Profile Fund

Profile Fund: information and submitting a request

• When are you eligible for financial support

  During your studies, circumstances may arise that cause you to experience study delay. If you have fallen behind in your studies, you may be eligible for a financial contribution from the Profile Fund. You can apply if, due to special circumstances, you obtained less than 60 credits in the past academic year, including resits, extra curricular courses, courses obtained at other educational institutions, etc. 

  The Profile Fund Regulation is divided into four parts; you can see below which one covers which circumstances.

  Part 1  Force majeure

  Circumstances beyond your control, such as illness or pregnancy and birth, exceptional family circumstances or a handicap or chronic illness.

  Part 2  Specific situations

  An infeasible programme, a non-subsidized Master’s programme, or student performance at the top level of sport or culture.

  Part 3  Administrative grants institutional bodies

  Work duties resulting from membership of a participation council or programme committee, or from being a Faculty Board observer.

  Part 4  Administrative grants student organizations

  Membership of the board of a foundation or association recognized by VU Amsterdam. Read the frequently asked questions in this document.

• When are you not eligible for financial support

  In some cases, listed below, you are not eligible for financial assistance from the Profile Fund, even if you have experienced study delay because of personal circumstances:

  • You are a part-time student, a premaster student, you are taking contract education or an exchange programme
    (you are only eligible if you are enrolled as a full-time bachelor's or master's student at the VU in the academic year for which you are applying for assistance);
  • You have already obtained a higher vocational or university bachelor's or master's degree prior to your current programme for which you are applying;
  • You have studied nominally, i.e. you have earned 60 credits in the academic year for which you are applying for a grant (regardless of which programme year the subjects are from);
  • You have previously received a total of 18 months of support (maximum term for a bachelor's programme);
  • You have previously received a total of 6 months of support (maximum term for a 1-year master's programme);
  • You have previously received a total of 12 months of support (maximum term for a 2-year master's programme);
  • You have previously received a total of 18 months of support (maximum term for a 3-year master's programme);
  • You are a 3rd-year student or higher in a 1-year master's programme;
  • You are a 4th-year student or higher in a 2-year master's programme;
  • You are a 5th-year student or higher in a 3-year master's programme; 
  • You didn't report your study delay to the academic advisors in the relevant academic year.

• Apply for Profile Fund: application forms and deadlines

  Parts 1 and 2 'Force Majeure' and 'Specific Situations'

  From 1 September, the Profile Fund will change into the Student Support Fund (SSF). The webpage will be published shortly.

  You can no longer submit an application for part 1 (Force majeure) and part 2 (Specific situations) for the academic year 2022-2023. The deadline passed on 15 January 2024.

  If you experienced study delay in academic year 2023-2024 due to personal circumstances, you must report this to your academic advisor within 3 months.

  Part 3 ‘Administrative grants institutional bodies’

  If you are a member of a Programme Committee, the Faculty Student Council or an auditor to the Faculty Board in the academic year 2023-2024, you can apply after the end of the current academic year from 1 September to 1 November 2024. The application forms will be available on the webpage of the Student Support Fund as of 1 September.

  Part 4 'Student Organizations'

  The current board (2023-2024) of a VU-recognized student organization may apply after the end of the current academic year from 1 September to 1 November 2024. The application form will be available on the webpage of the Student Support Fund as of 1 September.

  Recognition of student organizations

  You can no longer apply for (re)recognition. The deadline passed on 1 May 2024.

  Processing time parts 1-4

  The processing time of a complete application is 15 weeks, but the goal is to process complete applications within 10 weeks.

• General conditions you have to meet

  To be eligible for financial support, you must meet a number of general conditions. Please read the Profile Fund Regulations for any specific conditions. 

  a. Financial support is granted to students who have, as a result of circumstances described in these regulations, fallen behind in their studies in an academic year in which they are enrolled as full-time or work-study (‘dual’) students at VU Amsterdam on a programme, the final assessment for which they have not yet had.

  b. A student taking a Bachelor’s programme is exclusively eligible for the financial support if the student owes statutory tuition fees for the programme concerned and the student is or was entitled, with respect to the programme concerned, to the performance-related grant for higher education as referred to in the Student Finance Act (WSF 2000).

  c. A student taking a one-year Master’s programme is exclusively eligible for the financial support if the student owes statutory tuition fees for the programme concerned and no more than two years have elapsed since the student first enrolled on a Master’s programme at VU Amsterdam.

  d. A student taking a two-year Master’s programme is exclusively eligible for the financial support if the student owes statutory tuition fees for the programme concerned and no more than three years have elapsed since the student first enrolled on a Master’s programme at VU Amsterdam.

  e. A student taking a three-year Master’s programme is exclusively eligible for the financial support if the student owes statutory tuition fees for the programme concerned and no more than four years have elapsed since the student first enrolled on a Master’s programme at VU Amsterdam.

  f. A student who, solely on the grounds of nationality, is not or has not been entitled to higher education performance-related grant as referred to in the Student Finance Act 2000 (WSF 2000), if he/she does meet the other requirements of this scheme. The student concerned must have paid the institutional tuition fees to VU Amsterdam.

  (Conditions b to f do not apply to Part 4.)

• Study delay: Force majeure (part 1) and Specific situations (part 2)

  Force majeure (Part 1)

  Part 1 Force majeure is taken to mean the following extenuating circumstances:

  1. Illness or pregnancy and birth
  2. Extenuating family circumstances
  3. A disability or a chronic illness

  Specific situations (Part 2)

  Part 2 Specific situations of the regulations applies to the following:

  1. Students following an insufficiently attainable programme
  2. Students following a CROHO-accredited programme not wholly subsidized by the government
  3. Students performing at the highest level in sports or culture

  Please read the Profile Fund Regulations for any specific conditions for part 1 and 2. 

  Notification of study delay

  To be eligible for financial support, you must notify the study advisor of your programme immediately, but at least within three months after the occurrence of the circumstance in question. If the notification is given later, no claims for aid will be accepted for a delay in studies which occurred more than three months before the extenuating circumstance was reported. Please note that you have to report study delaying circumstances every year, even if it is a chronic condition and also if it is a previously claimed condition, for which financial support has already been granted before.

  The academic advisor may refer you to a student counsellor. You should therefore contact your academic advisor as soon as you become aware that your studies may be delayed. 

  Before submitting your request, read the Implementation Regulations carefully. They explain how to submit your application and which documents you should include. 

  Please note that you must send various documents, such as a doctor’s note, with your application. You can find a list of the required documents in the step-by-step plan. Request these documents in good time and do not wait till the day of the deadline!

  Your application will only be dealt with by the Student Financial Support Fund Committee if it is complete.

  When and how to apply for financial aid

  The deadline for submitting requests for financial aid for academic year 2022-2023 expired on 15 January 2024.

  If you experienced study delay in academic year 2023-2024 due to personal circumstances, you must report this to your academic advisor within 3 months.

• Administrative grants institutional bodies (part 3)

  Administrative grants institutional bodies (part 3)

  Condition for financial aid on the basis of part 3 is the position of:

  1. Member of a Participation Council at central or faculty level (USC and FSC)
  2. Member of a Programme Committee (PC)
  3. Observer of a Faculty Board (FB)

  When and how to submit a request for financial support and recognition

  Submit your request via the application form 'request financial support' between 1 September and 1 November following the academic year in which the board was active of administrative activities took place, regardless of the start and end of the administrative term customary for that or ganization/board. 

  You'll find the application form under 'Apply for Profile Fund and deadlines'. The application for recognition must be submitted by a student organization before 1 May.
  Please note: the year in which your recognition is honoured, you cannot apply for a board budget yet. This is only possible in the following academic year.

  Please note: USR members must submit a request for payment of a board grant immediately at the start of the academic year and before 30 September.

• Student organizations (part 4) 

  Condition for financial aid on the basis of part 4 is the position of

  1. Student organizations which are recognized by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  2. Financial contribution to organizations ‘familiar’ to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for non-recurring and non-standard activities of limited scope.

  Please read the Profile Fund Regulations for any specific conditions for part 3 and 4.

  You can find the FAQ regarding student organizations here.

  When and how do I apply for financial aid

  You should submit a request for establishing and payment of aid from the Profile Fund within two months after the academic year ends, but before 1 November 2024. You will find the application form under 'Apply for Profile Fund and deadlines'.

  Before submitting your request, read the Implementation Regulations carefully. They explain how to submit your application and which documents you should include. 

  Recognition procedure for student organizations and further explanation of administrative budgets

  To receive a board budget from the Profile Fund, you must be a student organization (association or foundation) recognized by VU Amsterdam. To be recognized you must meet various conditions. 

  When and how to submit a request for recognition

  The application for recognition can be submitted by a student organization from 1 April until 1 May.
  Please note: the year in which your recognition is honored, you cannot apply for a board budget yet. This is only possible in the following academic year.

  Before submitting your request, read the Implementation Regulations and the Profile Fund Regulations (see top right of this webpage) carefully. They explain how to submit your application and which documents you should include. 

  When and how to submit a request for financial support

  Submit your request via the application form 'request administrative budget' between 1 September and 1 November following the academic year in which the board was active of administrative activities took place, regardless of the start and end of the administrative term customary for that organization/board. 

  You'll find the application form under 'Apply for Profile Fund: application forms and deadlines'.

  List of VU-recognised student organisations

  Click here for a list of student organisations recognised by VU Amsterdam.

• Additional support for full-time board members

  Are you a full-time board member? If so, you may be eligible for additional support from the Profile Fund. Read the conditions.

  You apply for additional support at the same time as your administrative grant. The Provisions for additional support application forms are sent in August every year to associations and participation body members who are eligible.

More about study progress or study delay