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How to get financial aid for higher education in Luxembourg
Step-by-step instruction on the terms and rules of receiving a state grant for higher education. Let's consider all the requirements and complicated points.
Financial aid from the government helps those who qualify to pursue higher education freely, irrespective of the family's financial status.
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The student financial aid programme is called AideFi, and literally any full-time or part-time student can participate.
The main requirement for part-time students:
- Either take a minimum of ECTS courses, OR
- Attend the course for at least half of the prescribed duration.
Funding is also available for secondary and vocational students, but it is a bit more complicated:
- The educational institution must have state accreditation.
- Vocational training does not have to take place in Luxembourg.
- The course must be a face-to-face course offered by the school.
- The candidate must travel abroad. "Abroad" in this context is considered to refer to the place of permanent residence.
However, to increase your chances of success, you must meet strict criteria.
For residents
- Be a Luxembourg national or a family member of a Luxembourg national residing in the Grand Duchy; or
- Be a citizen of an EU country and reside in Luxembourg as an employee or family member of an employee, or obtain a permanent residence permit; or
- Obtain political refugee status in Luxembourg; or
- Be a third country national or stateless person and have lived in Luxembourg for at least 5 years and have a Luxembourg certificate or any other that is recognised here.
The rules are even stricter for non-residents. In addition, for non-resident applicants, AideFi support is considered alternative support. In other words, you can only apply for it when you have tried all the ways of receiving support in your home country.
AideFi includes two categories: multiple grants and interest-bearing student loans.
It is worth mentioning that payments are usually made by semester. In Luxembourg they take place from 1 August to 31 January and from 1 February to 31 July.
Students are eligible for several grants: they are combined with each other. However, they cannot be combined with:
- Financial aid for studies paid by the student's country of residence.
- Any financial benefit resulting from student status.
Grants
Basic grant
As the name suggests, this is the simplest way of financing with no consideration for any specifics:
- Awarded to all eligible students.
- The amount is set at €1199 per semester.
Mobility grant
This grant is designed to help reduce living expenses. It can be applied for by students who:
- Entered a higher education programme outside their country of residence.
- Can verify rental expenses.
The amount of this grant is €1491 per semester.
Family grant
The Family Grant is available to households where two or more children are in education at the same time and eligible for AideFi.
Please note that payment is made once per summer term. The fee per semester is 287 euros per person.
Student loan
The loan is an additional funding measure and is not considered mandatory. The student will receive the loan only after the application has been submitted and approved. This means that even if the grant provides an additional amount to the loan, it will not be charged without the student's knowledge.
The basic loan amount is 3250 euros per semester, but can be increased by social grants or admission fees.
The state guarantees a maximum loan rate of 2%. Repayments must be started no later than 2 years after graduation.
The maximum repayment period is 10 years, but graduates experiencing repayment difficulties may request deferment or cancellation of repayment if there is a compelling reason.
Working students
If a student works no more than 10 hours per week, his/her income is not taken into account when calculating the grant amount. The same applies to working during the summer holidays.
Any other income is already counted by the commission as household income and may affect the amount of payments.
If a student's annual income meets the minimum wage for an unskilled worker (SSM), they are only eligible for loans.
If his income is 3.5 SSM or higher, he is not eligible for AideFi financial aid at all!
Financing of admission fees
Some universities ask for a similar procedure and this is also provided by AideFi. An admission fee is added to the amount of the grant or loan, but not more than 3800 euros.
The entrance fee is 5000 euros. As the amount is higher than 3800 euros, the student will have to pay the remaining 1200 euros himself/herself.
The list of documents varies quite a bit depending on which grant the applicant is applying for. You can customise the display of the list by using the filters at the beginning of this guide. This will make the process of collecting the documents smooth and comfortable.
You can apply for a grant without documents! They can be sent for processing at a later date, as it is often the case that the deadline for submitting applications is over and the paperwork is still missing.
You'll need:
There's something missing
Make sure you have prepared all the documents. If there is an error, they can be sent later
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
Identity document
Only if the application is not submitted electronically using MyGuichet.lu
Student's bank account details (PIB)
Requested from the bank
Certificate of final enrolment
Issued by the university stating the exact name of the course of study and the diploma being prepared
There's something missing
Make sure you have prepared all the documents. If there is an error, they can be sent later
*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.
Students applying for a loan are required to provide those documents that the bank requests from them.
Student grant applications are sent using the MyGuichet.lu portal, or more precisely, the mobile application. The main advantage of this method is that all risks associated with postal delivery are minimised and reports are always available.
Every action related to the application can be tracked through an automated mailing that the applicant receives through Guichet.
The important thing is that literally all students have access to submit: both those who already have an authenticator (LuxTrust and similar) and those who are using the system for the first time.
In essence, nothing more is required of the applicant. It is enough to fill in the application form and attach the necessary documents when they become available.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I apply for financial assistance if I am not a Luxembourg citizen?
You can. Student financial aid in the Grand Duchy is available to everyone without exception. However, the rules are much stricter for non-resident applicants, so it's best to check the official website.
Can I get more than one grant at a time?
Yes, it is possible. Different forms of financing can be combined with each other. However, the main thing is not to receive your own income that exceeds a certain amount, as well as financial assistance from another state.
I don't have time to collect the necessary documents. What do I do?
Don't worry. This system allows you to submit an application even if you don't have any supporting documents at all. The main thing is to send them in later.
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Source: guichet.public.lu
We took photos from these sources: javier trueba on Unsplash
Authors: Aleksandr
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