / interest-free loan

If there is a shortage to bear the study costs, the Social Service can look at what support options are available.

The Social Service can provide student finance in the form of an allowance or an interest-free study loan.

Who is eligible?

Study funding is not possible to get a residence permit.

  • Nationality conditions

Belgian or equivalent (you meet additional conditions)

  • Conditions of study

Student at Ghent University with a diploma contract of at least 27 credits (exception: diploma year).

Registered for a bachelor's degree, master's degree, educational master's degree, preparatory course or linking course.

Until obtaining a 1st master's degree.

You cannot get a student grant for advanced training (e.g. ManaMa, postgraduate, ...) and the preparatory courses for this.

! Exception ManaMa: status scholarship students can only get an interest-free loan if they enroll in a ManaMa following the 1st master's degree

  • Financial conditions

If there is a shortage to bear the study costs, we can grant an allowance.

We conduct a financial investigation to review your situation.

An allowance is possible when the income of your living unit is below a certain limit.

If there are special circumstances, we can examine your file individually.

What study funding is possible?

  • An allowance is financial aid you do not have to repay.

By submitting your application, we will investigate which student finance is possible for you.

Is the family budget insufficient to cover the study costs according to our criteria? Then you may be entitled to an allowance from the Social Services.

We take into account the average study costs for a student at Ghent University. We can increase this cost with exceptional study costs for an individual file.

Certain incomes are available to the student in order to bear the study costs.. We can (partially) take this into account to support these study costs. We are thinking of the study grant from the Flemish government, the reduction of tuition fees, child benefits, student labour, ...

If the study costs cannot be borne with this income, there is a shortage. This deficit will be covered in full or in part by the allowance from the Social Service. The amount of the allowance depends on the available family budget.

  • An interest-free loan

Sometimes an allowance is not possible.

Depending on the individual file, the social and financial research, we can propose an interest-free loan for the study costs.

It is up to the student whether or not to accept this offer.

How do we determine the right to study financing?

How much allowace you will receive depends on the shortage to cover the study costs.

Generous study costs

We take into account the average large study costs of a student at Ghent University as a commuter or when renting a student room. To determine this average, we base ourselves on available amounts or on the CEBUD study. This means that as a student you do not have to demonstrate every cost incurred.

If you have specific exceptional study costs, you can always add these to your application. We include them in your file and investigate to what extent we can include them in your application.

Family budget

Depending on the available family budget, the study costs can be fully, partly or not financed at all by yourself.

To assess this, we base ourselves on the study grant of the Flemish government. However, near-grant students or non-grant students whose reference income is slightly above the maximum limit may also qualify.

Income for student

As a student, you have certain financial benefits that can help to cover the study costs. We (partly) take into account the reduction in tuition fees, the study grant, the school bonus, the child benefits and the selective participation allowance. Your own efforts as a student are also possible by working to a limited extent as a student during the weekend or during holidays.

Individual cases

We use a standard system to determine entitlement to student finance.

Exceptional study costs or exceptions in the family situation can always be given. We view each file individually with the data provided by you.

When do you apply?

  • After your (re-)enrolment as a student at Ghent University
  • At the latest on 01 June 2023
You can submit the application for student finance for study costs for the academic year 2023-2024 from 01/09/2023

How do you apply?

  • You can submit the application via Oasis through 'the student portal of the social services'.

Every request for student finance is processed individually and with the necessary discretion.