Financial help

Hello, I've been looking at ways to help cover rent and living expenses and i need a few things explained. I know as a EU citizen I am eligible for benefits provided I work approx. 56 hours a month, but what kind of work? Does volunteering work count or does it actually have to be paid work? On an unrelated note, is the motivation letter like a cover letter for a CV?


Thanks in advance

Thank you for the correction, I am hoping to apply to Groningen next year (currently in year 12) and trying to see what kind of financial supports are there for students. You wouldn't happen to know what kind of jobs are available, would you?

Do you speak Dutch? If not it looks pretty bleak to be quite honest :/ A really good friend of mine studies in Groningen (Psychology), and she was just talking about that last weekend. It's difficult for students everywhere in the Netherlands, because you have to pay people more the older they are, so they prefer people who are still at school. But in Groningen you also have the large number of students in ratio to how big the city is, which makes the situation more difficult even. My friend's friend managed to find a job washing dishes at a bar, but that took him about 6 months of applying to what feels like every single bar in Groningen. I have been living in the Netherlands for 3.5 years and never bothered with the Dutch loan - 56 hours next to studying can be really hard. I took advantage of my country's own loan system (much better conditions anyway), maybe it is possible for you to get financing from your government?

Unfortunately not I can only take out a loan if studying in the UK, so at the moment i'm seriously considering living in a tent. I do know a little bit of dutch but not enough.

In my student town some people actually did that Sorry I couldn't have given you more positive news Maybe there are certain scholarships you can apply to, but I don't know about that. Don't give up though, finding a job is hard but not impossible! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for them help, I'm sure I'll have some more questions soon

In addition to the loan that you can get when you work more than 56 hours per month, you may still be entitled to an additional grant (benefits), and also a public transport pass if the income of your parents is below a certain level. Also, anyone with a European nationality is entitled to a loan to cover the costs of the tuition fees (1,984 euros, approx. 1,500 pounds), irrespective of how many hours they work (even none). More information can be found on the website of DUO.

As for the motivation letter, I always recommend students to state why they want to pursue this programme, specifically at our university and why they think their background is suitable for this.

I hope this helps!

All the best, Laura