How much is the school allowance?

Usually, you will receive the school allowance at the beginning of the school year.

The amount of the allowance can change according to the course taken. A pupil who changes courses or changes to another level during the school year 2021-2022 or later, will receive the highest amount of the followed courses. Therefore, as of that school year, you no longer have to pay back part of the allowance if the new course also entitles you to the school allowance. For earlier school years, it is still possible that you have to pay some of it back.

First we look at whether someone is following full-time or part-time education before we look at marriage, independent or single parent, or at third year - third grade.

Different amounts apply depending on the type of education:

• pre-primary education
• primary education
• secondary education
  • full-time secondary education
  • third year of the third grade full-time TSO or BSO
  • learning and working system or work-based learning
• Basisverpleegkunde (basic nursing training)

For many secondary pupils, the allowance amount is higher for an internal pupil. These are pupils who attend boarding school or live in student accommodation for at least 149 days during the school year (around 5 months).

• We receive boarding-school details from the Ministry of Education.
• If a pupil lives in student accommodation, they must produce a tenancy agreement for at least 5 months.
• Contact your payment fund for more details.
• A married, independent or single pupil always counts as 'internal'.

There are four possible family situations or 'statuses' for a pupil:

• 'Dependent' status
• Married status
• Independent status
• Single status

This status determines whose income we use to calculate whether the pupil is entitled to the school allowance.

The pupil lives with someone who is responsible for their upbringing, generally one or both parents. We use the income of the parent(s) or guardian(s) for the further calculation.
It can therefore be the income of one parent plus that parent's partner.

You are a 'married' pupil if you:

• are married;
• legally cohabit;
• actually cohabit with someone together with whom you have children;
• actually cohabit with someone who has children who become dependent on you or on whom your children become dependent
• have the right to reside in Belgium and actually cohabit with someone who has permission to reside in Belgium in order to continue a sustainable relationship or if you have that permission and actually cohabit with someone who has a right to reside.

We use the income of you and your partner for the further calculation.

You are an 'independent' pupil if you:

• are emancipated;
• are 16 and no longer officially live with your parents/guardians;
• receive a Groeipakket yourself for one or more children or for yourself.

We use your income for the further calculation.

You are a 'single person' pupil if you:

• do not reside with your parent(s)/guardian(s);
• are not an independent or married pupil.

We use your income (to the extent that you have any) for the further calculation.

Amount of allowance = full allowance x [(maximum threshold - family income) / (maximum threshold - minimum threshold)]

Example - 2023-2024:

• Your family income is 30,000 euro
• Your family has 3 points
• You have a pupil in primary education

Amount of partial allowance = €205.38 x [(€51,387.98 − €30,000) / (€51,387.98 – €27,605.56)] = €205.38 x (€ 21,387.98 / €23,782.42) = €184.70

If the result is lower than the minimum allowance, the minimum allowance will be given.

A foster child that has lived more than 12 consecutive months in the same foster family or consecutively in several different foster families on the 31st of August of the school year concerned, does not need to meet the financial conditions and thus always receives the full allowance.

You are entitled to the exceptional allowance if your family income is lower or equal to a tenth of the maximum income threshold and consists for at least 70% of:

• replacement income (unemployment benefit, sickness benefits, early retirement pension)
• or (equivalent) income support
• or income replacement allowance
• or maintenance

Some pupils can never be entitled to the exceptional allowance:

• internal pupils
• married pupils
• independent pupils
• single person pupils