As a student you are entitled to a student loan and student transport product. You may also receive a supplementary grant. If you start a business this may affect your student finances depending on whether you attend university, a secondary professional education (hbo) college or a secondary vocational education (mbo) college.
University or secondary professional education (hbo)
If you are a university or secondary professional education (Hoger Beroepsonderwijs, hbo) student in the Netherlands with your own business, you are allowed to earn unlimited income without any consequences to your student loan or travel product. Only if you still make use of the former student finance system an earnings threshold applies.
Secondary vocational education (mbo)
However, if you are an entrepreneur student in secondary vocational education (Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs, mbo) and your earnings exceed a set threshold, your student finances will be reduced. This includes the use of the free student public transport pass.
Stopping student finances
If you are an mbo student and your taxable income exceeds the annual threshold, you will have to pay back the excess. This will never be more than your basic grant, supplementary grant and student travel product received in that year.
To avoid having to pay money back to the Education Executive Agency DUO, it is best to stop your student finance a month before you exceed the threshold. You can do this through Mijn DUO. Likewise you can also stop your student travel product, whenever you need to. Failing to do so could cost you money.