Important announcement regarding financial support
New conditions have been announced for the scholarship from the Flemish Government, which will take effect starting next academic year. As a result of these savings, the financial support offered by the VUB will also be reviewed from the 2026–2027 academic year.
More information about the proposed changes can be found here.
Short-term loan
Tuition fee
- An interest-free short-term loan to pay your tuition fees can be applied for if you meet the eligibility requirements and are a non-scholarship student. We recommend first checking whether you are eligible for a scholarship from the Flemish Government and/or reduced tuition fees. If you are eligible, you may pay the scholarship rate or near-scholarship rate. In that case, a tuition fee loan is not necessary.
- If you take out a tuition fee loan, we will pay the outstanding amount directly to the Student Administration, up to a maximum of €1,500. This way, your tuition fee payment is taken care of.
- You will then repay the borrowed amount to our service in monthly instalments. A contract will specify the number of months over which you will repay the amount and the month in which you will start making repayments. The loan must be fully repaid by the end of April at the latest. For example, if you receive an invoice in September, you can spread the repayment over a maximum of eight monthly instalments. The minimum monthly repayment is €50.
Student housing
- Are you having difficulty paying your monthly rent and have you therefore fallen behind on your rent payments? If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply for a interest-free loan to pay your outstanding rent.
- If you rent a room from VUB, the borrowed amount will be transferred directly to VUB Student Housing. If you rent a room from a private landlord, the borrowed amount will be transferred to your bank account. You can then use this amount to pay the outstanding rent yourself.
- You will then repay the borrowed amount to our service in monthly instalments. A contract will specify the number of months over which you will repay the amount and the month in which you will start making repayments. The loan must be fully repaid by the end of August at the latest. The minimum monthly repayment is €50.
Other study-related costs
- Do you have other significant study-related expenses that you find difficult to pay all at once, such as purchasing a new laptop or covering the costs of a study trip? If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can also apply for an interest-free loan to cover these expenses.
- The borrowed amount will be transferred directly to the student’s bank account. You will then repay the amount to our service in monthly instalments. A contract will specify the number of months over which you will repay the amount and the month in which you will start making repayments. The loan must be fully repaid by the end of August at the latest. The minimum monthly repayment is €50.
Long-term loan
Depending on your financial situation, you may be eligible for a long-term interest-free loan to help address a structural financial need. Repayment of a long-term loan starts two years after you complete or discontinue your studies at VUB.
How much is the loan?
Both short-term and long-term interest-free loans are available for a maximum amount of €1,500.
Conditions
Do I qualify for support?
There are certain conditions to qualify for the financial support provided by VUB.
Conditions
General conditions
The general condition to receive financial support from VUB are:
- The student meets one of the nationality requirements  established by the Department of Scholarships of the Flemish Community
- the student is enrolled under a diploma contract (students with a credit or exam contract are not eligible) (*)
- the student is enrolled at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (**)
- the student is enrolled in an initial study programme: a bachelor, a first master, a bridging or preparatory programme (***)
- the student proves a financial need, related to the study costs
(*) Students enrolled under a credit contract may still be eligible for the reduced tuition fee and the interest-free tuition fee loan.
(**) Students must be enrolled for at least 27 credits (with the exception of the graduation year). This requirement applies to applications for the social allowance, financial emergency and external grants.
(***) Students following a teacher training or a second academic degree of the same level or students who have already obtained a Master's degree can only qualify for reduced tuition fee and an interest-free student loan. This interest-free student loan is also available for students who are following an advanced Master's degree.
Conditions
Don't agree?
We evaluate your request and make a decision based on these conditions. If you do not agree with a decision made by our Financial Support team regarding your request for financial support, you can lodge an appeal.
Request a loan
An interest-free short-term loan for tuition fees, student housing, or other study-related expenses
The updated application form will be available online in the beginning of September
Please note: You can only apply for a loan for your tuition fees for the 2026–2027 academic year once you have received your first invoice, which will be sent in mid-September. If you still wish to apply for a loan for the 2025–2026 academic year, please contact Social, Legal an Financial Support.
Once we receive your application, we will process it and prepare a contract via DocuSign. The contract will include the agreed repayment plan. You will then receive an email from DocuSign at your VUB email address. Please read the contract carefully, complete the requested information, and sign the document. Please also provide us with a copy of the front and back of your identity card.
Once we have received the signed contract, we will process your loan further. We will add our signature and a structured message to the contract. You will then receive the final contract again via DocuSign. We will subsequently proceed with the payment of the loan.
You are responsible for keeping track of the agreed repayment plan. For each payment, make sure to use the correct bank account number and always include the correct structured message.
You can apply for an interest-free short-term loan until 1 September 2027.
An interest-free long-term loan for structural financial difficulties
Application form long-term loan
To apply for a long-term loan, you must submit the signed application form by email. Once your application has been processed, we will contact you.
The application form for an interest-free long-term loan for the 2026–2027 academic year will be available online during September.
You can apply for an interest-free long-term loan for the 2026–2027 academic year until 1 September 2027.
External offer
Interest-free study loan Foundation De Helt
This foundation offers interest-free study loans to students who are descendants of the founder De Helt or students born in Malines (Mechelen) who are pursuing university studies, with preference to students of philosophy, law and medicine.
Deadline: Deadline: 30 June 2027 for the 2026–2027 academic year
More info (only in Dutch)
Interest-free Limburg study loan
At the ‘Steunpunt Onderwijs Limburg’, you can apply for an interest-free student loan as a student. This interest-free loan can provide you and your family with an extra financial opportunity during your studies. You only pay back this loan after your studies. The loan is mainly intended for students from Limburg.
Application: from 1 July 2026 for the 2026–2027 academic year until 31 August 2027
More info (only in Dutch)