Belgium - Flemish Community 2023/24 - student fees and grants

National student fee

In the Flemish Community all students pay tuition fees, in the short, first and second cycle, and the fee does not depend on your field of study or programme. It is made up of a fixed part plus an amount for every credit you sign up for. In 2023/24 the fixed part was EUR 253.60 and each credit cost EUR 12.10, so a standard 60-credit year came to EUR 979.60. Students receiving, or only just missing, a need-based grant paid a reduced rate of EUR 4.70 per credit.

There is no longer a split between full-time and part-time study: you can take anywhere from 3 to more than 60 ECTS credits a year, but with fewer than 60 you pay relatively more for the same amount of study.

Reductions depend on your nationality (or your parents living or working in Belgium), your family's income and situation, studying for a diploma at an institution recognised and funded by Flanders, and having enough study grant credit. No fee is due for degrees based on certificates of aptitude or prior learning, or for double degrees if you are enrolled at both institutions. Institutions set their own fees for foreign students not covered by the standard rules.

Student grants

Need-based grants are open to home and international students, full-time and part-time, in all cycles. Home students in the second cycle can also receive merit-based grants, while universal grants do not exist. There is no age limit, but if your programme has fewer than 27 credits in a year you normally do not qualify (some exceptions apply).

According to Eurydice data, in 2023/24 need-based grants ranged from EUR 351 to EUR 6,228 a year.

Loans

There are no publicly subsidised student loans.

Tax benefit for student's parents

Tax benefits are available for students' parents and for students who have their own income.

Family allowances

Parents can receive family allowances for their child until the student turns 25.