DUO Interest Rate 2027: Student Loan Interest Rises to 3.28% – What It Means for You

GRONINGEN – October 7, 2026 | The Dutch Daily

DUO interest rate 2027: the interest on Dutch student loans goes up next year. DUO has set the 2027 rate at 3.28% for people who repay under the 15-year rules (SF15) and 2.70% for the 35-year rules (SF35). According to NOS, this affects students and 250,000 former students. For part of them the rate rises by almost one percentage point, from 2.29% to 3.28%. Here is who is affected, why the two rates differ, and what you can do.

1. DUO interest rate 2027: the new percentages

DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs), the agency that runs Dutch student finance, publishes the DUO interest rate 2027 on its “Rente bij DUO” page:

NOS calls it a sharp rise for a large group of former students. Most people who have already graduated fall under the 15-year rules, and for them a new rate is set every five years. Five years ago they paid 0% interest; now it becomes 3.28%. Most current students repay their debt over 35 years, and for them the rate rises much less: from 2.33% to 2.70%.

2. Who pays the new DUO interest rate in 2027?

Whether the 2027 DUO interest rate applies to you depends on your situation. DUO distinguishes three groups:

• You are still studying and have a grant, loan, student travel product or lifelong learning credit: the rate changes every calendar year, so the 2027 rate applies to you next year.
• You receive student finance for the last time in 2026: the 2027 rate applies to you and is fixed for 5 years from January 2027.
• You are already repaying, or will soon: your rate is fixed for 5 years at a time. Only if your fixed-rate period ends on 31 December 2026 does the 2027 rate apply to you.

Whether you repay in 15 or 35 years depends on the repayment rules you fall under. You can check your rules, rate and when your fixed-rate period ends by logging in to Mijn DUO with DigiD, under “Mijn schulden”. The end date is also on your “bericht terugbetalen”. Every November, DUO sends a message with your interest rate and monthly amount for the new calendar year.

DUO gives an example. Jaap stopped his hbo programme in 2021, so his run-up phase (aanloopfase) started in 2022. The rate for 2022 was 0%, fixed for 5 years, so Jaap pays 0% from January 2022 to December 2026. From January 2027 a new fixed-rate period starts. Jaap falls under SF35, so he pays 2.70% until December 2031.

3. Why the DUO interest rate 2027 differs for SF15 and SF35

The interest on student loans is based on what the Dutch state pays to borrow. The two percentages differ because they are calculated differently, DUO explains:

• SF15: based on the average interest on 3- to 5-year government bonds in one month, September.
• SF35: based on the average interest on 5-year government loans over 12 months, from October of the previous year to September of the current year.

The average over 12 months can differ from the rate in September alone, which is why the 2027 DUO interest rate is 3.28% for one group and 2.70% for the other.

4. DUO interest rates 2019–2027

DUO’s overview shows how quickly rates rose after years at zero:

Because your rate is fixed for five years, someone whose period started in 2022 has been paying 0%, while someone who starts a new period in 2027 locks in the higher rate until 2031.

5. How DUO interest works: compound interest and multiple debts

Whatever your DUO interest rate in 2027, interest makes your student debt grow. DUO calculates it every month over your total remaining debt, including interest that has already been added. So you pay interest on interest: compound interest (samengestelde interest).

When your student finance stops, the run-up phase (aanloopfase) starts on 1 January of the following year, and from that moment your rate is fixed for 5 years at a time. If you go back to studying with student finance during the run-up phase, it is paused and you build up a second debt. Its run-up phase starts after your student finance stops again. That is how one person can have several debts with different rates. Each debt has its own fixed-rate period.

6. What you can do: pay extra or pay less

If the DUO interest rate 2027 applies to you, you have a few options.

Pay extra. In Mijn DUO you can repay early or make an extra payment with iDEAL | Wero. Your debt becomes lower, so you pay less interest in total. If you have several debts, DUO always deducts an extra payment from the debt with the highest rate. If you want it to go to another debt, contact DUO customer service once the payment has been processed.

Pay less. If your monthly amount goes up and you cannot pay it, DUO says you may be able to pay a lower monthly amount, or temporarily pay less or nothing. According to NOS, DUO takes your income into account: if you earn little, you repay less, and any debt left after the repayment period is eventually cancelled.

Check the effect. DUO’s “Rekenhulp Terugbetalen” lets you estimate your monthly amount and the interest, and see the effect of other rates on your debt.

Our tip (not from the sources): if you are applying for a mortgage, your student debt and monthly amount matter. See our Dutch home financing guide.

7. The 2.5% cap in the coalition agreement

There have long been calls to lower the rate for the so-called “pechgeneratie”, the students who studied under the loan system (leenstelsel), which has since been abolished. According to NOS, D66, VVD and CDA agreed in their coalition agreement to cap the interest for students at a maximum of 2.5%. So far no plans to do this have been made public.

NOS also reports that the total Dutch student debt fell for the first time in a long while earlier this week, but the number of graduates with a very high debt, above €50,000, has risen sharply, partly because of the loan system.

We will update this article if the cabinet presents a plan for the 2.5% cap.

8. FAQ

What is the DUO interest rate in 2027?

2.70% under the 35-year rules (SF35) and 3.28% under the 15-year rules (SF15).

Does my DUO interest change every year?

Only while you are studying. Once you repay, your rate is fixed for 5 years at a time.

How do I know if I fall under SF15 or SF35?

Log in to Mijn DUO with DigiD and look under “Mijn schulden”. Your rules and rate are shown there.

When will I hear if the DUO interest rate 2027 applies to me?

DUO sends a message every November about your rate and monthly amount for the next calendar year.

🇳🇱 Dutch Corner

Sources

• DUO: Rente bij DUO (2026 and 2027 rates per group, who the 2027 rate applies to)
• DUO: Rente voor terugbetalers (fixed-rate period, Jaap example, rate history, calculation, compound interest, extra payments, November message)
• NOS, 7 October 2026: Rente op studieschuld fors omhoog voor grote groep oud-studenten (250,000 former students, 2.5% cap, income-dependent repayment, debt cancellation)

More on The Dutch Daily: Dutch student housing crisis

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