Pursuing your studies in the Netherlands

Do proper orientation with regard to your desired study program. Consult your student dean, mentor or career guidance counselor. Because you live far from the Dutch Metropolitan area, and due to COVID-19 it is possible for you to attend open houses online. Please click on this link for more information:  www.studiekeuze123.nl/open-dagen.

Indiscriminate information about open house days, study programs, prospects on the job market, opinions of students in higher education and much more can be found at: www.studiekeuze123.nl. And, www.startstuderen.nl offers practical information such as: a check list of arrangements to be made before embarking on your studies.

Studiekeuze123 has a webpage: “Studia na Hulanda” with specific information for students from the Caribbean section of the Dutch Kingdom.

Register on time: Deadline is May 1st annually
Have you made a choice? Register as soon as possible on: www.studielink.nl,  More information but in either case no later than the 1^st of May of each year, even if you haven’t obtained your diploma as yet. A college or university has no obligation to admit you if you have registered after that date. In the case of study programs that select students you often have to register even sooner, namely no later than the 15^th of January. Therefore, verify the deadline for the registration date in advance on the website of the college or university.

Lottery drawings and decentralized selections study majors

You must register no later than the 15^th of January in order to be part of the decentralized selection process. Decentralized selection is the method that will be applied exclusively. Your personality, motivation and academic performance will play an important role in gaining admittance.

Click on the link for an overview lottery studies

Please review also the road-map for selection and placement in the Netherlands

For more information please visit  https://www.studiekeuze123.nl/selectie

DigiD

To register via Studielink you will need a DigiD which you must request via www.digid.nl. If you don’t have a DigiD, you must open an account via https://www.studielink.nl/account/aanvragen/personalia and follow the steps.

Once you have registered no later than the 1^st of May, the institution can offer you a ‘study choice check’ (and, based on said check, a non binding study choice recommendation) for the study program for which you have registered. Then, after your registration you will receive an invitation to such a mandatory study check. What that check consists of varies per study program. It may involve an interview, trial lectures, a digital questionnaire or another method. That way you will be able to check whether the study program truly suits your purposes. Because you live in Curaçao, Aruba or Sint Maarten, the colleges and universities will see to it that you are able to perform the study choice check without having to travel to the Netherlands. That is laid down in the law as well.

If, after the study choice check you still opt for a different study program, you will be allowed to do so. Because you have registered in Studielink no later than the 1^st of May, you retain your right to access to other study programs. Therefore, there’s no need to register for multiple study programs just to be sure.

 Extra admission requirements

Verify on your study program’s website or at www.studiekeuze123.nl (the tab “admission and cost” of your study program) whether extra admission requirements apply, such as: a qualification level, specific subjects (secondary education) or training with regard to a specific domain (senior secondary vocational education).

For instance, a ‘hbo’ foundation course (Du: propedeuse) diploma no longer guarantees automatic right to access to the university. The Primary School Teacher Training College (pabo) imposes requirements as well. Verify at www.goedvoorbereidnaardepabo.nl which requirements are imposed and how you can prepare for complying with them.

Disability

Are you handicapped? Contact the study program of your choice as soon as possible and ask about their facilities.  At ECIO (Expertisecentrum inclusief onderwijs) you will find a list of regulations that are useful for your purposes.

You can apply for study financing via www.duo.nl/antillen. Apply for study financing at least 3 months prior to your traveling to the Netherlands. As soon as you have arrived in the Netherlands you ought to register at the municipality. You will get a resident service number from the municipality. Convey your resident service number and your home address at once to ‘Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs’ (DUO). For further information about applying for study financing, please refer to the web site maintained by DUO.

Study financing for an institution of higher learning (higher professional education or university) comprises a student travel product for everyone, possibly a supplementary grant³ and the possibility to benefit from a loan.

Study financing a senior secondary vocational educational institute comprises a basic grant and a student travel product for everyone, possibly a supplementary grant and the possibility to benefit from a loan.

You may take out a loan at favorable terms with DUO. This loan is not mandatory. You will personally determine whether to borrow and how much you will borrow. The calculation tool at www.startstuderen.nl/rekenhulp can help you to that end. After you have finished your studies you will reimburse the sponsor.

http://www.studiekeuze123.nl/antillen

https://app.studielink.nl/front-office/

Attention! Select the heading: ‘I do not live in the Netherland’. When typing in your previous education in ‘Studielink’, you must indicate that you have obtained or are about to obtain your diploma in the Netherlands. Select the type of diploma. Under ‘Place educational institute’ choose: ‘CARIB NED/AR CUR STM’. Under ‘Name educational institution’ choose: ‘Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten’.

• Students will be responsible for arranging their own housing via :
  • Schools (HBO and WO only)
  • Housing cooperations such as DUWO, SSH, etc.
    • Please note you must register an international student
  • Realtors
  • Family and friends
• Prospective HBO and WO students must register for a room via their school when possible.
• Important notes:
  • In cases where housing is arranged through a realtor, additional charges may apply.
  • In most cases, a housing contract will be arranged for a minimum duration of one (1) year. Breaking this contract prematurely will have financial consequences.
  • In most cases, the housing accommodation will consist of shared facilities such as living room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
  • In some cases due a chronic shortage of student housing in cities such as Utrecht, Nijmegen, Arnhem, Enschede, Zwolle and Maatstricht, housing accommodations may have to be secured in a neighboring city.
  • To reserve the housing accommodations, you will need to pay the security deposit and first month rent (total approximately € 1000,00).
  • The housing accommodations should meet the following minimum requirements:
    • Proper hygiene and proper state of repair.
    • Safe and secure living and studying environment.
    • School – home travel time ≤ 1,5 hours.

• The Division of Study Financing within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport conducts a series of information sessions and preparatory workshops for parents, guardians and students.
• The main goals of the PCSR information sessions and workshops are to ensure that parents, guardians and students are well prepared for living and studying abroad, to promote financial responsibility and good study habits.
• It is mandatory for applicants to attend all preparatory courses and workshops.