Help with high energy costs for students

See what help you could get below.

1. You are aged 21 or over and and your income is below or equal to 120 per cent of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard). You may qualify for help through the Energy Cost Allowance for students. The conditions you must meet and the application procedure are explained below.
2. You are aged 21 or over and your income is above 120 percent but below 130 percent of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard). You may qualify for help through the Energy Cost Emergency Fund for households. The Emergency Fund page tells you which conditions you must meet and how to apply for help.
3. You are 18, 19 or 20 years old. You are receiving no help from your parents and your income is below 130 per cent of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard). You may qualify for help through the Energy Cost Emergency Fund for households. The Emergency Fund page tells you which conditions you must meet and how to apply for help.

Please first check whether your income is below or above 120 per cent of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard). You can use the table on the page Social assistance standards to see if you qualify for help.

Energy Cost Allowance for students – conditions

If you are aged 21 or over and your income is below or equal to 120 per cent of the bijstandsnorm (social assistance standard), you may be eligible for help through the Energy Cost Allowance for students. You must meet all the conditions below.

• You are aged 21 or over.
• You are following an MBO, HBO or WO course and have been enrolled in the course for at least 6 months.
• You live in a self-contained unit of accommodation in Maastricht. You can read what we mean by this under the heading Questions and Answers on this page. If you are renting a room, the conditions of the Energy Cost Emergency Fund for households apply to you. The Emergency Fund page tells you which conditions you must meet and how to apply for help.
• You are registered in the municipality of Maastricht.
• You have your own energy contract under your name.
• Your income is below or equal to 120 per cent of the bijstandsnorm.
• You or your flatmate have not previously received an energy allowance from the municipality.

You can apply for the allowance if you meet all the conditions. The application procedure is explained below.

How to apply

Please complete the online application form and send us the supporting documents. Scan your documents in advance to complete the application form faster. If you are applying for the allowance together with your partner, you must also send us copies or photos of your partner's documents (for the documents marked with an *).

We will need a copy or photo of the following documents:

• Valid passport or identity card*
• Rental contract and proof of rent payment
• Energy contract and proof of payment

Please note: do you live in a one-room flat with your own entrance, cooking area and toilet and shower area? And is the energy contract on someone else's name? If so, you must attach a document showing that you pay a monthly amount to your landlord for energy costs.

• Certificate of enrolment for your studies*
• Pay slip, benefit statement or bank statement (only for alimony, other income and parental contributions)*
• Your bank card or a bank statement of the account on which you want to receive the allowance.

We will not process your application until all requested documents are provided. You can attach the photos/digital copies to the application form. The form will tell you where to upload each document.

Questions and answers