Part 1&2: Study delay due to force majeure or specific situations

• Check whether you meet the conditions to register your study delay

  Study delay due to special circumstances is covered by Force majeure (Part 1) or Specific situations (Part 2) of the Student Support Regulation (SSR).

  Both students who are entitled to Dutch student finance from DUO as well as students who are not eligible for DUO may be eligible for financial support from the Student Support Regulation.

  Refer to the relevant flow chart below to check whether you meet the conditions for registering your study delay for the Student Support Regulation.

  • Click here for the flow chart if you are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO
    (Non-EU/EEA, CH and UK students and some EU/EEA, CH and UK students).
  • Click here for the flow chart if you are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO
    (Dutch students and some EU/EEA, CH or UK  students).

  To register your study delay you must meet the following conditions:

  • In the previous academic year, you were in your SSR registration period:
    - the regular duration of your degree programme + 1 year
    (for students who are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO)
    - you received a basic grant 
    (for students who are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO);
  • In the previous academic year, you studied full-time and paid tuition fees to VU Amsterdam;
  • In the previous academic year, you earned fewer than 60 credits, including credits earned for extracurricular courses, from a different year in your study programme and/or credits earned in another program;
  • In the previous academic year, you notified your Academic Advisor - by email or appointment - of your special circumstances. When calculating how much study delay you experienced, a maximum of three months prior to the date that you notified your Academic Advisor can be taken into consideration. In the event of special circumstances of a long-term nature (such as a chronic illness), the circumstances must be reported annually to the Academic Advisor if they (again) lead to study delay. Notifying other staff members of the VU is not a valid notification for SSR.

• Register your study delay

  Each academic year, register any study delay you experienced due to special circumstances, including for chronic conditions. When calculating how much financial support you are eligible for from the Student Support Regulation, only the academic years in which you reported and registered your study delay can be taken into consideration.

  It is not possible to retroactively register your study delay for the Student Support Regulation for previous academic years.

  Study delay incurred in the previous academic year can be registered from 1 September to 30 November.

  The deadline for submitting the study delay registration form for 2024-2025 has passed.
  The study delay registration form for 2025-2026 will be available here September 1 - November 30, 2026.

  • September 1 to November 30: submit the study delay registration form to your Academic Advisor.
  • The Academic Advisor checks the form and forwards it to the Secretary of the Student Support Regulation.
  • The Secretary of the Student Support Regulation sends you a confirmation email.
  • Within six weeks of receiving the confirmation email, you will receive an email with information regarding the next steps in the procedure. This contains information specific to your situation.

• When do you need to schedule an SSR wrap-up appointment?

  Schedule a Student Support Regulation (SSR) wrap-up appointment once your SSR registration period ends or if there is a change in your studies.

  SSR registration period ends

  • You have studied for the regular duration of your degree program + 1 year (for students who are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO)
  • You no longer receive a basic grant. You can check your student finance entitlements on mijnduo.nl (for students entitled to Dutch student finance from DUO);

  Change in your studies

  • Switching degree programmes
  • Starting a new (second) degree programme
  • Graduating
  • Stopping with your studies

  SSR wrap-up appointment

  Once your SSR registration period has ended, or there is a change in your studies and if you previously registered a study delay, schedule a SSR wrap-up appointment with a Student Counsellor.

  • Together with the Student Counsellor, you will discuss your study progress and the special circumstances that led to the registered study delay.
  • The Student Counsellor then explores the possibilities for granting financial support from the Student Support Regulation.
  • If you are entitled to Dutch student finance from DUO, the Student Counsellor also assesses whether you qualify for an extension of the performance grant from DUO.

Parts 3, 4 & 5: Grants & Tuition fee waivers for board membership

• Advisory work and student participation activities (Part 3)

  If you are involved in student participation activities or work for a VU Amsterdam advisory body during the 2025-2026 academic year, Part 3 of the Student Support Regulation applies.

  You are actively involved in the role of: 

  • member of representative council at university (USR) or faculty level (FSR)
  • member of a program committee (OLC)
  • auditor of a faculty board (FB)

  When and how should you apply for financial support?

  Fill in the application form below and submit it from 1 September to 1 November 2026, following the end of the academic year in which the board activities took place.

  Forms
  As from 1 September 2026, the application form for 2025-2026 will be available here.

  For more detailed information on the requirements for this provision see Part 3 of the Student Support Regulation.

• Student Organisations (Part 4)

  This part of the Regulations is applicable to student organisations recognised by VU Amsterdam.

  List of student organisations recognised by VU Amsterdam

  Administrative budget

  If you serve on the board of a student organisation (association or foundation) recognised by VU Amsterdam, you are most likely eligible for an administrative budget.

  Your organisation’s board must submit a request using the form below from 1 September to 1 November 2026. This must be done following the end of the academic year in which the board activities took place.

  Form administrative budget
  As from 1 September 2026, the application form for 2025-2026 will be available here.

  Recognition of student organisations

  To receive an administrative budget, you must be a student organisation (association or foundation) recognised by the VU. To be recognised, you must meet several conditions. For example, a student organisation must exist for at least one year from the date of the notary's deed of incorporation. Furthermore, an organisation must have at least 75 contribution-paying student members who are enrolled as full-time undergraduate or graduate students at VU on the reference date of 1 January in the year in which recognition is applied for. Recognition takes effect from 1 September of the year in which it was granted and is valid for a period of three years.

  When and how to apply for recognition as a student organisation
  The application for (re-)recognition can be submitted from 1 April to 1 May. Please note that in the year the recognition is granted, the sitting board is not yet entitled to an administrative budget. This means that if the organisation is recognised in the summer of 2025, the 2025-2026 board will only be entitled to an administrative budget (and can apply for it between 1 September and 1 November 2026). 

  Interim review (recount)
  With an increased number of VU student members, it is possible to request an interim review (recount) of the allocated number of units. A request can be submitted from 1 April to 1 May. This will only be granted if the student association's board demonstrates that the membership has grown to 10% above the minimum number of members required to receive a larger administrative budget. A granted change (budget increase) takes effect from 1 September of the relevant academic year.

  Form recognition or recount
  Fill in the application form and send it in together with all the required documents.

  For more detailed information on the terms and conditions for recognition and the allocation of an administrative budget see Part 4 of the Student Support Regulation.

• Supplementary grant or Tuition fee waiver for board membership (Part 5)

  In the 2026-2027 academic year, those taking on a full-time role on the board of one of the associations or student organisations listed below can choose between the Provision for Additional Support or Tuition fee waiver for board membership. You must decide on this before the commencement of the academic year (1 September). Once you have made your decision, it is final. You are not allowed to use both provisions. You can use one of these two provisions for up to one academic year.

  Eligible associations and student organisations:

  • USR (president, vice-president, three coordinators)
  • AUCSA  
  • Aureus 
  • EOS
  • Gyrinus natans
  • Kraket
  • MFVU^*
  • QBDBD 
  • STORM^*
  • VIB 
  • VSPVU

  *^{The board members of MFVU and STORM are eligible for the PAS, but not for tuition fee waiver, as their board transition takes place halfway through the academic year rather than at the start.}

  Provision for Additional Support

  If, during your board year, you want to be able to attend lectures, sit exams, and register your grades, or graduate, you should opt for the Provision for Additional Support. You will be eligible for a one-off payment of €2,155.- for a period of up to one academic year. Following your year as a board member, your board will submit the application for this provision and for your board grant.

  Tuition fee waivers for board membership

  Are you planning not to attend classes, sit exams, or graduate during you board year? If so, you can opt for a tuition fee waiver for board membership.

  To qualify for a tuition fee waiver for board membership, you must register for your degree programme before 1 September in Studielink and submit your application for the tuition fee waiver before that date.

  Together with your application for a tuition fee waiver for board membership, you need to submit a statement waiving your right to attend classes, sit exams, graduate, and receive supervision for study and research activities at VU Amsterdam or any other funded institution for the entire academic year in which you serve on the board. You must fill in the statement concerning Tuition fee waivers for board membership and upload it with your application.

  At the end of the academic year in which you served as a full-time board member while registered as a student, your compliance with the requirements will be verified. If this verification procedure reveals any non-compliance, you will be required to pay the tuition fees for this academic year.

  In case the online application form is not available to you: Application form tuition-fee waiver.

  For more detailed information on the requirements for these two provisions see Part 5 of the Student Support Regulation.

FAQ Part 1&2

• 1. What is the Student Support Regulation (SSR) registration period?

  The SSR registration period is the period during which a student can register special circumstances and accumulated study delay in order to potentially qualify for financial support from the Student Support Regulation (SSR).

  The duration of your SSR registration period depends on whether you are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO:

  • Students who are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO: the SSR registration period runs for the period during which the student receives the basic grant.

  Degree Programme	SSR Registration Period (basic grant period)
  Bachelor’s + 1-year Master’s	First 4 years for as long as you receive the basic grant (max. 4 years)
  Bachelor’s + 2-year Master’s	First 5 years for as long as you receive the basic grant (max. 5 years)
  Bachelor’s + 3-year Master’s	First 6 years for as long as you receive the basic grant (max. 6 years)

  • Students who are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO: the SSR registration period runs for the regular duration of your degree programme + 1 year.

  Degree Programme	Regular Duration + 1 Year	SSR Registration Period
  Bachelor’s	3 years + 1 year	First 4 years
  Master’s	1 year + 1 year	First 2 years
  Master’s	2 years + 1 year	First 3 years
  Master’s	3 years + 1 year	First 4 years

• 1. How do I register my study delay for an academic year prior to 2026-2027?

  It is not possible to register your study delay retroactively for the Student Support Regulation for previous academic years.

• 2. I’m not sure if I meet the conditions to register my study delay for 2026-2027. What should I do?

  First, check whether you meet the conditions using this flowchart (if you are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO) or this flowchart (if you are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO). If you are still unsure, complete the ‘Study Delay Registration’ form. The Secretary of the Student Support Regulation will then check whether you meet the conditions and whether your registration is valid. If you have questions, you can also contact your Academic Advisor.

• 4. Does the term ‘insufficiently feasible degree programme’ apply in my case?

  An ‘insufficiently feasible degree programme’ is applicable if you incurred study delay through no fault of your own but due to a failure of the degree programme to offer coursework in a given period and meanwhile it was not possible for you to terminate your enrollment without incurring further study delay.

  To register your study delay on the grounds of 'insufficiently feasible degree programme’, an official statement from the faculty is required. Please contact your Academic Advisor about this.

• 5. I experienced study delay due to personal circumstances so why am I not eligible to register my study delay for the previous academic year?

  Even if you incurred study delay due to personal circumstances, you do not meet the conditions to register your study delay if in the previous academic year one or more of the following applied:

  • You were no longer in your SSR registration period:
    - regular duration of your degree programme + 1 year
    (for students who are not eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO)
    - no longer received the basic grant
    (for students who are eligible for Dutch student finance from DUO).
  • You were a part time student, premaster student, enrolled for contract education or an exchange program (only students who had a full time bachelor or master enrollment can register their study delay).
  • You paid your tuition fees to another university in the Netherlands.
  • You did not report your circumstances to the Academic Advisor or were too late (more than 3 months afterwards) in reporting your circumstances to the Academic Advisor. 
  • You earned in total 60 EC or more, including for extracurricular courses, courses from a different year in your degree programme and courses taken at a different university.

• 6. Why did I receive an email from my Academic Advisor about the Student Support Regulation if I’m not eligible for it?

  The Academic Advisors send the email to all students who possibly could be eligible for the Student Support Regulation. Students can then check for themselves whether they meet the conditions for registering their study delay. By not narrowing down the list of students who receive the email, we avoid mistakenly removing a student from the list who is eligible for financial support from the SSR. This means that some students will receive the email, check the conditions and find that they are unfortunately not eligible to register their study delay.

• 7. I submitted my study delay registration form but haven’t received a confirmation email yet. What should I do?

  Allow at least 2 weeks for your Academic Advisor to review your form and to forward it to the Secretary of the Student Support Regulation.

  If after 2 weeks, you have not received a confirmation email (be sure to check your spam folder!), you can check with your Academic Advisor or the Secretary of the Student Support Regulation (contact form) whether your registration form has been received yet.

Questions about the Student Support Regulation?